Aquaman, Deadshot & Superboy Make Waves – Did You Hear? Week of March 1st, 2019

Did You Hear? is a weekly examination of headlines in the entertainment industry and a take on what they could mean for the future of the industry and (often), the little geeky bubble that we occupy.

Aquaman 2 Swims into 2022

With Aquaman breaking DCEU records above and below the surface it comes as no surprise that earlier this week Warner Bros. announced the December 16th, 2022 release date. What is surprising is how quickly this date will be upon us. Is there a script written? How much of the cast has been signed?

Although Variety confirmed that David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick will be back to pen the script. If it worked the first time, why not?

“Aquaman 2” will be produced by “Aquaman” director James Wan and Peter Safran. “Aquaman” has over-performed for Warner Bros., coming in above pre-release projections after launching with $68.7 million in its opening weekend in North America. The title gained momentum in subsequent weeks and has hit $330 million in North America and $805 million internationally, led by nearly $300 million in China. It’s currently the 20th-highest worldwide grosser of all time.

Until any more details emerge about Aquaman 2 I believe it is safe to remain cautiously optimistic about Arthur’s cinematic future.

Deadshot No More

There has been a lot of news swirling around Suicide Squad 2 – including the addition of James Gunn post-Guardians of the Galaxy – and Variety reported that Will Smith stepped away from reprising his role as Deadshot in the DC sequel.

Per Variety:

Sources say scheduling was the ultimate factor and that the decision was made on amicable terms between both sides with no hard feelings.

Although he was never confirmed to be returning to the role he originated in live action, this development would seem to bode ill for Suicide Squad 2. With Smith making his official exit from the movie it would also appear all-but confirmed that Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn will take front and center.

Superboy Flies onto Titans

DCComics.com has announced that the second season of DC Universe’s Titans would be adding a staple from the Geoff Johns’ second generation of the team – Conner Kent!

AND HE’S GOING TO BE PLAYED BY …

… an Australian! Joshua Orpin will be portraying the Boy of Steel who (INCOMING SPOILER ALERT), was teased at the end of the wrap up of Titans debut season along with his trusty canine sidekick Krypto.

No word yet on who will be playing the Pup of Steel.

Conner was also recently feature in the DC Animated original movie Reign of the Supermen. Like the recurring Judas Contract storyline to anything branded Titans, it appears Kon-El is back in vogue with DC Comics. Comic book fans will also have recently seen Conner in Brian Michael Bendis’ Young Justice relaunch series.

Since Conner is such a fan favourite this is a good move for Titans and has the potential to engender some really good will toward a show that received mixed reactions over the course of its first season on the streaming service.

Star Trek Discovered a Third Season

CBS has announced that Star Trek: Discovery has officially been renewed for its third season. Despite consistently mixed reviews from viewers, Discovery brings more subscribers to CBS All-Access than any other content.

Couple this with the memory of Discovery immediately being greenlit for it’s second season off the back of the series premiere episode and this announcement probably won’t surprise you too much.

Additionally, Co-Executive Producer Michelle Paradise was promoted to co-showrunner. For a show centered around a female lead with several important female characters it’s a great optics move to have Paradise taking on a stronger leadership role.

Showrunner Alex Kurtzman said:

Michelle joined us midway through season two and energized the room with her ferocious knowledge of ‘Trek. Her grasp of character and story detail, her drive and her focus have already become essential in ensuring the ‘Trek’ legacy, and her fresh perspective always keeps us looking forward. I’m proud to say Michelle and I are officially running ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ together.

Facebook Greenlights Animated Series

Facebook has been making scripted and unscripted television shows for a minute now, although the platform hasn’t taken off in the same way other streaming services have despite the powerful impact of the social media giant. Their latest bid to move into the mainstream is not only an animated series, but set during the prehistoric period and starring Anna Kendrick and Zac Efron called Human Discoveries.

They also announced a fan-driven reboot of the popular MTV reality show The Real World. The Real World debuts this week on Facebook Watch and will be joined by Human Discoveries in the fall of 2019.

Head of Content Planning & Strategy, Matthew Hennick said:

Investing in content that drives meaningful interactions is core to our strategy. Shows like ‘The Real World’ and ‘Human Discoveries’ not only have the potential to be buzz-worthy and immersive, but their concepts also make it possible to leverage the social fabric of Facebook in unique and creative ways.

In my opinion Human Discoveries has the potential to draw in fans and The Real World may be able to tap into the Reality TV market which only seems to grow and grow and grow. If Facebook Watch does break into the mainstream one is left to wonder whether Twitter, Instagram, and SnapChat will be far behind with the offerings each of them have offered in recent years?

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