Warner Bros Panel Recap: Biggest SDCC Disappointment So Far?

We all knew already that Warner Bros. wasn't going to address ongoing Ezra Miller & Amber Heard controversy and risk once again starting an uncomfortable conversation by bringing The Flash or Aquaman 2 to Comic-Con. But, being slightly addicted to SDCC big announcement, DCEU fans despite everything still hoped that Warner Bros. panel would bare at least some resemblance to the previous ones – after all, someone did started a rumor of Henry Cavill appearing on that Hall H stage to talk about Superman 's future in the DCEU. Well, no dice there: there was no Cavill, no surprises or big announcements whatsoever, and basically Warner Bros. did exactly what was officially announced: brought two of their upcoming projects (Shazam! 2 and Black Adam ) to SDCC and that was that. Needless to say, DCEU fans were disappointed, quickly deciding to refer to the Warner Bros. panel as one of the biggest SDCC disappointments so far.

Black Adam

Dwayne Johnson had to do all the work, appearing on the Hall H stage in costume to introduce some new footage from Black Adam – namely, a sneak peak featuring one of the DCEU finest, Viola Davis' Amanda Waller, who is one of the few characters actually tying the universe together. The film, slated to premiere this October, so far has the fans pleasantly surprised: by bringing all these new characters (well, relatively new, given how they existed in DC comics for decades) to light Warner Bros. actually did something right. Fans even think that the studio should fully exploit this particular approach, leaning into their more obscure characters – after all, isn't this exactly what made the Suicide Squad such a success?

Dwayne Johnson himself was pretty enthusiastic on the Hall H stage, promising a new era of DCEU:

"How can we create something that is fresh and unique… show and create something that's never been done? My goal is to usher in a new era in the DC universe…What is it like to build out the DC universe with the Justice Society as well," he said.

Black Adam will do exactly that, as the new footage shows, introducing the members of the Justice League to the audience: Atom Smasher, Hawkman, Cyclone and Dr. Fate will have to combine their efforts to try and detain Black Adam.

Noah Centineo joined Dwayne Johnson on stage to shed some light on his character, Atom Smasher:

"He wants to prove himself as a superhero, a young kid who wants to find his way in life. […] We're throw into this mix with our powers, and where we can exert and identity with them more. That's a journey in and of itself."

Shazam! Fury of the Gods

The second big title at the Warner Bros. panel was Shazam! sequel, with Zachary Levi debuting a new trailer. The family motive is going to be even more pronounced in the second movie, it seems, as the actor himself told the audience that the sequel is all about "Shazam fitting into his new family."

"It's a couple of years on, and (the kids) are doing various missions, helping the city of Philadelphia," says Levi. "We're figuring out our own identity."

The biggest addition to the film is brilliant Helen Mirren, bringing not just magnificent talent to the table, but also all the jokes about Fast and Furious "family" as well. At one point Levi's Shazam quite literally references Fast and Furious franchise to Mirren's Hespera:

"I've seen all the Fast and Furious movies and it's all about family!"

The trailer left the DCEU fans excited, so far it looks like the sequel is going to as much fun as the first movie was. The generally heartwarming feel of the Shazam! world is still present, although the trailer for the sequel looks just a bit more serious than the original. Shazam! Fury of the Gods opens in theaters this December.