Breaking Down DC Trailers and Easter Eggs

Story/Video posted August 31, 2020 in Arts & Entertainment by Andrew Field.

Over the past week, DC has released trailers for three upcoming films: “The Batman,” “Wonder Woman 1984” and Zack Snyder’s cut of “Justice League.” All three promotions have started to create buzz for their respective franchises, as theaters slowly begin the process of opening back up.

So, let’s break these trailers down and discuss some easter eggs hidden throughout them.

“The Batman” is still in the process of filming due to the coronavirus pandemic. It is being directed by Matt Reeves, who is known for films like “Cloverfield,” “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” and “War for the Planet of the Apes.”

The movie stars Robert Pattinson, who will don the black cape as Batman for the first time, Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as the Riddler and Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon.

The trailer features a younger, less polished Batman, as seen by his combat boots and almost riot suit-like outfit. This style is similar to Catwoman, as she has a costume that seems to draw inspiration from the early stages of her origins.

Andy Serkis, who is stepping into the role of Alfred Pennyworth, says to Batman in the middle of the trailer, “You’re becoming quite a celebrity,” as the notoriety of the caped crusader continues to grow.

There’s also a shot in which Batman has his cowl removed, revealing eye black around his eyes. Why is this interesting? No Batman before has ever been seen with eye black after taking off his cowl, even though it would make sense to wear it in order to help protect his identity.

Another powerful moment is when a thug asks Batman, “Who are you?” The typical response would be, “I’m Batman,” as most films usually entail.

Instead, Pattinson responds, “I’m vengeance.”

The main color of red used throughout the trailer suggests that this is more of a grounded and gritty Batman film that has aspects of the detective-like nature that Batman usually embodies. This is especially present with the Riddler using his clues and games to highlight the corruption and lies in Gotham.

The Riddler also uses a voice modulator to hide his true voice, which parallels Batman also trying to hide his own. The trailer suggests that the hero and foe will have some connections that will likely be explored when the film comes out in 2021.

“Wonder Woman 1984” debuted its second trailer for fans on Aug. 22.

The trailer cuts back and forth between the perspectives of Diana (Gal Gadot) and Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig) as they face one another. The influence of Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) provokes Barbara, as he tells her “the answer is always more.”

The result is the rise of Barbara Minerva, who later turns into the villainess Cheetah at the end of the trailer, and the fall of Wonder Woman, as she starts to lose her power and become just Diana Prince from Themyscira.

Chris Pine is back to reprise his role of Steve Trevor, and the implication of that will most likely be integral to Diana’s storyline throughout the film.

Wonder Woman dawns her gold armor as she fights Cheetah in the trailer’s climax. Many fans were unsure of how the visual effects would look on Kristen Wiig as Cheetah, but director Patty Jenkins and her team seem to have quieted most doubters.

The film is set to come out in October 2020.

“Justice League” already came out in 2017, but it wasn’t the cut that Zack Snyder intended. A family tragedy caused Snyder to step down from the project. Joss Whedon picked up the reigns and finished the movie, but it didn’t quite fall in line with Snyder’s vision.

Now, Snyder is back with the #SnyderCut, as a teaser trailer was released. The film, titled “Zack Snyder’s Justice League,” will be viewable on HBO Max. A film is made in the editing room, and since this is a re-edited version, the idea that this movie will be the polar opposite of the 2017 “Justice League” is a possibility.

The song “Hallelujah” plays over the teaser as classic Snyder slow-motion action shots are prevalent.

The trailer seems to lean on the idea of the Justice League as a team rather than focusing on individual story arcs, as an establishing shot of the six heroes concludes the trailer.

An interesting point of discussion is how Superman will be dealt with in the film. His role is critical, especially since the aftermath of “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” created the need for the Justice League to be formed.

It seems certain that Whedon and Snyder’s cuts will be different from each other, but fans will have to wait until 2021 to find out how different they really are.

Make sure to view the trailers for “The Batman,” “Wonder Woman 1984” and “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” below.

Andrew Field is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email aaf5329@psu.edu.