A few days ago Warner Brothers Studio dropped a bombshell on fans by announcing the release of a new Justice League trailer. At the time of the announcement, the trailer was still a few days away. They continued to tease the trailer with posters and individual character teasers.
Then came Saturday. And with it, came the release of the actual trailer. And I gotta say, I do like what I see. Now I did the same for Suicide Squad as well, which ultimately was a letdown in my eyes in several aspects. But nonetheless, a solid trailer like this one will keep me invested.
[Kenny]
You can check out the trailer right here.
Finished watching a few times? Good. Now let’s get into the good stuff. Here are five takeaways from the new Justice League trailer.
Anytime Batman and Flash share the screen, things will be entertaining
Anytime these two characters appear together, they are good for a solid laugh. After Barry Allen catches Batman’s Batarang that is thrown to prove Barry does have super speed, Allen responds by asking “Are you the Batman?”. A few scenes later, the two get in Batman’s car.
This leads to by far my favorite exchange of the trailer. Barry asks Bruce Wayne what his superpower is. His response: “I’m rich”. Classic.
These two are going to share a very unique relationship. Bruce is the old veteran who has been through a lot. Meanwhile, Barry is a young kid who appears very smart, but still extremely ignorant. I expect a father-son/mentor-pupil type of relationship between the two as a result.
So while Ben Affleck’s Batman appears to work well with virtually every character (Aquaman especially), his exchanges with Flash are sure to be the best.
Aquaman is a total badass and will be the best part of this film
I swear, every time I see new Aquaman footage, he looks even more badass. His opening intro in this trailer where he barges into a bar after saving some guy, fantastic. Then he grabs a drink and says “It’s on him”, even better. Then we continue to the trident throw. Then he takes on a huge wave, head-on. Finally, he rides atop the Batmobile before making that giant leap.
Jason Mamoa is just tremendous when it comes to playing this type of character. If you are a fan of Game of Thrones, I do not have to tell you about how good he is. In other words, Warner Brothers have absolutely nailed it with this casting.
Even the costume screams tough guy. This is no wimpy Aquaman that many expect when they hear the name. He appears to have a sarcastic sense of humor that will certainly clash a bit with Batman. But that relationship will just help make Arthur Curry become the best part of this monumental film.
The new characters are getting some backstory
So we will have three big players on the team who will not be getting a solo film prior to this movie. First, The Flash. In this trailer, we get a glimpse of his father Henry Allen, who appears to be in jail. This likely means he was charged with the murder of Barry’s mother. It is also likely that he didn’t do it (That should sound familiar for anyone who watches the CW’s The Flash).
Then we have Aquaman. It seems like Batman will be going over the story of Arthur Curry when he arrives in the small village looking for him. This may mean we get some form of flashbacks with the character. Even if his backstory is only verbal, his world will be touched upon with the inclusion of his wife, Mera, in the trailer.
Finally, we have Cyborg. Cyborg is essentially a creation from an experiment gone wrong involving his father, whom we see in the trailer. We also see the Mother Box, which will play a key role in his story. Add in the quick look at him playing football, in addition to all of the trophies. Put all of this together and we get some serious backstory for the most obscure character in the film.
Given we have not gotten to know these characters prior to the film, it is nice to see they will be expanded upon a bit. They will not be one layer characters that are just included for the sake of inclusion.
Why show Lois Lane?
This is my biggest gripe with the whole trailer. And it was only about a one or two-second clip. We see Lois Lane, also known as Superman’s favorite reporter since the two have shared some romantic relations. In the clip she turns around and appears to be looking at something.
Seems innocent right? Not so fast. If you have seen Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, you know how things end. In particular, you know how things end for Superman. As a result, Superman has been held out of all promotional material for the film. There has been no sighting or reference to the character. And for good reason.
The Studio wants to make you believe he will not show up. After suffering the fate he did in Dawn of Justice, everyone in the universe thinks he is gone for good. So by keeping him out of all promotional material, they are hoping fans will think that as well. Therefore, when he does eventually show up (even if the studio wants you to think he won’t, we all know he will), it will become a more iconic and surprising moment.
So why even bother put Lois Lane in this trailer at all? By doing so, it just reminds me of Superman and how I know he’s not actually dead like he is supposed to be. Lois likely would not be in the movie at all unless Clark Kent made an appearance. So if you are going to go about keeping him out of the trailers and posters, why would you include a character that is very much tied to him?
The music appears to be setting the tone they are going for
The music selection in this trailer appears to be pretty telling. They opted for a Beattle’s classic, “Come Together”. But it was a much more rugged take on the song. This version certainly had a darker tone than the original. But it also had the same upbeat feel that the song itself should.
That then brings us back to the first trailer we got for the film. The music selection for that one had a very similar feel to it. It certainly had an upbeat feel to it, but with that darker overtone. So when you put those two together, it appears obvious that that is what they are going for in terms of the mood for the movie as a whole.
Music can make or break a film. Having it fit the theme and tone is crucial. Based on the clips we have seen, it does seem these song selections do indeed fit. The universe as a whole is on the darker side. But they are certainly trying to infuse some more fun/comedic moments in.
So there you have it, five takeaways from the Justice League trailer. And I didn’t even touch on Wonder Woman or Detective Gordon much! This trailer had plenty to take in. So do yourself a favor and watch it a few more times.
What did you think? Tell us in the comments!