This weekend, all of San Diego was taken over by the pop culture masses. It’s San Diego Comic-Con, the biggest nerd collection of the year. The dense packing of geeks makes it prime time for companies to drop their latest announcements for all things sci-fi, fantasy and superhero. Check out the biggest news from the first two days of the event:
Ben Affleck directing Ben Affleck’s Batman starring Ben Affleck
When Ben Affleck was announced as the next star to don the cowl of the caped crusader, both film fans and comic fans alike were baffled.
Considering Affleck had been gaining monumental traction as a director, the choice to take on an iconic acting role was completely unexpected. However, his casting as Bruce Wayne made quite a bit more sense this week when Deadline Hollywood reported that Affleck wouldn’t just be starring in the next solo Batman film, he’s also writing and directing it. DC veteran Geoff Johns (who wrote several Batman and Justice League comics) will also be assisting on the story. It’ll be a while before Affleck’s Batman film hits screens, though. DC’s currently announced schedule includes ten films over the next five years, meaning this project either bumps a lower-priority character (such as Shazam) out of the way, or won’t be hitting screens until 2021.
If you’re looking for a more immediate Batman fix, a new super-sized trailer for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hit this weekend, giving us our first look at Wonder Woman, Lex Luther and Bruce Wayne’s perspective on the destruction of Metropolis. Fans also caught a first look at Suicide Squad, the villain-focused team-up film that will introduce new adaptations of The Joker, Harley Quinn and more to the DC cinematic universe. That trailer hasn’t been officially put online just yet, but some sneaky fans managed to record a copy off the presentation screen.
Deadpool hits home for the Comic-Con loyal
Few characters are more beloved by the Comic-Con crowd than Deadpool, Marvel’s foul-mouthed masked vigilante who loves to break bones, as well as the fourth wall. During 20th Century Fox’s panel, Ryan Reynolds was the star of the night as he thanked the audience for helping bring Deadpool to the big screen. After all, the project only got greenlit after footage leaked of a test short that initially failed to impress financiers. So it’s only fitting that fans set out to leak the official trailer for Deadpool in a similar manner. It’s a low-quality copy, but you’ll watch it anyways.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens stuns with practical sets
Although a new trailer for The Force Awakens isn’t ready quite yet, that didn’t meant that fans were left hanging. Abrams and company had a fantastic stage presentation, bringing out animatronic aliens and a large swath of the cast. Coolest of all is this four-minute behind the scenes reel, which shows off the majestic practical effects powering the latest installment. It’s also the first place we’ve seen the new look for Princess Leia, as well as the unexpected appearance of Simon Pegg — who appears to be playing some sort of alien.