DC Highlights From Warner Bros.’ CinemaCon 2016 Panel; Ben Affleck’s BATMAN Movie Confirmed

Last night, Warner Bros. Pictures held its panel at CinemaCon 2016, giving a peak at the studio’s upcoming film slate. Of course, DC Films was a big part of the presentation. WB reaffirmed that at least ten DC movies will come out between now and 2020, following the success of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Below are the highlights from the panel. WB showed a sizzle reel for the DC Extended Universe, new footage from Wonder Woman, and even a new look at The LEGO Batman Movie. Oh, and Ben Affleck’s own Batman film is definitely a go. Many thanks to Comic Book, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline and Entertainment Weekly for compiling the following info.

At the beginning of the panel, WB CEO Kevin Tsujihara rehashed comments about the studio’s commitment to the DCEU, building upon the foundation of Batman v Superman. He adds that a new Batman film with Ben Affleck is definitely coming. “I’m also excited to know that we will be working with Ben Affleck on a stand-alone Batman movie.” Affleck will direct and star in the upcoming movie, which he is co-writing with Geoff Johns. A release date hasn’t been announced, but it is expected to be one of the untitled DC movies scheduled for 2018 or 2019.

Next, Affleck took the stage with Amy Adams to introduce a sizzle reel teasing the DCEU. Included is new footage from next year’s Wonder Woman. “Wonder Woman‘s logo and theme dominate the screen. She rides a horse with others through the forest. Steve Trevor flies a plane. Wonder Woman dodges bullets and deflects them back at shooters with her gauntlets. She attends a party in a beautiful blue dress. In a much more vibrant costume, she attacks enemies on a horse.”

The reel then turned over to 2017’s Justice League, which began production this week in London. Jason Momoa (Aquaman) and Ray Fisher (Cyborg) talk about their respective characters, and then, “The Justice League cast and Zack Snyder greets the audience from the set of Justice League in London. Everyone but Affleck is in the video. Snyder thanks the fans and the theater owners.” For Comic Book’s full description of the sizzle reel, click HERE.

Next, the cast of Suicide Squad came up to show off an extended look at the movie. Star Will Smith expressed his excitement, saying, “We are very excited to be here with this film — we got something that’s gonna fill up those theaters and make people buy a lot of stuff.”

During the Warner Bros. Animation panel, new footage from The LEGO Batman Movie was shown. The footage revolved around a key plot point in the film: Batman has to learn responsibility by taking care of Dick Grayson, an orphan he adopted at a gala. We later see Dick strolling through the Batcave, going through Batman’s many suits, before stumbling upon the “Reggae Man” costume. Dick removes the pants, puts on the suit, and becomes Robin. So, a two-minute summary of Robin’s origin story. The LEGO Batman Movie hits theaters on February 10th, 2017.

So, DC Entertainment had a big presence at this year’s CinemaCon, further establishing WB’s commitment to these films and franchises. Stay tuned for more news as we have it.