Here are DC's greatest movie reveals of the past year. 2020 has been a year few will forget quickly, not least the movie industry, which has been upended by the outbreak of COVID-19. With theaters closed and production either restricted or shut down completely, studios have been forced into their delaying their 2020 movies or finding alternative ways to distribute while recouping as much money as possible. Warner Bros. is no different, and the DC movie slate has been affected massively. In a world without coronavirus, Wonder Woman 1984 would be old news, and fans would be rapidly gearing up for The Batman in the new year. In reality, DC hasn't seen a proper movie release since the critically-acclaimed box office bomb, Birds of Prey, back in February.

Happily, it hasn't all been doom and gloom for DC in 2020. Despite the world's current predicament, Warner Bros. has delivered some monumental reveals over the past 12 months, from groundbreaking casting and new-look superheroes, to major villain additions and the release of a fabled alternate cut. Hollywood may have been paused for most of 2020, but 2021 and beyond looks undeniably exciting for DC movies, and the following reveals could allow future output to compete with the MCU more evenly than previous years.

Related: The Snyder Cut Is Justice For The Old DCEU

DC's 2020 will perhaps be remembered more for the imagination-stirring movie reveals than for the constant delays and recurring controversies. These are DC's best big screen revelations of the past year, ranked from worst to best.

15. Wonder Woman Goes To HBO Max

HBO Max 2021 slate and movies released

The most recent DC reveal is arguably the most shocking of the bunch. Following a series of COVID-related delays, Wonder Woman 1984 will release on HBO Max simultaneous with movie theaters in available regions. This is obviously great news for HBO Max subscribers, and with many cinema screens still closed across the world due to lockdown measures, this release strategy seemed to be the least-worst option. Warner Bros. avoids another delay, theaters get a larger share of ticket sales, and fans in COVID-high areas can still see Diana's latest adventure. But the positive side of Wonder Woman 1984's release plan has been tempered by the subsequent announcement that all upcoming 2021 Warner Bros. movies will take the same route - a controversial plan that has divided opinion.

14. James Gunn Writes A Peacemaker Spin-off For Fun

John Cena as Peacemaker

People did some weird things during lockdown. Becoming obsessed with Joe Exotic, baking banana bread, and adopting the art of using toilet roll sparingly, etc. James Gunn, on the other hand, decided to write a spin-off series for John Cena's Peacemaker character. The former WWE champ was cast in Gunn's upcoming The Suicide Squad (more on that later) as the gun-toting B-list DC hero, real name Christopher Smith, and Gunn was so taken with his live-action Peacemaker, he wrote a TV show that was subsequently green-lit for HBO Max. Production is currently underway.

13. Gotham Take 2

The Batman and Gotham Gordon

The Suicide Squad isn't the only upcoming DC movie bleeding into the realm of television. With Robert Pattinson set to debut as Bruce Wayne in The Batman, Warner Bros. announced that Matt Reeves' Gotham City would branch out into a multi-project universe spread over several mediums. The first confirmed spin-off is a police-based HBO Max TV series focusing on the exploits of the GCPD, and if that premise sounds familiar, take a glance over at Fox's Gotham, which aired its final episode way, way back in... 2019. Set prior to The Batman, when Pattinson's vigilante has only recently emerged, Terence Winter of Boardwalk Empire fame will oversee the new series.

Related: Batman: What Matt Reeves' TV Series Needs To Do Differently To Gotham

12. Shazam 2 Gets A Title

Shazam runs through an alley with the foster children in Shazam!

Releasing domestically the same month as Avengers: Endgame, DC's 2019 Shazam movie flew slightly under the radar, but the premise and humor were both positively received, and Zachary Levi will reprise his role as Billy Batson's superhero alter-ego in a 2023 sequel. At DC's Fandome event back in August, the follow-up was officially christened Shazam! Fury Of The Gods - a title that suggests the divine beings who bestowed the power of Shazam upon Billy aren't happy with how he's using those gifts. Incidentally, the Fandome online convention was considered a runaway success, and many of the reveals on this list emanate from that event.

