dceu reboot – World’s Best Media

TRAILER: HBO’S The Penguin!

Published on March 24, 2024 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwright1 Comment

Hey Everyone.

Paul here…

Ben Affleck may have been my favorite on screen incarnation of The Dark Knight, but 2022’s The Batman directed by Matt Reeves, was definitely my favorite live-action Batman movie. It finally showcased one of the Top 3 most fundamental aspects of the character, that had yet to be the focus of any of his other live-action, big screen counterparts: He’s The World’s Greatest Detective! Maybe he hadn’t quite reached the “World’s Greatest” part yet by the end of The Batman, but Bat-tinson was well on his way, he’s still new at the job! Regardless, we finally had a Batman movie that was a detective story. You know, where Batman’s an actual fucking detective! It’s kind of an important part of the character. Batman should be Sherlock in a cape and cowl. But I digress…

One of the highlights of the film was Colin Farrell, who was fantastic in his supporting role as Oswald Cobblepot, a.k.a. Oz, a.k.a.The Penguin. At the end of 2022’s The Batman, crimeboss Carmine Falcone‘s death, along with several other players in his organization, had left a vacuum in the Gotham underworld. Nature abhors a vacuum, especially in Gotham City. As we wait for The Batman Part II, this fall HBO is premiering The Penguin, a new miniseries focusing on Oz’s rise to power as Kingpin of Gotham, after the events of the first film.

With Robert Pattionson confirmed to make an appearance on the show, the miniseries will directly tie into Matt Reeves’ upcoming The Batman Part II. So you think of The Penguin as almost like The Batman 1.5, if you will. It’ll be interesting to see who else from The Batman mythos will pop up in the series.

Unfortunately, because of The 2023 Actor and Writer strikes, everything has been pushed back, including the series, which should have come out last year. In the wake of the strike, even The Batman Part II doesn’t have a concrete releases date yet. While the film is definitely still happening, it’s much more likely to expect it in the second half of 2025 or Spring/Summer 2026.

In the meantime, it looks like we have a great new series, further fleshing out the world of this Gotham City. I know I’m psyched. Take a look at the trailer below:

The Penguin premieres this Fall on HBO Max

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-Paul

FIRST LOOK: The Flash! New Posters! Videos! & More!

Published on March 21, 2023March 21, 2023 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwrightLeave a comment

Hey Everyone

Paul here…

Hands-down, DC/WB”s upcoming movie The Flash is by far my most anticipated film of the year. The return of Michael Keaton as Batman! Supergirl! Dark Flash! The DCEU spin on the classic Flashpoint storyline! That KILLER trailer! The return of General Zod! It all looks fucking great.

Plus, say what you want about the guy, but I really like Ezra Miller as The Flash (or more specifically Barry Allen). I do think that when they’re done with Miller, because let’s be real his relationship with Warner Bros. as this character is going to be done after this film, they should make Wally West their new Flash, instead of just re-casting Barry Allen.

Wally West: The One, True Flash!

Alongside Barry/The Flash, It looks like the most important characters in the upcoming film, are Michael Keaton’s Batman and Supergirl. This reality’s twisted reflection of the classic The DC Trinity (Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman in the main DCU).

The Trinity from The Flash…

Which I am all about! Because I’ve loved everything I’ve seen about this new Supergirl and once again, give me some Michael Keaton as Batman ALL. DAY. LONG. Which brings me to today‘s topic. As some of you may know, I love me a good movie poster. I love a good movie poster almost as much as I love a good trailer. Well, that’s over stating things a little bit. However, I believe that movie posters are an art form. A great movie poster cannot only sell the shit out of a film, but it can be a work of art. I have countless books solely on the art of movie posters. Books collecting some of the classic movie posters of our time. A great movie poster can capture the imagination. Which is why I was excited to see Warner Bros./DC Studios premiere, these three, very cool character posters for their upcoming Flash film. Take a look.

All in keeping with the them of this universe’s DC Trinity. Speaking of Supergirl, I’m particularly happy to see her included in this film, because Zack Snyder actually set up her presence in the DCEU all the way back in Man of Steel. In the films first act, when Clark discovers the Kryptonian scout ship, he notices pods filled with the bodies of dead Kryptonians, except one of the pods was open, with no body inside. Implying that someone got out alive. Fans, of course, took notice of this and when asked about it, Zack Snyder insinuated that, that was indeed an Easter egg intended to set up Supergirl.

Anyway, as a big fan of Zack Snyder’s Justice League Trilogy, I thought this vide was cool:

James Gunn, the new co-head of DC Studios has repeatedly stated his “love” for The Flash film, calling it “one of the best superhero movies ever made.”. As the co-head of DC Studios and director of the upcoming Superman: Legacy, Gunn may be a little bias. However, Tom Cruise, who many credited with helping to save the moviegoing industry with last year’s mega hit Top Gun: Maverick, was asked by WB CEO David Szazlav to screen the film and give his thoughts. After a print was delivered to Cruise’s home and he watched the movie, Cruise not only “loved it’, but he was so impressed, he called director Andy Muschietti to rave about the film and told the director “This is everything you want in a movie. It’s the kind of film we need now.”. That is one HELL of an endorsement!

