MLB TV Viewing Stats - 2020

It's that time of year again... time to tally up my meticulous statistics that I tallied while watching MLB TV during 2020.

For a while there, I wasn't sure we would get any baseball this year, but, thankfully, the powers that be were able to string together a condensed, 60-game season, which recently concluded. The World Series will start tomorrow night and, for the first time since 2013, it will feature the best team from both the American and National Leagues. I didn't have that same kind of luck with the games I watched this season, as you'll soon come to discover. In fact, I was quite unlucky when it comes to the teams that I chose to watch this year. I'll break that all down momentarily.

Stat Boy:

As I've done for the past two years, I kept track of every time that I watched a baseball game this season to try to determine whether or not paying for an MLB TV subscription was actually worth it. Here are the stats that I kept track of:

• Road team
• Home team
• Broadcast (which team's TV feed I tuned into)
• Winning team
• W/L result of the team whose broadcast I watched
• Duration of viewing
• 1-2 innings: "Minimal"
• 3-4 innings: "Partial"
• 5-7 innings: "Most"
• 8-9 innings: "Full"
• Any interesting notes about the game

Factors that Affected My Viewing Habits in 2020:

As usual, there were certain factors that affected my viewing capabilities this year - most notably, the following:

• MLB TV imposes blackout restrictions on Salt Lake City viewers for any games played by the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks, which means I can't watch Colorado or Arizona play at all, regardless of who or where they play.
• There are additional blackout restrictions for major, nationally televised games, such as "Sunday Night Baseball" or other big games aired by Fox, ESPN, etc., and those games are also unviewable on MLB TV.

Untracked Games:

• I watched three "Spring Training" or "pre-season" games this year and, although I did keep track of those stats, I am not including those games in the grand scheme of this blog.
• I watched several nationally televised games, including the Nationals-Yankees game on the first day of the season, but because I did not watch those games in the MLB TV app, I am not including those games, either.

Total Number of Games Watched and Cost Per Game:

• The 2020 MLB season ran from July 23, 2020 through September 27, 2020 - a total of 67 days.
• A 60-game schedule for all 30 Major League teams would have amounted to a total of 1,800 total games played - if each single game counts as two "games played" (one game for the home team and one game for the road team). Because some games late in the season were affected by COVID-19 and were unable to be made up, the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals both only played 58 games. This means that the total, combined number of "games played" for the entire MLB in the 2020 season was 1,796.
• Because of the aforementioned regional blackouts for Rockies and Diamondbacks games, I would not have been able to watch any of the 60 games played by either of those two teams.
• On top of that, I'll estimate that there were maybe 30 more games where I might have been interested in watching the opponent of either the Rockies or Diamondbacks.
• I will subtract 4 total games played for each week of the regular season to account for nationally televised games (we'll say one game on Sunday night and one during prime time on any other day of the week). If the regular season was roughly 10 weeks long, that would be a total of 40 nationally blacked-out games.
• These calculations bring the total number of games played that I would have had access to down to 1,606.
• I watched a total of 39 baseball games this season, or a total of 78 "games played."
• Based on the approximate number of 1,606 "games played" that I had access to, I only watched about 4.8% of the maximum.
• 1,796 games played, over a course of 67 days, divides out to 26 "games played" (13 individual games) on a given day.
• In the 2019 season, I generously estimated that the maximum number of games that I could watch in a given day was 1.5.
• Because of the coronavirus pandemic, I have been working from home since mid-March, so I technically could have sat on the couch and watched baseball while I worked, all day long.
• Due to the fact that I was at home all day, practically every day of this season, I will bump my maximum number of games that I could realistically have watched per day to 2 games per day.
• If the season was 67 days long and I could have watched a maximum of two games per day, that's a total of 134 baseball games that I reasonably could have watched.
• I watched a total of 39 games throughout the season, which is 29% of the maximum number of games that I reasonably could have watched.
• Here is how that percentage has developed since 2018:
• 2018: 11%
• 2019: 26%
• 2020: 29%
• Due to the delay in the start of the season, MLB TV gave subscribers a prorated refund (or a discount on next season) to make up for games lost. Based on the amount of money I was charged for this year's subscription, compared to the 39 games that I watched on the MLB TV app, I figure that I paid about $1.97 per game watched. This is 12 cents more per game than what I calculated last year, but that number is still pretty decent. I think as long as I am under $2 per game, I'll be happy.
• For reference, here is how my cost-per-game ratio has shaped up over the years:
• 2018: $2.85/game
• 2019: $1.85/game
• 2020: $1.97/game