11. Robert Pattinson's Batmobile

Robert Pattinson stands next to the Batmobile in The Batman

Although the full impact of Robert Pattinson's forthcoming Batman debut may or may not be explored further down, the early months of 2020 brought official images of the updated Batmobile. Against convention, the vehicle proved to be a souped-up muscle car, rather than the veritable tank of previously movies, hinting toward the more amateur, DIY aesthetic Matt Reeves' The Batman has adopted.

10. The JSA Members Join Black Adam

Dwayne Johnson has been occupying Black Adam's lead role for what feels like an eternity, but the project seems to be rock bottom of the actor's to-do list, as Johnson continues to develop his status as a Hollywood leading man. Finally, 2020 heralded significant developments for the Black Adam movie, with the DC Fandome reveal that the Justice Society of America would be involved. This means the likes of Doctor Fate, Hawkman, Atom Smasher and Cyclone will be introduced to the DCEU. If that wasn't enough for one year, Black Adam cast Noah Centineo in the Atom Smasher role, and Aldis Hodge as Hawkman. While these castings are certainly exciting, the buzz has been somewhat muted due to Black Adam losing its release date in the wake of Warner Bros.' COVID reshuffle.

9. Deathstroke's Return

Justice League Snyder Cut Deathstroke Knightmare

The 2017 Justice League movie ends with Joe Manganiello's Deathstroke meeting Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor, leading into a Ben Affleck Batman movie and a future Injustice Society storyline. Alas, this post-credits tease amounted to nothing, as Affleck departed the franchise and Justice League was critically panned, forcing a rethink of the DCEU franchise. Deathstroke's future was left tantalizingly unresolved, as the exciting prospect of Manganiello as Slade Wilson looked to be wasted. Fortunately, the DC mercenary has been confirmed for the upcoming Justice League Snyder cut, sporting a fresh haircut for the occasion. While Deathstroke's role in the Snyder cut remains to be seen, allowing the character to find redemption after being cast asunder in 2017 is cause for celebration in itself.

8. Kristen Wiig's Cheetah Transformation

Like every other studio, DC hasn't had much to build towards in 2020, with the exception of Wonder Woman 1984, which was originally set to drop in the midst of the global lockdown. Nevertheless, the hype machine for Diana Prince's 1980s-set sequel has been effective, and 2020 finally offered a closer look at the film's main villain in her full feline glory. Wonder Woman 1984's first trailer arrived in late 2019, and revealed Diana's golden armor, the return of Steve Trevor, and Kristen Wiig in her human form. However, DC deliberately held back on unveiling Wiig's Cheetah design until the Fandome trailer in 2020. Wonder Woman 1984's Cheetah appearance has been largely well-received, blending comic authenticity with the practicalities of live-action.

Related: The DCEU Needed The Snyder Cut

7. The Snyder Cut Is 4 Hours Long & Shooting New Scenes

Steppenwolf in Justice League Snyder Cut

2020 has brought a new Snyder cut reveal virtually every other week, and this list could consist entirely of revelations regarding the upcoming Justice League 2.0. Narrowing down the most important developments, however, it's hard to look beyond Warner Bros.' confirmation that the Snyder cut would be a 4-hour mini series on HBO Max. Reports also emerged suggesting Snyder was filming new footage, which only heightened anticipation and reinforced how different the new cut will be compared to the 2017 version that featured additional meddling by Joss Whedon. The four-part structure should allow Zack Snyder to tell his full Justice League story, and bring those ideas to fruition without having to worry about running time.

6. The Suicide Squad's Impressive Cast

the suicide squad 2

For months, casting rumors had been swirling around James Gunn's The Suicide Squad - a sort-of-not-really sequel to the critically mauled 2016 original. Many of the names had been confirmed by behind-the-scenes images, but there remained a sense of disbelief over the size of this star-studded ensemble. As part of DC's Fandome event, however, a The Suicide Squad teaser officially introduced each member of the team, revealing the likes of Idris Elba, John Cena, Peter Capaldi and Michael Rooker alongside existing cast members such as Margot Robbie and Viola Davis. The sheer scale of the talent involved was something to behold and, watching the "Roll Call" video, it's hard to avoid feeling this is Suicide Squad finally done right.

