DC FanDome: The Snyder Cut of Justice League Panel

For years, fans of DC Comics have begged the company to #ReleaseTheSnyderCut. Finally, our wishes are coming true, and director Zack Snyder is releasing the fabled director's cut. Thanks to DC FanDome, pop culture fanatics got their first up-close look at the movie, which will hit HBO Max in 2021.

During the panel, the stars of  the 2017 film "Justice League" read questions from fans to Zack Snyder. Ben Affleck, whose divisive take on Batman, kicked things off, followed by the Man of Steel, Henry Cavill.

Ray Fisher, who played Cyborg - a character that allegedly gets much more screen time in the Snyder Cut - introduced a question that allowed Snyder to elaborate on Cyborg will be "the glue that holds the team together." Snyder also said that "Justice League" will follow Joseph Campbell's mythological "call to action."

Ezra Miller appeared, as well, prompting Snyder to say that fans will see more of the Flash in the Snyder Cut, as well as Barry Allen's emotional arc.

Gal Gadot expressed appreciation for her role as Wonder Woman because it has allowed her to reach so many fans across the world. She said that the Snyder Cut will be yet another way for fans to enjoy their favorite superheroes.

Next up was "Wonder Woman" director Patty Jenkins, who asked Snyder to tell us something about the movie without giving away any major spoilers. Snyder said we will be treated to something in the alternate "Justice League" movie regarding Flash's abilities that has never been seen on-screen before.

A Chinese superfan that was one of the founders of the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut social media campaign was invited to the panel. She talked to Snyder about some of the inconsistencies she noticed in the theatrical cut of "Justice League" that ultimately inspired her efforts to get the Snyder Cut released, from airplane messages to billboards in Times Square. Snyder thanked her for helping the Twitter trend become a reality.

Snyder spoke with another superfan, who he asked if they truly believed the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut campaign would actually work. The fan thanked Snyder for his habit of occasionally posting images or teasers that hinted at the existence of the Snyder Cut, which helped fan the flames of the online movement. "When we heard the news [that the Snyder Cut would be released on HBO Max], we all got pretty emotional," Snyder told the fan. "It's been an incredible journey. One of the amazing parts is that we were able to interact with this community in an amazing way."

"It's cool to interact with the fans and talk about this journey that we've been on," Snyder said. "It's really been amazing." He seemed genuinely humbled and grateful as he spoke. It was pretty cool to see.

Snyder ended the panel by announcing that the Snyder Cut of "Justice League" will be four hours long - FOUR HOURS LONG - released in four separate, hour-long installments, but they are also working to find a way to release it as a single movie. He then debuted the first official trailer for the much-anticipated extended version of the movie, which you can see here:

Watch the official teaser for #TheSnyderCut of #JusticeLeague

Zack Snyder's cut release on #HBOMax in 2021.#DCFanDome pic.twitter.com/XULjopYXS5

— Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) August 22, 2020

There's a ton to take in here, but some notable takeaways are a much better look into Victor Stone's football game (almost all of which was left on the cutting room floor), the oft-rumored Black Suit Superman, shots of Flash saving citizens during the attack on Gotham City, Diana finding the emergency arrow shot from Themyscira, additional footage of Aquaman, Cyborg watching his father perform an experiment gone wrong, and, of course, a heavy dose of Darkseid, who would have been Snyder's "big bad" for the film. Ooh baby, that looks awesome. Now, as for the choice of "Hallelujah" to go along with the trailer, that was a little weird, but other than that, just TAKE MY MONEY!

At long last, we are getting the Snyder Cut!! Can you believe it? What are you looking forward to the most? Let us know in the comments below, find me on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter (here and here).

DC FanDome: Wonder Woman 1984 Panel

DC FanDome, the ambitious Comic Con-like, virtual convention for all things DC Comics, kicked off with a "Wonder Woman 1984" panel, featuring director Patty Jenkins, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal, and, of course, Wonder Woman herself, Gal Gadot.

In the brief 20-minute panel, Jenkins said they are still hoping for the movie to be released globally in theaters. "We're going to stick it out," she said. "We believe in putting it out in the cinema. I can't wait for the movie to come out - soon."

Throughout the panel, fans from around the world had a chance to ask questions about the upcoming film. The first question asked what it was like adapting the movie's costumes for the 1980s. "Diana always has great taste and always looks elegant," Jenkins commented. "Kristen and I had such a great time going back in our memory and remembering what a character would dress like [in that era]."

The panel included a few surprise cameos, like a question from tennis champion Venus Williams, who asked the cast who would win in a tennis match between Wonder Woman and Cheetah. Wiig said, "I think Cheetah would win because Wonder Woman would have a gold tennis racket and it would be too heavy, and I would be too fast." Gadot chimed in, "Let's agree to disagree."

A fan asked Chris Pine what it was like for his character to be a fish out of water in the '80s. "It was a good lesson for me as a human being to remind myself not to be so cool, not to be so over everything," Pine responded. "My job is to be in love with Gal, which is not a hard gig, and try to make her giggle."

Lynda Carter, the original Wonder Woman, made a cameo at the end of the panel, to the surprise of the cast. Gadot, particularly, was thrilled. "What a delightful surprise to have you here!" she exclaimed.

