We’re almost exactly a year away from the worldwide release of the Patty Jenkins’ sequel to her incredibly successful “Wonder Woman” superhero film. “Wonder Woman 1984” is near the top of every comic book fan’s must-see list for 2020 and rightfully so. However, even though a year out isn’t all that uncommon for a studio to begin promotion of a superhero film, WB is playing it close to the vest in 2019, leading to the decision to actually pull out of one of the biggest film events of the year — the San Diego Comic-Con.
Patty Jenkins broke the news to fans today. The director tweeted, “By now you’ve heard: WB isn’t going to Hall H this year. We’re so sad to miss you there! And waiting until Dec. to start our official #WW84 campaign in full– But the truth is… we can just… barely… wait…”
Fans will also take note that, along with the SDCC news, Jenkins also shared the latest, and perhaps best, poster we’ve seen for “Wonder Woman 1984.” Fully embracing the crazy, vibrant world of the 1980s, ‘WW84’ now has a poster that shows that this film is not afraid of some color.
However, taking the poster out of the discussion, the news that Warner Bros. won’t be attending SDCC is shocking, to say the least. It’s not as if WB doesn’t have its share of DC films that fans are anxiously awaiting that will be released after this year’s annual event. In fact, October brings the anticipated “Joker” film, starring Joaquin Phoenix, followed by “Birds of Prey” in February 2020 and ‘WW84’ in June 2020.
You can make the argument, and Patty Jenkins does, that ‘WW84’ is best served with a focused marketing strategy beginning in December, and perhaps there’s just no point in showing off anything at this year’s SDCC in July. That being said, “Birds of Prey” and, especially, “Joker” could really see a boost in visibility and buzz with a big reveal at the event. Odds are “Joker” will have another trailer ready to go by then, and perhaps something more. “Birds of Prey” has already concluded its filming and will likely have a trailer in time for October (tying into the release of “Joker,” naturally). So, why not promote it at the biggest gathering of nerds in the world?
READ MORE: ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ Producer Says Film Is “Not A Sequel” But That Is Just Silly Word Play
Now, we can’t get all doom and gloom about the prospects of these films. Marvel has taken years off of SDCC in the past, and obviously, that hasn’t really hurt the studio. Perhaps, the SDCC crowd doesn’t need more DC content this year, and the studio would rather wait until it’s completely ready to begin promotion.
Either way, SDCC just lost a big draw, and there’s probably going to be plenty of discussion in the months to come about whether or not its a good idea.
By now you’ve heard: WB isn’t going to Hall H this year. We’re so sad to miss you there! And waiting until Dec. to start our official #WW84 campaign in full– But the truth is… we can just… barely… wait… pic.twitter.com/QllFzhYRA6
— Patty Jenkins (@PattyJenks) June 5, 2019