Duration of Viewing:

• Based on the definitions previously listed, here's how long I watched the 39 games, listed in order of frequency:
• Partial: 19 games (48.7%)
• Most: 10 games (25.6%)
• Full: 7 games (17.9%)
• Minimal: 3 games (7.6%)

Times Watched (Total, Out of 78 Total Teams Watched):

1. Texas Rangers: 9
2. Los Angeles Angels: 7
3. Washington Nationals: 6
4. Cincinnati Reds: 5
   Cleveland Indians: 5
5. Atlanta Braves: 4
   New York Mets: 4
   Oakland A's: 4
   Philadelphia Phillies: 4
6. Detroit Tigers: 3
   Los Angeles Dodgers: 3
   San Diego Padres: 3
7. Baltimore Orioles: 2
   Chicago White Sox: 2
   Kansas City Royals: 2
   Minnesota Twins: 2
   New York Yankees: 2
   Seattle Mariners: 2
8. Boston Red Sox: 1
   Chicago Cubs: 1
   Houston Astros: 1
   Miami Marlins: 1
   Pittsburgh Pirates: 1
   San Francisco Giants: 1
   St. Louis Cardinals: 1
   Tampa Bay Rays: 1
   Toronto Blue Jays: 1
9. Arizona Diamondbacks: 0
   Colorado Rockies: 0
   Milwaukee Brewers: 0

Times Watched on the Team's Local Broadcast (Out of 39 Games Watched):

1. Texas Rangers: 9
2. Washington Nationals: 6
3. Cincinnati Reds: 5
4. Cleveland Indians: 4
5. Los Angeles Angels: 3
   Philadelphia Phillies: 3
6. Baltimore Orioles: 2
7. Atlanta Braves: 1
   Chicago Cubs: 1
   Detroit Tigers: 1
   Los Angeles Dodgers: 1
   New York Yankees: 1
   San Diego Padres: 1
   Seattle Mariners: 1

Overall W/L Record:

• Of the 39 games that I watched on MLB TV in 2020, the teams whose broadcast I watched were 16-23 (.410). That's... **checks notes** ...not very good. This is down from a .625 win percentage in 2019.
• Running W/L percentage tracker:
• 2018: .534
• 2019: .625
• 2020: .410

Home/Road Split:

• Of the 39 games I watched, the team I tuned in to watch played 20 home games (51.2%) and 19 games on the road (48.7%).
• When I watched a team's home broadcast, those teams went 10-10 (.500).
• When I watched a team's road broadcast, the teams went 6-13 (.315).

W/L Records for Every Team Watched, Regardless of Broadcast:

1. Oakland A's: 4-0 (1.000)
2. Kansas City Royals: 2-0 (1.000)
   Minnesota Twins: 2-0 (1.000)
3. Houston Astros: 1-0 (1.000)
   St. Louis Cardinals: 1-0 (1.000)
4. New York Mets: 3-1 (.750)
5. Los Angeles Dodgers: 2-1 (.666)
6. Cincinnati Reds: 3-2 (.600)
7. Washington Nationals: 3-3 (.500)
8. Atlanta Braves: 2-2 (.500)
9. Baltimore Orioles: 1-1 (.500)
   New York Yankees: 1-1 (.500)
   Seattle Mariners: 1-1 (.500)
   Tampa Bay Rays: 1-1 (.500)
10. Texas Rangers: 4-5 (.444)
11. Cleveland Indians: 2-3 (.400)
12. Detroit Tigers: 1-2 (.333)
    San Diego Padres: 1-2 (.333)
13. Los Angeles Angels: 2-5 (.285)
14. Philadelphia Phillies: 1-3 (.250)
15. Boston Red Sox: 0-1 (.000)
    Chicago Cubs: 0-1 (.000)
    Miami Marlins: 0-1 (.000)
    Pittsburgh Pirates: 0-1 (.000)
    San Francisco Giants: 0-1 (.000)
    Toronto Blue Jays: 0-1 (.000)
16. Chicago White Sox: 0-2 (.000)