Wiig admitted that she was a huge fan of Carter's, growing up: "I'm so excited. I've never met you. I'm so excited to meet you. I was also Wonder Woman for Halloween when I was a girl."

Carter expressed her love of the first "Wonder Woman" film. "I've been a fan from Day One of Patty's," she said. "When my daughter saw Gal as Wonder Woman, she said, 'I finally get it. I finally understand why everyone idolizes you. I finally get what Wonder Woman means to everyone.' That's my daughter. Thank you, Gal. Thank you, Patty."

Jenkins talked about her modern take on the classic hero: "We're not here to reinvent Wonder Woman. We just hope to take the torch and pass it forward. Being able to know that someone as important as [Carter's] daughter acknowledged that we could be having that affect on her is a huge accomplishment." 

What would a "Wonder Woman" panel be without addressing the monumental impact that the character has had on girls and women? "We've seen so many male superheroes but we haven't seen enough female superheroes," Gadot said. "For girls, once they see it, they believe it. For girls to see these movies ... is so important. It's so empowering."

DC also unveiled the second official trailer for the upcoming movie, which gave a bit more of the spotlight to Kristen Wiig's character, showed Diana in action, and introduced Steve to military radar, fanny packs and parachute pants. We also got our first glimpse of Wiig's transformation to Cheetah, furry, tail-clad and ferocious, in battle against the golden-armored goddess of Themyscira. Check out the trailer below:

The new era of Wonder Woman begins here. #WW84 only in theaters. pic.twitter.com/RhTcHSGDti

— Wonder Woman 1984 (@WonderWomanFilm) August 22, 2020

Are you ready for "Wonder Woman 1984"? Have you been keeping up with DC FanDome? Let us know in the comments below, find me on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter (here and here).

Salt Lake Comic Con: One-on-One with Valerie Perez

Back at Salt Lake Comic Con in September 2014, I had the opportunity to spend some time getting to know actress, producer, model and self-proclaimed “day brightener” Valerie Perez. Without having any prior familiarity with her career, she graciously allowed me to interrogate her with my journalistic curiosity. Her outgoing personality, friendly disposition and upbeat sense of optimism quickly made her one of my favorite guests at the convention.

“I do a fair amount of conventions every year,” Perez told me. But, despite her recurring appearances at comic cons and pop culture events across the United States, this was her first time coming to Utah. After working with show producer Dan Farr on several occasions, Salt Lake finally snagged her for the show in Fall 2014. By all indications, she seemed to be enjoying her stay. “Everyone’s been so nice!” she said through her practically permanent smile.

Perez is best known for her roles as a butt-kicker in several hit web series. With roles ranging from serious to satirical, Perez has appeared in web videos including “Universal Dead,” “Superhero Speed Dating” and Nerdist.com’s “Justice League” videos, and she starred in Atlantis Studios’ live-action comicbook series, “The Adventures of Paula Peril.”

Becoming an actress was something that Perez said wasn’t easy. “I wanted to do other things, because you’ve all heard about how terrible it is to get into acting,” she said. “You have to be pretty masochistic to want to take all that rejection. But then I realized [that] I really like flexing those muscles of communicating with people.

“I grew up kind of a lonely kid,” she continued. “So … feeling that great feeling of being heard and sending the idea to somebody – filling up the space, if you will – feels really great. And, as someone who’s always lived in their head, I really appreciate that because, you know, I’m a computer geek. I really like the interaction and collaboration and creativity, so… It’s kind of like going to the gym, working those muscles. I’m working my communication muscles and they feel good.”

That hard work is paying off for Perez, whose work was nominated for multiple Geekie Awards in 2013.

In retrospect, Perez said that early exposure to comicbooks helped inspire her career as a model and cosplayer. “Wonder Woman is the reason why I picked up my first comicbook,” she said. “I saw that reboot with George Perez – a beautiful montage cover. He drew her just like my mom, and there was my name – Perez. I thought this book was made just for me and it became my manifesto. That first issue, I re-read it every year from the time I was eight until I was 18. She just blew my mind. … [There was] this great sense of purpose I really identified with.”

Now, Perez has earned the opportunity to don the iconic red and blue Wonder Woman costume for herself in web videos for the popular geek culture website Nerdist.com. “I always was a fan of Wonder Woman,” she said. “To be able to bring it to the next generation, to help highlight what she is, it’s a great honor.”

Along with her classic Wonder Woman costume, Perez also debuted a new, Marvel Comics-themed costume for the Salt Lake convention: Gamora, of “Guardians of the Galaxy” fame. Perez said she had a friend help her apply green body paint with meticulous detail in the early hours of the morning so she could be ready for the event. “I love the colors, I love the textures and I love being here with my Baby Groot,” she said, showing off a miniature, potted version of the lovable wooden superhero that anyone familiar with this summer’s blockbuster would appreciate.

In closing, Perez offered words of encouragement to aspiring cosplayers and convention-goers. “To those who are interested in cosplaying, feel free to try to celebrate your favorite mythos and to celebrate your favorite characters that you don’t think get enough love. It’s a lot of fun.”

For more information about the Wonderfully talented Valerie Perez, follow her on Facebook and Twitter.