This year’s virtual Comic-Con is in the books, but another virtual fan convention is headed to your computer this weekend. DC FanDome takes place in two parts — the first runs for 24 hours, starting at 10 a.m. PT this Saturday, Aug. 22. The second half follows on Sept. 12.
The event, aimed at fans of DC Comics, will feature online panels, cosplay, fan art and comics, as well as special events for kids. The devoted DC fandom will be especially excited for looks at some long-awaited DC properties, including the Snyder Cut of Justice League, Robert Pattinson as The Batman and James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad.
What is DC FanDome ?
Kinda like Comic-Con, but only for DC. So no Avengers (that’s Marvel). But if you’re a fan of DC characters such as Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman and Aquaman, you’ll want to tune in. And this fandom event should go well beyond the big names. It’ll cover the whole DC world, from comic books to movies to TV shows and video games.
Unfortunately, the convention follows reports of mass layoffs at DC. Roughly one-third of the company’s editorial staff lost their jobs, according to The Hollywood Reporter, along with the majority of the staff of streaming service DC Universe as parent company Warner Bros. shifts its focus to the recently launched HBO Max.
How do I tune in?
There’ll be online video panels and teasers to watch, links to follow for games and shopping, and more. Warning: Unlike virtual Comic-Con, which spread out over days, DC FanDome is just 48 hours, which makes for two jam-packed day-of events. So if this is your thing, don’t make other plans for Aug. 22 and Sept. 12.
“Just like a live event, the full DC FanDome experience will be available for 24 hours only,” the FanDome FAQ list warns. “If you don’t watch it during the 24 hours, you will miss it (unless you have access to time travel).”
DC has announced that the center of the experience will be called the Hall of Heroes. Its programming is an eight-hour block, which will rerun three times during the 24-hour timeline, so those in different global time zones can tune in.
Hall of Heroes will feature programming, panels and content reveals from everything DC. There will be smaller satellite worlds, such as the KidsVerse, that can be navigated to from there. Programming will be available in Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean and Spanish.
Who’ll be involved?
DC announced a long list of hosts, presenters and special guests. The list includes Aisha Tyler, Venus Williams, Will Arnett, Idris Elba, Ezra Miller, Jason Isaacs, Kaley Cuoco, Matt Reeves, Michael Rooker, Robin Wright, Viola Davis and Henry Winkler.
Biggest events
You can read through the entire DC FanDome schedule online, but here are some highlights:
Wonder Woman: 1984
Stars of the Wonder Woman sequel, including Gal Gadot and Chris Pine, will join director Patty Jenkins to talk about the upcoming superhero film. They’ll answer fan questions, discuss fan art and cosplay, and reveal a new peek at the film, which follows the 2017 blockbuster and moves the action to America in the go-go ’80s.
Panel: Aug. 22, 10 a.m. PT, Hall of Heroes
Warner Bros. Games Montreal announcement
The developer behind Batman: Arkham Origins will reveal a new game, which is rumored to be about villainous group known as the Court of Owls. It’ll also include question and answer session with the development team.
Panel: Aug. 22, 10:25 a.m. PT, Hall of Heroes
The Suicide Squad movie sneak peek
Gunn has promised that DC FanDome will include a look at his upcoming movie, The Suicide Squad.
“I can confirm The Suicide Squad is 100%, zero interference, no-holds-barred ME, &, again, I can’t wait for you guys to get a glimpse of it at DC FanDome,” Gunn tweeted. “(Yes, I’m pimping FanDome a lot, but that’s because I know how exciting it’s going to be – for my film & other stuff too!)”
The Suicide Squad, about a crew of DC villains, is supposed to come out in 2021. Gunn wrote and directed the first two Guardians of the Galaxy films for Marvel, but signed on for The Suicide Squad after Marvel briefly fired him for off-color tweets. Producer Peter Safran has said The Suicide Squad is not a direct sequel to the original 2016 film Suicide Squad, though it features numerous returning characters played by the same actors. The similarity of the titles is confusing, but the second movie uses “The” in its title.
Panel: Aug. 22, 11:55 a.m. PT, Hall of Heroes
The Snyder Cut
The DC film Justice League came out in 2017, but original director Zack Snyder stepped down during editing when his daughter died. Some fans were disappointed in the finished film that was taken over by Joss Whedon, and clamored to see what Snyder would’ve put together if he’d had free rein. The Snyder Cut is that film, coming soon to HBO Max — and the teaser trailer for DC FanDome promises a glimpse of that long-awaited version.
Panel: Aug. 22, 2:30 p.m. PT, Hall of Heroes
Black Adam
Who’s Black Adam? The fictional villain/antihero has a long history in DC Comics, though his name may be not that well known to casual fans. He is an archenemy of Captain Marvel/Shazam, and his powers have ancient Egyptian roots. Star Dwayne Johnson will take part in a question-and-answer session.
Panel: Aug. 22, 3:10 p.m. PT Hall of Heroes
Aquaman
While Jason Momoa turned Aquaman from a Saturday morning cartoon joke into an aquatic badass in the 2018 movie, it looks as if the actor won’t be on this panel. But director James Wan and Momoa’s co-star, Patrick Wilson, who played King Orm, will dive into their favorite moments from the first film.
Panel: Aug. 22, 4:05 p.m. PT, Hall of Heroes
The Suicide Squad video game
Want more about The Suicide Squad? Rocksteady Studios tweeted that it’ll use DC FanDome to release info about a new Suicide Squad video game. The British game company created the popular Batman: Arkham video game series. Will Arnett will host the reveal.
Panel: Aug. 22, 5:10 p.m. PT, Hall of Heroes
The Batman
Matt Reeves, director of The Batman, has announced he’ll be sharing more about the film. The Batman stars Robert Pattinson of Twilight fame, with Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman. While the film isn’t scheduled for release until 2021, it’s already received a spinoff show about the Gotham police department, with Reeves producing.
Panel: Aug. 22, 5:30 p.m. PT, Hall of Heroes
What’s with the September event?
On Sept. 12, DC will offer a second virtual event starting at 10 a.m. PT. It’ll be called DC Fandome: Explore the Multiverse, and instead of just a rolling schedule of panels, fans can choose their own schedule from the on-demand selection of panels.
How to stay informed
With the schedule now out, we have a lot more information than before, but we’ll continue to update this story as news is released. You can sign up at the official DC FanDome site for email about the event, and follow the DC Comics Twitter account or click on Twitter hashtag #DCFandome for updates.
