DC Movie Nooz: The Trench Before Aquaman 2, Bautista in Suicide Squad 2 and Lightning Striking Twice?

The Trench

We have to wait more than three years before returning to Atlantis in the sequel to Aquaman currently being developed by director James Wan, but we will likely get a taste of deep-sea action well before that time in Wan and producer Peter Safran‘s horror-themed spin-off featuring the ravenous denizens of the deadly kingdom of The Trench. Speaking with THR, Safran said that he always “loved the idea a Trench movie,” but audience reaction is what made him want to fast track the spin-off.

…when audiences embraced it in [‘Aquaman’] the way they did, particularly that ant farm shot where the camera follows the Trench [creatures] following Arthur and Mera down into the deep, we just knew that we had something very special there and we knew what that movie should be. And consequently, I suspect that that’s one that will come out significantly before Aquaman 2.

The Suicide Squad

With Idris Elba possibly taking over the role of Deadshot from Will Smith, it appears that writer-director James Gunn‘s (Guardians of the Galaxy) is looking to steal another actor from the Marvel Cinematic Universe since his ousting and bring him over to the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). According to Collider, Gunn wants former Drax actor Dave Bautista to play the peace-obsessed anarchist Peacemaker, one of the new Squad members rumored to be joining the sequel. Other new characters that will supposedly be teaming up with Margot Robbie‘s Harley Quinn and Rick Flagg include: Ratcatcher, a former exterminator who learned to train and control rats; King Shark, the serial killer son of the God of all Sharks and a human woman; and Polka Dot Man, a super-villain who uses the transforming polka dots adorning his costume to commit crimes.

The Suicide Squad is slated to be released in theaters on August 6, 2021.

SHAZAM!

Reviews of the latest DCEU movie are still under embargo by Warner Bros., but all signs point to SHAZAM! being a satisfying hit, with early reactions praising it for its family fun action and humor. If the movie is successful on the heels of Aquaman‘s record-breaking box office run, it could be just the one-two punch the DC movieverse needs to continue to be a viable shared universe of films.

Shazam! is another win for DC. Sure, the humor & action you'd expect from a superhero film are there, but #ShazamMovie stands out because of the emotional, family story at its center. I had some small issues with the hero/villain aspects but the family stuff is dynamic & powerful pic.twitter.com/FYM3QVp5hu

— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) March 8, 2019

#Shazam is a super-powered BIG & I LOVED every second of it. A colorful, vibrant, vital addition to the DCEU. Vivid character-driven action, heartrending central relationships & fully earned, totally satisfying emotional moments. Super hilarious. Super thrilling. Super awesome! pic.twitter.com/KelHZ5YzFq

— Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle) March 8, 2019

SHAZAM! opens in theaters on April 5th.

Images courtesy of Warner Bros.