There had been the usual raft of speculation ahead of the big Warner Bros./DC panel that kicked off Saturday in Hall H at this year's San Diego Comic-Con. Would Henry Cavill show up to confirm he's still Superman? Would there be exciting glimpses of upcoming movies such as Batgirl and Blue Beetle or even The Flash? As it turns out, the answer to all of those was a resounding: nope! But what we did get was Dwayne Johnson hyping the ever-loving heck out of Black Adam and Zachary Levi bringing his trademark charm to the Shazam! Fury Of The Gods panel.
The Shazam! sequel was up first, kicking off with a sizzle reel and then the introduction of Levi, director David F. Sandberg and cast mates Asher Angel, Dylan Grazer, and Lucy Liu.
Not present in person but sending a video was Dame Helen Mirren, who was with Rachel Zegler. In the grand tradition of Hugh Grant yesterday and many British actors before them, Mirren stole the show.
From her explanation for why she wasn't there herself (a crack about getting into a fight with a line-cutter at the 2019 show that she says wasn't really a fight because "he went down instantly") to the best line of the panel, “Zach, darling, sweetheart, I had such a marvelous time kicking the shit out of you,” Mirren was a blast.
There were the usual side-stepped questions about potential cameos or appearances, but then it was time for the trailer, which you can see below.
As sequels go, it looks fun and on the same level of humour as the first – with the threat level raised by Mirren and Liu's Sisters of Atlas, who are none too pleased at the "Shazamily" holding godly powers. Oh, and a Fast & Furious reference spoken right to Mirren, who, of course, appears in that franchise.
Shazam! Fury Of The Gods is in cinemas from 21 December.
Following that, Dwayne Johnson arrived… Or should we say Black Adam. Yes, channelling both his wrestling history and his movie star side, Johnson made a big entrance in costume, appearing to float above the stage as the air filled with fog and the giant screens of Hall H shot lightning bolts.
The panel itself was much more grounded affair, Johnson talking up his quest to get the movie made and co-star Aldis Hodge admitting he thought Johnson's call to tell him he got the role of Hawkman was a prank.
Wrapping things up, Johnson announced that everyone in the hall would receive a ticket to see the movie on an IMAX screen, while director Jaume Collet-Serra admitted he'd only finished it the night before the panel.
A new sneak peek mini-trailer played during the panel, which you can watch below. Black Adam arrives in the UK on 21 October.