Two years ago, at a Time Warner investors meeting, Warner Bros. Chairman and CEO Kevin Tsujihara outlined a comic book film slate aimed at “doubling down on outstanding content, working with the best talent and maintaining the culture that makes Warner Bros. so great.”

Tsujihara announced that, in a massive expansion of the Studio’s DC Entertainment-branded content, Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema would release a slate of at least 10 movies – as well as stand-alone Batman and Superman films – from 2016 through 2020, that expand on the DC comics universe of characters:

“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” directed by Zack Snyder (2016)
“Suicide Squad,” directed by David Ayer (2016)
“Wonder Woman,” starring Gal Gadot (2017)
“Justice League Part One,” directed by Zack Snyder (2017)
“The Flash,” starring Ezra Miller; since then Rick Famuyiwa has been hired to direct the film (2018)
“Aquaman,” starring Jason Momoa (2018)
“Shazam” (2019)
“Justice League Part Two,” also directed by Zack Snyder (2019)
“Cyborg,” starring Ray Fisher (2020)
“Green Lantern” (2020)

Of note, given this blog’s specific interests, are of course the Cyborg movie, which will star Ray Fisher, and the Justice League movie, of which Cyborg (again played by Ray Fisher) is a member (see the official image above released this afternoon at Comic-Con by WB).

Cyborg made a very brief appearance in this year’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” serving as an intro to the character and to Fisher, an actor who’s a relative newcomer. Prior to his casting as Cyborg 2 years ago, his IMDB page listed just one short film. But, he does have stage credits, including appearing in a production of William Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth,” at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey in 2008, and, most recently, starring as Muhammad Ali in the off-Broadway stage drama “Fetch Clay, Make Man” by Will Powers, at New York Theater Workshop, New York City.

Since then, he’s appeared in an episode of “The Astronaut Wives Club” on ABC, which lasted one season, airing in 2015. So his appearance in “Justice League” is quite a leap, and should increase his industry profile. “Justice League” is due in theaters in November 2017, so we’ve got a long way to go.

A first teaser trailer for the movie is out (unveiled at the ongoing Comic-Con) and is embedded below; and as a bonus, the first trailer for “Wonder Woman” (also released at Comic-Con today) follows as well; Florence Kasumba (Ms. “Move. Or you will be moved” from “Captain America: Civil War” has a role in “Wonder Woman,” playing Senator Acantha, but she’s not in this first trailer.

First, “Justice League” and underneath it, “Wonder Woman.”

Ray Risher

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