5. Colin Farrell As Penguin

Colin Farrell as The Penguin in The Batman

While the film itself has been subjected to several push-backs in the wake of COVID-19, the first trailer for The Batman proved a monumental release, and has aggressively ramped-up hype for the Robert Pattinson era. Paul Dano's Riddler appears to be the leading antagonist, but the villain is being kept appropriately enigmatic, with the trailer never showing his face or full costume. Some are even speculating that the emerald-tinged figure glimpsed in the trailer isn't Riddler at all. However, 2020 gave Batman fans a much clearer look at Colin Farrell as The Penguin. Although the criminal is expected to play a relatively minor role in Pattinson's first day on the job, Farrell's shocking transformation left a lasting impression, and Penguin's design proved indicative of The Batman's creative direction.

4. Jared Leto's Joker Is Back

Jared Leto Joker Suicide Squad

Joe Manganiello's Snyder cut comeback is a huge deal, but Deathstroke isn't the biggest name returning in 2021. In October, news broke that Jared Leto's Joker would also feature in Zack Snyder's Justice League do-over. After much anticipation, Leto made his DCEU debut in 2016's Suicide Squad but his already-controversial design combined with a non-existent story, resulting in failure. Then Joaquin Phoenix won an Oscar for playing the same character only 3 years later, and Leto looked to be done with DC. The addition of Leto to Justice League is a thrilling surprise that could finally do justice to his Clown Prince of Crime.

Related: Jared Leto's Joker Is Still The Suicide Squad's Biggest Missed Opportunity

3. Michael Keaton & Ben Affleck Both Return As Batman

Batman Michael Keaton Ben Affleck

The return of Jared Leto wasn't even close to the most shocking DC movie reprisal of 2020. A DCEU Flash movie has been in the works for years, constantly in a state of flux with a flurry of rewrites, revolving directors and an uncertain relationship with the Flashpoint comic. For the first half of 2020, most DC fans were indifferent to the planned Flash solo movie, unsure whether the project would even happen. And then Michael Keaton decided to reprise his role as Bruce Wayne from the Tim Burton Batman movies. Not content with breaking the continuity of one superhero franchise (see Morbius), Keaton's older Dark Knight will join Ezra Miller's Flash in the upcoming 2022 film directed by Andy Muschietti. As if that wasn't enough, Ben Affleck also agreed to appear as DCEU Batman, having departed a few years prior. With 2 different Batmen and a time-traveling Barry Allen, suddenly The Flash has all the potential in the world.

2. Robert Pattinson Is Vengeance

Robert Pattinson saying 'I'm vengeance' in The Batman Trailer At DC FanDome

It wouldn't be a proper Batman casting announcement if a section of fans weren't hugely displeased by the choice of actor. Widely known as the shiny vampire from Twilight, opinion was predictably split when Robert Pattinson was unveiled as DC's new Batman in mid-2019. A year later at DC's Fandome event, the world finally saw Pattinson in action, and the response was nothing short of rapturous. Pattinson's angst-ridden young Bruce Wayne meshed perfectly with the brooding noir of Reeves' Gotham City, and suddenly The Batman was the hottest movie on either side of the DC/Marvel divide. The Bat-suit and Batmobile were revealed earlier in 2020, but both were outshone by the new Caped Crusader in full swing. Pattinson's Batman gets his defining moment when asked "who are you supposed to be" by a face-paint street criminal. Instead of saying that catchphrase, Battinson pummels one of the thugs to within an inch of his life and retorts, "I'm vengeance." Chills.

1. The Snyder Cut Is Happening

Darkseid prepares to attack Earth

Undoubtedly the best DC reveal of 2020, and arguably of this year's entire cinematic calendar, is the long-awaited confirmation that the Snyder cut would be coming to HBO Max in 2021. Snyder fans had been campaigning solidly for Warner Bros. to allow the completion of the director's DC vision, after Joss Whedon had controversially taken the reins on Justice League. Some questioned whether the Snyder cut even existed, and even those who believed it did doubted a major studio would ever admit defeat. And then, in one of the 2020's few bright spots for the movie world, Zack Snyder's Justice League was confirmed. Forcing such a dramatic U-turn is monumental in itself, but DC fans will now get to see Darkseid, Knightmare, and much more brought to resolution after the disappointment of 2017.

More: Every DCEU Villain Who Hasn't Been Killed Off

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