…And just to wrap things up, not for nothing, but the McFarlane Action Figures for The Flash and Keaton’s Batman for this movie look sick! Needless to say, there’s a lot of reasons to be excited for this film!

The Flash opens in theaters June 16th, 2023!

-Paul

DC STUDIOS: Chapter 1 – Gods and Monsters!

Published on February 5, 2023February 5, 2023 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwrightLeave a comment

Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

At long last, James Gunn has revealed a significant portion of DC STUDIO’s 8-10 year plan, for their interconnected film, television, animation, and gaming DC Cinematic Universe. They’re calling this first chapter, Gods and Monsters (sick title!). Gunn was quick to point out that while these are the Chapter One projects they’re ready to announce, these projects don’t include every planned Chapter One release. So expect more projects to be announced in the months and years to come.

This is some very exciting stuff. I love this slate of projects and I think they’re the perfect mixture of characters, films, and television series to give The MCU a run for their money. Check out James Gunn’s full announcement about DC Studios: Chapter 1 – Gods and Monsters, right here…

Very, very cool, right? Here’s the full slate of movies and TV shows announced for Chapter One:

This is an absolutely killer line up! There’s a lot here to be really excited about! Below, I’ve listed the top 4 projects that I’m most looking forward to…

As a die hard Green Lantern fan, it was impossible for me not to thrilled about Lanterns, starring Hal Jordan and John Stewart. Gunn described the series as an HBO prestige drama in the vein of True Detective, with Jordan and Stewart acting space cops on “Precinct Earth” (Along with a few other notable lanterns popping up here and there). The story centers on Jordan and Stewart as they uncover a horrifying mystery connecting to the larger DCU. This project has massive potential.

For a long time, one of the things I’ve most wanted to see in a Batman movie is the introduction of the “Bat-Family”. Characters like Nightwing, Robin, Batgirl, Red Hood, etc. Other orphans and vigilante’s Batman has taken under his wing and joined in his fights to protect Gotham City. So I love that our intro to this new DCEU Batman, will be through the film The Brave and The Bold, which will be heavily influenced by Grant Morrison’s classic Batman run. The story sees Batman training and contending with a whole new type of Robin, the biological son Bruce never knew he had, Damian Wayne. Son of Bruce and Talia Al Ghul, dauighter of R’as Al Ghul. Damian was raised and trained from infancy in his grandfather’s League of Assassins. So Batman has his work cut out for him as he attempts to mold his 10 year old assassin son, into a Robin that adheres to The Dark Knight’s ‘No Killing” code. This is territory that has never been covered in a Batman film before, so this will feel both fresh and fun. This is the beginning of “The Bat-Family” in The DCEU and it’s about time!

The Authority is one of the coolest, most groundbreaking comics I’ve ever read. When then The Authority first hit stands about 20 years ago, it rocked the comic book industry. I’m shocked and thrilled that this is hitting theatres. One of the craziest, most cinematic comics of the last few decades.This is the type of story that’s perfect for those audience members feeling superhero fatigue. THIS is something new, my friends!

A hardcore, Swamp Thing horror movie? Hell yeah. Swamp Thing is one of DC’s best and most unique characters. With classic stories from, creators like Alan Moore, Len Wein, Scott Snyder, Charles Soule, and Neil Gaiman, there are wealth of amazing stories for the film to draw from.

Well, those are the projects that got me the most excited, check out the full list of releases below.

What do you think of Chapter One: Gods and Monsters? What Projects are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments below!

-Paul

NEW TRAILER & MORE: The Batman! (UPDATED!)

Published on December 28, 2021January 5, 2022 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwright1 Comment

Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

In the immortal words of Kevin Smith, ”F*ck you, take my money!”. Damn, this looks fantastic. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I think Matt Reeves is a inspired choice for director, the cast is phenomenal (Colin Farrell as The Penguin? That’s worth the price of admission alone), I think Pattinson is going to crush it as Batman. However, I don’t think I really got truly excited until I watched this trailer.

I absolutely adore the looks of the rogues gallery in this movie. In a stroke of genius, The Riddler was clearly inspired by the infamous Zodiac serial killer, resulting in a profoundly disturbing look.

Colin Farrell is unrecognizable as Oswald Cobblepot and anyone who’s been following his work over the last 10 years or so, knows that he’s going to absolutely murder this role.

Finally, Zoe Kravitz looks amazing as Selina Kyle. I love her simple, back to basics look, which is clearly inspired by her appearance in a Frank Miller‘s Batman: Year One. After all, she’s supposed to still be relatively early in her career in this movie.

