DC Cancels Their Biggest Event Of The Year
It looks like DC is canceling one of its biggest events and it could be another bad sign for the studio going forward
The DC FanDome virtual showcase won’t be happening in 2022. The cancellation of the global event, which gave fans a look at some of the most anticipated movies in the realm of superheroes and games, comes amid a complete restructuring of the DC Extended Universe. This includes the scrapping of multiple projects like the Batgirl, Supergirl, and Wonder Twins movies. According to Warner Bros. Discovery, the virtual fan convention was axed due to the return of in-person events.
In a statement via Variety, the studio said, “With the return of in-person events, Warner Bros. Discovery is excited to be able to engage with our fans live at numerous comic-cons around the world and will not be scheduling DC FanDome for 2022. While it’s unclear if this is the only reason, the upcoming slate of DC movies did have a massive presence at San Diego Comic-Con, likely contributing to its decision to cancel the event. Dwayne Johnson made a grand Hall H entrance to show off more Black Adam footage before the film hits theatres on October 21st. It also featured an appearance from the Shazam: Fury of the Gods cast who debuted their trailer live on stage.
But it is worth noting that the decision to cancel DC FanDome could be a result of overall uncertainty surrounding the studio. Although CEO David Zaslav said they have a 10-year plan and have courted producer Dan Lin to run future DC Films, nothing is official. The studio, it seems, is still trying to figure out what happens next. Coupled with troubling headlines surrounding The Flash’s Ezra Miller and the controversy in favor and against Amber Heard starring in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Warner Bros probably doesn’t want to place more focus on these projects.
Along with the DC FanDome cancellation, most of the DC slate has been pushed to 2023 as post-production houses have been backed up due to Covid supply-chain issues, Deadline reports. As a result, The Shazam sequel’s release date moved from Christmas to March 17th, while Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom moved to next Christmas. The Flash is staying on June 23rd, while Blue Beetle is still set for August 18th. Fortunately, there has been some good news with Harley Quinn being renewed for a fourth season. But the likely end of the Arrowverse and the unknown fate of Titans, Doom Patrol, and Stargirl still weigh heavily on fans who may have hoped that FanDome would’ve provided some clarity on the situation.
Developed as a way to create fans hype during the height of the global pandemic, DC FanDome had two successful events starting in 2020. Warner Bros used the platform to share trailers for highly-anticipated television series, as well as blockbusters like Matt Reeves’ The Batman and James Gunn’s Peacemaker. The event also allowed the cast and crew of major DCEU movies to reveal behind-the-scenes secrets and served as a welcome replacement for the canceled in-person events. Last year’s showcase even managed to draw an impressive 66 million global viewers. Now, it seems like Warner Bros’ next stop is New York Comic Con in October.
