Saturday morning at San Diego Comic-Con started with a bang as Warner Bros. opened the day with their massive Hall H panel. In the hour and a half time frame, WB released new trailers for Ready Player One, Blade Runner 2049, and Justice League, with a brief glimpse of what to expect with Aquaman. The JL anticipation was palpable long before the panel, especially after the cast selfie and new poster with hero logos was released. While every segment was exciting, nothing lit up the big Hall quite like the newest Justice League trailer.
The massive four-minute trailer included brand new footage and a surprise ending that set the rumor mills on fire. After our first genuine look at Steppenwolf in action, the trailer ends with Alfred (Jeremy Irons) looking relieved and stressed all at once as he told an off camera peron(s) he hopes they aren't too late. After the ambiguous ending to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, people have assumed that Superman would return to the DCEU sooner rather than later, so it seems logical to assume that's who Alfred's talking to.
With all the new footage and reveals that were made at Comic-Con, WB and DC have yet to confirm a Henry Cavill appearance in Justice League. However, the cast Q&A left some pretty obvious hints at what fans were all but sure of. Gal Gadot was more subtle in her response when she said, "We can't say much, but if you're a big fan of Superman, then I'm SURE you're going to be very, very happy to watch Justice League." while Jason Momoa spoke to the same young fan after the panel more candidly proclaiming "Superman is dead!". One Instagram user compiled video from Variety and other sources in a mash-up to include both responses. In the video, the Aquaman actor can be heard saying, "Don't worry, he's still alive, OK? Don't worry."
How sweet is this!!! ?????*watch til the end #Wonderwoman #galgadot #prideofgypsies #Momoa #JL #Superman #SDCC2017 #kingofatlantis repost via @instarepost20 from @schomblood.iris #jasonmomoa #justiceleague #aquaman @prideofgypsies ?Pinoy DC Fan #instarepost20 A post shared by @momoa79_jasonmomoafanpage on
To be fair, WB has had images of the man of steel in their marketing, as well as images of other DC heroes that have been confirmed for films in the next few years. A great deal of speculation centers around the idea that the Superman we may (or may not) see in Justice League will be much closer to the version fans are more familiar with.
However, saying a character isn't dead (which we already knew) doesn't mean he'll appear where the trailer leaves it open ended. Steppenwolf also mentions there are no Lanterns to guard the earth - could Justice League also be setting up a Green Lantern reveal? Jason Momoa would have fans believe that as well with his GL tease during the Aquaman panel. Other notable missing members include Hawkgirl and Martian Manhunter as well. Too bad the cast didn't hint at more members of the Justice League appearing.