W/L Records for Teams Whose Broadcast I Watched (out of 39 games):

1. Los Angeles Dodgers: 1-0 (1.000)
   New York Yankees: 1-0 (1.000)
   Seattle Mariners: 1-0 (1.000)
2. Cincinnati Reds: 3-2 (.600)
3. Washington Nationals: 3-3 (.500)
4. Cleveland Indians: 2-2 (.500)
5. Baltimore Orioles: 1-1 (.500)
6. Texas Rangers: 4-5 (.444)
7. Atlanta Braves: 0-1 (.000)
   Chicago Cubs: 0-1 (.000)
   Detroit Tigers: 0-1 (.000)
   San Diego Padres: 0-1 (.000)
8. Los Angeles Angels: 0-3 (.000)
   Philadelphia Phillies: 0-3 (.000)

Fun Facts and Interesting Things That Happened:

• I watched the first game to go into extra innings with the new rule that started the 10th inning with a runner on second base. Oakland beat the Angels with a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 10th.
• That wasn't the only time I saw Oakland win on a walk-off grand slam. No, no. They beat the Rangers in like manner less than two weeks later.
• The Rangers were no strangers, when it came to giving up grand slams. I was also watching when they gave up their eighth grand slam of the season. It wasn't a good year for the Rangers.
• I was tuned in, however, when Texas stole home on a double steal on September 9th, so that was nice.
• Because of COVID restrictions in Canada, the Blue Jays did not play any games in their home stadium this season. They eventually figured things out and let them play "home" games in Buffalo, NY, but before that was set in stone, I watched a game played in Washington, D.C., where the Nationals played as the "visiting team" against Toronto, which is something that will rarely, if ever, happen again in the future.
• I watched a game where the Nationals were winning, but then they blew a lead in the 9th inning, after I stopped watching. There was another game where the Nationals went up 5-0 early, maintained a two-run lead when I turned it on, and they ended up losing by two.
• There was one bright spot for the Nationals, though - I saw them hit an inside-the-park home run in the next-to-last game I watched this season.
• Speaking of blowing leads, I watched as Cincinnati blew a two-run lead in the 9th inning, including balking in the tying run. Fun times.
• I watched a game on Jackie Robinson Day, and I heard the news that "42" star Chadwick Boseman had passed away while I was watching.
• I was watching an Angels-Padres game when a major power outage hit my condo complex, so I wasn't able to watch the 9th inning.
• I saw the Indians hit a walk-off homer during the height of their late-season playoff push, so that was pretty awesome.
• I generally try to avoid watching the Yankees, if I can help it, but I tuned into a day game toward the end of the year and was happy to see them go down 3-0 early. I didn't watch the full game, and found out later that day that they had come back to win, 11-4.
• Finally, with a potential Fantasy Baseball championship on the line, I tuned in to (hopefully) see a Royals pitcher play badly, which would have helped my chances of winning. Needless to say, he did not pitch poorly. Thankfully, my championship aspirations were unimpeded and I reigned victorious over my league as the one true and rightful victor.

***

Wow, that was a whole lot of nerdy number crunching, and you are truly an angel if you actually read this entire thing. More than anything, I just wanted to document all of this because I'm an OCD freak and I think stuff like this is fascinating. 2020 has been a terrible, strange, crappy and weird year in many ways, and baseball was certainly no exception. Overall, the teams I root for did horribly and it was often unpleasant for me to watch them play, but I am grateful that they were able to get the season off the ground. It brought me happiness in an otherwise dreadful year, so I'm very grateful for that.

Anyway, I'm gonna post this thing and move on with my life. I'm currently sitting in the hospital, waiting for my wife to deliver our first child. I absolutely cannot wait to watch some baseball with him in the 2021 season - and you can bet I'll still be tracking everything.

Take it easy folks.

THE END

DC FanDome: The Batman Panel

 

Perhaps the most anticipated event of DC FanDome was Matt Reeves' panel on "The Batman," starring Robert Pattinson as the brand-new Caped Crusader.

The panel kicked off with Pattinson speaking about the impact of COVID-19 on production. He said he is eager to get back to work, but also clarified that he is not allowed to say much about the movie. Instead, he tossed it over to Reeves, who would be able to spill the beans on some aspects of the film.

