The San Diego Comic-Con is always a huge event, and increasingly, fans and attendees have been rewarded for their loyalty with exclusive previews and announcements that practically tear the roof off the now famous Hall H. In past years, Marvel has caused epic stirs with its superhero franchises and, last year, Zack Snyder made headlines with the choreographed reveal of the Superman/Batman combined logo – heralding the production of Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice. So, how do DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television intend to top that in 2014? By staging the premieres of two of their most highly anticipated titles, of course. Screening during a three-hour presentation at the event on Saturday July 26, will be Gotham and The Flash.
Gotham is the Batman origin series without Batman. Bruce Wayne is a pre-teen boy in this show, which focuses on the young James Gordon (later to become Commissioner). The project – directed by Danny Cannon – is set to introduce younger versions of the Batman villains – including Catwoman and The Penguin. Ben McKenzie, Donal Logue, Camren Bicondova, Sean Pertwee and Jada Pinkett-Smith star.
The Flash – essentially spun-off from CW’s Arrow – centres around scientist Barry Allen after suffering a freak accident that gives him the power of incredible speed. The X Files alum David Nutter directs a cast that includes Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Rick Cosnett and Danielle Panabaker.
In addition to those two season premieres, WBTV will screen exclusive footage of their upcoming Constantine TV series, starring Matt Ryan, and tease footage from season three of Arrow. Audiences will be joined by cast and crew from all the shows, as they make special appearances throughout the evening.
These premieres are happening well in advance of network airings. The Flash begins on October 7, Constantine begins on October 24, and Arrow returns to screens on October 8. No date has been confirmed for Gotham to begin yet, but we do know that it will slot into schedules on Monday nights at 8pm. As for the content of these pilots, the lucky attendees at the San Diego Comic-Con will be among the first to cast their eyes over them. Such a marketing move from DC and Warner Bros. screams of confidence in their new products, so we are holding our collective breath to hear the reactions of fans on July 26.
