by David Rogers
Comic book movies have a cult following, and while there is a rivalry between Marvel and DC, both regularly smash box office targets and have queues around the block for the first screening. 2020 has been something of an unusual year, and there have been some delays in upcoming releases. If you are missing your DC fix then never fear, plans are afoot to get three, yes that is right, three new cinema releases for 2021, provided this pandemic can go away in time! The regular DC schedule sees two movies each year, so this is something of a bonus, and as soon as they are confirmed, you will be able to get your tickets booked in advance. So, which heroes and villains are set to grace the big DC screen next year?
The Suicide Squad
Due for release in 2021 on August 6th, The Suicide Squad will be the DC directorial debut for James Gunn. He worked the magic behind both of the Guardians of the Galaxy films for rivals Marvel, and this sequel follows the first outing of the Suicide Squad from 2016. If you have not seen the movie, then the plot focuses on some pretty intense super villains who must complete secret and dangerous missions working for the government. While we are not entirely sure who will feature, it is pretty likely some of our favourite characters will make a return and presumably the storyline will follow a similar plot. It doesn’t matter if you have not seen the first film because this is a stand-alone movie and is certainly a comedic romp rather than a serious good versus evil. We do know that Will Smith will not be returning as Deadshot, nor will Jared Leto return as the Joker. But there are certainly some pretty impressive A-listers set to take a role with Idris Elba, Peter Capaldi, Nathan Fillion and many others alongside some of the original cast and crew. One thing we know from the first Suicide Squad is that many characters do not survive to the interval, and this is likely to be the same again. The villains come from DC Comics as you might expect and the ones that get killed off tend to be the D-listers, so the more prominent names are likely to survive.
The Batman
Possibly the most reincarnated superhero in history, Batman is set for another release on October the 1st next year. This time, our chiselled hero will be played by Robert Pattinson who will make his first outing as Bruce Wayne. For whatever reason, Ben Affleck did not want to reprise his role as the caped crusader, and this is the first Batman film for DC since they released The Dark Knight Rises. Batman’s trusty manservant Alfred Pennyworth is being played by Andy Serkis, and Commissioner Gordon will be played by Jeffrey Wright. You can also expect to see Cat Woman portrayed by Zoe Kravitz and Paul Dano as the Riddler. Finally, we also know that Colin Farrell will be making an appearance as the black and white villain that is the Penguin. As yet we do not know what exact storyline this will follow, but with Matt Reeves in the director’s chair, it is sure to be a popular box office hit. We do know that they have done a famous Hollywood rewind and this story is set as a prequel before Batman hits the scene as the greatest hero of all times. History says his detective skills are going to be needed to solve the mystery and while we know of at least two villains who are set to make his life difficult, we are assured there are plenty more hiding in the wings.
Black Adam
There seems to be a bit of a focus on villains this year and the third film to be released towards the end of 2021 is Black Adam, who we know from the DC comics is the villain who plays opposite Shazam. The two characters have quite similar superpowers, and the character was first introduced way back in 1945. His backstory is that he came from Egypt and once was a hero but as often is the case in all good movies, he was corrupted by powerful stuff and a long feud between him and Shazam has occurred. This movie has been in the works since before the DC extended universe was born. In 2014, it was confirmed that the role of Black Adam would be played by Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and many people assumed that they would also, therefore, see him in Shazam, but he did not make an appearance at that time. DC decided that he deserved his solo introduction to the world but as yet we have no idea what direction they are going to take the film in. Speculation from things that Dwayne Johnson has said is that they may even be portraying Black Adam as a superhero, not a villain this time. It has certainly got fans talking, and there are plenty of people eager to see exactly how this film turns out.