"I love Batman, and I loved Batman as a kid," Reeves said. "In particular, what excited me ... is that he's not a superhero in the traditional sense, but if he has a super power, it's the ability to endure. He's a very 'alive' character."

Reeves explained that this movie will not be about how Bruce Wayne becomes Batman, but about his early years as the Dark Knight, so it will be a unique take on a character that has been around for over 80 years. The plot is confirmed to take place in Wayne's second year as a crime-fighter and will largely revolve around what happens as Bruce learns how to be Batman.

Additionally, Reeves said that "The Batman" will delve into the "epic history of corruption in Gotham" and the murders that run rampant, leading to Batman's rise to prominence.

Reeves was asked about the diversity of the film's tremendous cast. "Paul Dano plays a version of the Riddler that no one has seen before," he said. "What he's doing is going to blow people's minds." He also alluded to unique takes on Selina Kyle/Catwoman, who will be played by Zoe Kravitz; Alfred, played by Andy Serkis; the iconic Jim Gordon, portrayed by Jeffrey Wright; and John Turturro's spin on Gotham crime boss Carmine Falcone.

The panel addressed Reeves' involvement of the upcoming TV series about the Gotham police department, and how that may intersect the story told in "The Batman." The director said that the show will tell the tale of corrupt cops, overlaid on the foreboding myth building in the background. Reeves described his upcoming projects as "grounded, honest and character-based."

In response to a fan question, Reeves described his vision of Gotham City as "an American city that you've never been to." His goal is to present a version of the city that fans have never seen before, citing the previous iterations of Batman's hometown, as depicted by Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan.

When asked about the choice to cast Pattinson as Batman, Reeves called him a tremendous actor. "He's such a gifted actor, and he's been working on his craft in such an incredible way. [...] He looks like Batman, but he has the soul to be able to play Batman in a way that you've never seen before."

One of the exciting parts of this project for Reeves was the challenge of designing a new Batcave, Batsuit and Batmobile, which he described as a dream come true.

"It's not an origin tale," Reeves said. "A lot of the other stories are about how he had to master his fear and master himself to become Batman. In that Batman state, he's his best self." Instead, Reeves hopes to put the audience in the character's shoes and meet him in the middle of this criminological experiment going on in Gotham City. He also spoke about how this movie will focus more on Batman's detective skills than previous movies have.

Reeves talked about his admiration for previous actors who have donned the cape and cowl, from Adam West to Ben Affleck. "To be a part of history like that is an incredible thing," he said. With the upcoming film, he hopes to provide a new way for fans to look at characters that they love.

As the panel wrapped up, Reeves announced only 25-30% of the movie has been filmed so far, but he did bring the first tease of the movie, which can be seen below:

Watch #TheBatman DC FanDome Teaser Trailer Now https://t.co/hOAsEVxTYg

— Matt Reeves (@mattreevesLA) August 23, 2020

The trailer shows a lot of footage of Pattinson in the sleek new Batsuit, spending time with the Gotham PD. It also gave a good look at a Catwoman-in-training and provided a taste of the crime-thriller genre that the film will provide. As a knee-jerk reaction, this does feel like a fresh spin on the character, and it will be fun to see what happens moving forward!

That's a wrap from DC FanDome! It's been a great day, filled with lots of great panels, tons of new and exciting content, and a lot to look forward to! What did you think of our first look at "The Batman"? Let us know in the comments below, find me on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter (here and here).

DC FanDome: Shazam Panel

 

"Shazam!" might arguably be the most surprising superhero movie in the past five years. Its bright, light-hearted tone stood in stark contrast to the typical, dark, gritty takes on DC heroes directed by Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder. The heart and humor exuded by the duo of Zachary Levi and Asher Angel endeared the movie to fans of the DCEU and set a new standard for future films.

DC FanDome rolled on with a "Shazam! 2" panel hosted by Levi, who described the upcoming sequel as "bonkers" before answering a slew of fan questions - some of which he, of course, was unable to be completely forthcoming about.

Levi's co-stars Asher Angel, Meagan Good, Jack Dylan Grazer and Faithe Herman joined the "Shazoom" video chat to talk about the film (to the extent that they were legally permitted). Angel jokingly asked if there was still time for them to be CGI-ed into the "Snyder Cut," and Levi bluffed that he had been working on a "Zac Cut" of the first "Shazam!" movie. This prompted director David F. Sandberg to join the chat. He was soon thereafter followed by a surprise cameo from comedian Sinbad and Shazam Fam member Adam Brody.