Then there are these guys, who I’m not quite sure what to make of. If I didn’t know anything about the movie, I would guess that there some version of The Jokerz, a violent gang first introduced in Batman Beyond, who saw themselves carrying on the anarchy and legacy of The Clown Prince of Crime. In Batman Beyond, most if not all were born years after the death of The Joker. They never saw what Gotham was like during a real Joker attack. Because of of The Joker’s “legend”, the gang revered him as an outlaw and anarchist, while in reality they don’t really understand the death and evil that The Joker represented.

Batman Beyond takes place decades in the future where Batman and the Joker haven’t been seen in years and are presumed missing or dead. A group of punks who didn’t really understand the evil that The Joker represented, thought he was just decided to start cool and started The Jokerz. In the years since their formation, they’ve been terrorizing the good, decent people of Gotham. While they aren’t a major threat like Bane, or any other major members of Batman’s rogues gallery, they can still be quite dangerous and violent.

I also have a sneaking suspicion that there may be a few more villains appearing in this film, that they’ve been able to keep hidden from the audience so far.

I’m not the first person to say this, but I have a sneaking suspicion that there’s more to this story than meets the eye. I think it’s possible that The Riddler could have a benefactor, someone pulling his strings. But who? The Joker? Hush? If there is indeed someone behind the curtain, I think villain(s) that makes the most sense in light of this new trailer, would be The Court Of Owls. Green

The Court of Owls are a secret society that have exerted their wealth, influence, and power over Gotham, from the shadows, since the founding of the city. This new trailer makes it clear that Riddler knows Batman is Bruce Wayne and that the central mystery of the story seems to have something to do with The Wayne family. The Waynes are of course, one of the oldest and most respected families in Gotham. In the comics, multiple members of The Wayne family (as well as their lifelong friends, The Pennyworths) had their run-ins with The Court and their deadly enforcers, The Talons.

Talon ( The Court of Owls personal enforcers and assassins)

The Court of Owls are among my favorite modern Batman villains and we haven’t seen them on the big screen yet. Not only would it be great to see something a little different from a Batman antagonist, they’re just plain cool. This is all just speculation, of course. Regardless, this is definitely a movie to keep your eyes on.

The Batman opens 3/4/2022

-Paul

What I Want to See: DCEU

Published on September 12, 2018November 24, 2020 by Michael Christopher Cole1 Comment

It was announced today, that Henry Cavill is no longer going to be the live action Superman in the DCEU. It was recently confirmed (and long rumored) that Ben Affleck was not going to be Batman in the DCEU. So, the DCEU is down 2 of their three most iconic characters, and many people are speculating a ‘soft reboot’ of the DCEU in general. Of their 5 films so far, the only success across the board (critics/fans/box office) has been Wonder Woman, and so this might make sense to do. Especially since Wonder Woman and the upcoming sequel take place before the events of the other 4 films released so far.

Has Aquaman ever looked cooler?

Now, I personally think this reboot idea will likely take some of its cues from what happens with December’s Aquaman film. We already saw Jason Mamoa as the character in Justice League, and I’ve heard virtually no complaints about him, but an Aquaman stand-alone will be a completely different thing, and so we really won’t know until it comes out.

There is also the forthcoming Shazam, scheduled for next April. Now, Shazam hasn’t appeared in the DCEU previously, so if Aquaman tanks and they go full steam ahead on the reboot, Shazam could be part of the ‘new’ universe, or if Aquaman is a success, it could be tailored into the ‘newish/soft reboot/whatever they’re going to call it.’

I knew nothing about this character, and the trailer sold me.

So let’s make the assumption that some kind of reboot is going to happen, and I will tell you what I want to see with that. Ok?

I want to see this reboot build characters individually. I’m not saying not to put Easter eggs, or slight references to each other, but let’s not get to the second movie before we have a full blown cross over. If in Wonder Woman ’84 we see some story about a ‘meteorological event’ which implies Kal El’s (Superman) arrival, that’s fine, but I don’t want Jason Mamoa or Shazam or anyone else to show up. Get several stand alone films under your belts, like you should have done the first time around.

Thanos’ snap was more powerful than we all realized.

The second thing that I want to see happen, is I don’t want Superman and Batman to show up for a while. It might sound dumb, and I’m sure people hate hearing about the MCU as a model, but Marvel didn’t have access to their A listers when they started, and it forced them to build characters and not assume we knew who they were, it forced them to get creative and be better story tellers. I think Batman and Superman are too iconic to start. Let’s deal with Shazam, and Cyborg, and other characters that the general film going audience that aren’t comic book readers aren’t familiar with, and start world building through them. There is some brand recognition with characters like Flash and Green Lantern, but use those characters to bridge the gap between the audience who know nothing, and the audience who totally get it. Then once you’re several successes deep, you can start introducing Superman and Batman. This exercise, will also help you to understand how to create those characters more memorably, to not be coming at them as the icons they are to the general public, but to fill in and establish all of the layers that have comic book fans hooked.