The DC Extended Universe is currently on an exciting path. With the billion dollar hit that was Aquaman under its belt as well as the overwhelmingly positive early reactions to Shazam!, it seems like the franchise has finally found its footing. That along with some exciting new films in development such as The Suicide Squad from James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy), the future is pretty bright.
James Gunn was infamously ousted from directing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 with Marvel Studios due to old, controversial tweets that were brought into the spotlight last summer. Disney’s decision to fire James Gunn has been controversial, and despite major support from his cast and crew (particularly from Drax actor Dave Bautista), Disney stood by its decision and James Gunn has now moved onto a new family of misfits: The Suicide Squad.
Earlier this week, a report about the James Gunn lineup of Suicide Squad characters revealed that some deep cut lesser-known DC Comics characters may be making their cinematic debut in the highly-anticipated sequel. One of those characters was King Shark.
With King Shark rumored to be part of the roster, let’s take a look at concept art for the character from artist Peter Mitchell Rubin:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BuzkKCDhvcI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
This impressive concept art of King Shark was created when David Ayer and the rest of his team were developing the first Suicide Squad film. King Shark was ultimately absent from the finished product, but with a new artist at the helm of this ragtag group of villains, he may be making his cinematic debut.
While we continue to wait for some exciting new updates from James Gunn and his new take on The Suicide Squad, the DCEU continues its exciting streak of standalone films with Shazam!. Here is the synopsis for the upcoming film:
We all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In Billy Batson’s (Angel) case, by shouting out one word—SHAZAM!—this streetwise 14-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult Super Hero Shazam (Levi), courtesy of an ancient wizard. Still a kid at heart—inside a ripped, godlike body—Shazam revels in this adult version of himself by doing what any teen would do with superpowers: have fun with them! Can he fly? Does he have X-ray vision? Can he shoot lightning out of his hands? Can he skip his social studies test? Shazam sets out to test the limits of his abilities with the joyful recklessness of a child. But he’ll need to master these powers quickly in order to fight the deadly forces of evil controlled by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Strong).
Directed by David F. Sandberg, DC Shazam! stars Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Mark Strong, Jack Dylan Grazer, Grace Fulton, Faithe Herman, Ian Chen, Jovan Armand, Cooper Andrews, Marta Milans and Djimon Honsou.
Shazam! will be released in theaters on April 5, 2019. Stay tuned to Heroic Hollywood for the latest news on the future of the current DCEU as we learn it.
Top Actors To Replace Ben Affleck In Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’
Ben Affleck is officially out as Batman and it’s a pretty sad day.
Words cannot describe how sad I am to see Ben Affleck announce that he’s no longer Batman. His Batman is why I do what I do. In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, I fell in love with his comic book-accurate interpretation of the Caped Crusader. It was a breath of fresh air and it felt like we finally had the one true Batman.
Three years have quickly sped by and we’re officially going to receive a new Batman for his next movie. Last night, Ben Affleck announced that he will not return as the Dark Knight in Matt Reeves’ The Batman and now everyone’s attention has moved towards wanting to know who the next Bruce Wayne will be. Matt Reeves is said to want an actor that’s around 20 years younger than Affleck while Warner Bros. wants someone older. My guess is that Reeves wants a fresh start while the studio wants an older actor for crossover potential.
In this list, I will discuss the actors I think can replace Ben Affleck as Batman using the parameters that Matt Reeves and Warner Bros. want. Hit Next to see our picks to play the Batman.
Michael Fassbender
Michael Fassbender is an X-Men alum and no stranger to comic book franchises. The actor has shown multiple levels of range and could definitely handle the Batman/Bruce Wayne personality. If they go with the older range for the next Dark Knight, then Fassbender is probably one of the best choices to take over the role.
Ben Barnes
Ben Barnes is out of a job after The Punisher season 2 and he’s one of the best actors in that series. The second season tied up Barnes’ arc on The Punisher and the actor has already told us that that he’d love to play the Caped Crusader. Barnes definitely has the pretty boy look going on for him and I wonder what his take on Bruce Wayne could be.
Ryan Gosling
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: Ryan Gosling needs to star in a superhero movie. I’ve always thought Gosling would make a great Batman. Every role that he’s done has shown us his capability and he could crush it as Bruce Wayne.
Jon Hamm
Jon Hamm is my top choice for an older Batman. If Warner Bros. wants to cast an older actor for crossover potential, Jon Hamm is the studio’s best bet. He has a similar look to Ben Affleck, and c’mon, the guy’s look just screams Bruce Wayne.
Armie Hammer
Armie Hammer is 32 years old and was cast as the Caped Crusader in George Miller’s Justice League: Mortal. That film will never see the light of day, but that doesn’t mean that Hammer doesn’t deserve a second shot at being the Batman. He’s charming, broody and will probably give his all for this role. Armie Hammer is a great option because he’s young enough for Matt Reeves and Warner Bros. could work in a way for him to crossover with the rest of the DC Extended Universe.
Richard Madden
Game of Thrones alum Richard Madden is my top choice to replace Ben Affleck as Batman. The actor is young, has the look and definitely has the acting chops to play the duality of Batman and Bruce Wayne. Madden just won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television series for the BBC drama Bodyguard, so Warner Bros. may want to quickly snatch him up.