The inclusion of Sinbad was a bit of a mystery, and I wasn't quite sure whether it was just a joke or if he is actually going to be in the sequel. I suppose time will tell.

All joking aside, the one big takeaway from this short panel was that the official title to the sequel is "Shazam! Fury of the Gods." (Editor's note: This news is so hot off the presses that IMDb hasn't even updated the movie title on their page yet. BOOM!)

That's about it from the "Shazam!" panel. What did you think? Feel free to hit us up in the comments below, find me on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter (here and here).

DC FanDome: Aquaman Panel

 The 5 o'clock hour of DC FanDome kicked off with a panel about the sequel to James Wan's 2018 film "Aquaman." Wan was joined by Patrick Wilson, who plays Ocean Master, to talk about the movie.

The two spoke of their history working together ("Aquaman" was their fifth collaboration) and the challenges of filming the first movie. Interspersed were a plethora of behind-the-scenes videos, showing some of the actors strapped into harnesses for stunts, a handful of CGI pre-visualizations and other special effects sequences.

"I'm excited to continue the journeys of our heroes and antiheroes, and to continue to expand on the world with [the sequel]," Wan said. He also hinted that he is going to be able to do several things with the next movie that he was not able to do in the first.

Wilson commented that he is excited to explore new worlds in the sequel. "I'd like to see where else we can go. There's a lot of unexplored ocean out there." Wan guaranteed that there will be new worlds in the next movie.

And then, suddenly, the panel was over. This could have been a special feature on the "Aquaman" Blu-ray or something. It was literally five minutes long.

Although this panel didn't give us much to chew on, in regards to "Aquaman 2," if you've got anything on your mind, let us know what you're thinking in the comments below, find me on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter (here and here).

DC FanDome: Black Adam Panel

Believe it or not, it has been six years since Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was cast as Black Adam, who is expected to eventually play the foil to Zachary Levi's Shazam.

Overlaid on an animated video clip, Johnson's voice began the panel, saying, "I've been waiting for this moment for a very long time. This is the one that's going to change everything. This is Black Adam."

Johnson, now in character as Black Adam, explained that 5,000 years ago, Kahndaq needed a hero. "Instead, they got me. I did what needed to be done, and they imprisoned me for it." Now, Black Adam is free, and, Johnson continued, "No one will ever stop me again."

The Rock himself revealed the first teaser for Black Adam during #DCFanDome in a collaboration with @Bosslogic. pic.twitter.com/BilyeuyueQ

— IGN (@IGN) August 22, 2020

"I wish I could show you more, but we are still in the very early stages of this process," Johnson said from the CGI stage of DC FanDome. However, he promised, "We are going to go beyond your highest expectations."

With that, Johnson began answering fan questions - the first of which asked how powerful can we expect Black Adam to be. Johnson explained, "Black Adam is one of the most powerful superheroes, antiheroes, villains ... in the DC Universe. [...] You could take all of Black Adam's powers, [and] he does not practice restraint. That makes for a very powerful combination."

The next question asked what stuck out to Johnson about Black Adam that made him unique, in comparison to the many other roles he has played. "Black Adam has been with me for a very, very long time," he said about the project, which has been in the works for more than 10 years. "He is an antihero. I love that. I love that he has his own sense of Black Adam justice."

Because Black Adam's origins are set in slavery, Johnson explained there is a larger entity holding him down until he can't take it anymore. "I've always loved that about Black Adam."

A fan wrote in to ask if the movie stay faithful to the idea that Black Adam is a ruthless keeper of justice instead of a typical villain. Johnson replied, "What I can promise you is that the Black Adam that I feel in my heart is the right one to root our story in. Regardless of which version of Black Adam you love, he is the judge, jury and executioner. He believes in an eye for and eye, and he will [do whatever it takes] to protect his family."

Noah Centineo, who plays the size-changing hero Atom Smasher, who will be one of (apparently) several heroes to square off against Black Adam in the movie, popped by to chat with Johnson about working together, their physical regiments and a few other things.

Johnson asked what attracted Centineo to the project. "I feel like he really has something to prove, especially with his lineage, [...] and he's got quite the spirit to help," Cenitneo said. "I think he's not expecting the world of being a superhero because this is his first mission. It's an exciting character, it's a new character, it's a fresh face and I don't mind being the size of the Eiffel Tower."

"This has been a passion project, a dream of mine, for many, many years," Johnson told Centineo, as he thanked him for his contributions to the movie.

Johnson talked about the introduction of the Justice Society of America, which has been a hot topic surrounding the plot. An animated video explained the origins of several new characters: Hawkman, Doctor Fate, Cyclone and Atom Smasher. "Welcome to truth, justice and the Black Adam way," Johnson ominously states at the end of the clip, which you can watch below:

The Rock announces that JSA members Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Cyclone, and Atom Smasher will appear in Black Adam. #DCFanDome pic.twitter.com/XOrArCLpty

— IGN (@IGN) August 22, 2020

Finally, Johnson asked fans to let the Flash, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Batman and Superman know, "Things will never be the same, because the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe is about to change." Quite the bold statement!

It will still be a while before "Black Adam" hits the big screen, but that means there is plenty of time to discuss our theories and excitement. Let us know what you think in the comments below, find me on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter (here and here).

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: The Suicide Squad Panel

Director James Gunn took the stage at DC FanDome to talk about his upcoming DC movie, "The Suicide Squad," and he brought some friends along for the ride.

Gunn recounted his love of DC Comics, and the Suicide Squad, in particular. "I remember reading the first issue of [Suicide Squad comics]," he said, in response to a fan question. His passion for DC Comics runs deep, to the extent that his favorite supervillain as a child was the little-known "Bat-Mite." Who knew?

Another fan asked which character Gunn was most excited to write about. "Harley Quinn," the director replied. "I have loved this character ever since [she was put] in animated shows. A lot of it was me writing for Harley, and a lot of it was Harley doing writing for me."

Jake from State Farm popped in to ask how many explosions and crashes are in the "Suicide Squad" reboot. "We have about as many explosions and crashes in this film as any film, ever," Gunn said. "We have quite a huge special effects explosion extravaganza for you."

Gunn made headlines months ago when it was announced that he would be introducing fans to a handful of incredibly obscure villains from DC Comics. "I think of this movie as a sequel to [Suicide Squad] comics," he said. "I think it has the spirit and the life-blood of [the comics], but I also like to take in new supervillains, like Polka-Dot Man and Ratcatcher, who have never been in the movies but have something to offer."

When asked about the veracity of Internet rumors and fan theories that have swirled around "The Suicide Squad," Gunn admitted, "Sometimes they've been right, and sometimes they've been wrong."

To put some of those rumors to rest, Gunn officially announced the main cast and their accompanying roles. (Thanks to IGN and IMDb for helping me double-check my notes.)

• Viola Davis - Amanda Waller
• Joel Kinnaman - Rick Flag
• Michael Rooker - Savant
• Lula Borg - Javelin
• Margot Robbie - Harley Quinn
• David Dastmalchian - Polka Dot Man
• Daniela Melchior - Ratcatcher II
• Idris Elba - Bloodsport
• Nathan Fillion - TDK
• Jai Courtney - Captain Boomerang
• Pete Davidson - Blackguard
• Sean Gunn - Weasel
• Mayling Ng - Mongal
• Peter Capaldi - Thinker
• Alice Braga - Sol Soria
• John Cena - Peacemaker
• Storm Reid - Tyla
• Joaquín Cosío - General Mateo Suarez
• Jennifer Holland - Emilia Harcourt

Gunn then welcomed in many of the cast to play a head-to-head trivia game. Although it was done mostly just for fun, we did learn a few interesting facts about some of the characters in the movie, including that Elba's Bloodsport begins the movie in prison for shooting Superman.

Gunn called the cast the greatest one he's ever worked with, and noted that the film is editing "completely fluidly." It is currently slated for a 2021 release... but with COVID-19 still wrecking havic on the world, who knows if that will actually happen?

Finally, Gunn revealed some behind-the-scenes footage, which you can watch below, including the warning, "Don't get too attached."

When @JamesGunn says, “It’s going to be different from any superhero movie ever made,” he means it! See more in this official first sneak peek behind the scenes of #TheSuicideSquad! #DCFanDome pic.twitter.com/1uV9Ve4oeX

— The Suicide Squad (@SuicideSquadWB) August 22, 2020

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