Is 2019 DC’s Year?

With Aquaman being a solid success for DC Comics, it seems only natural that DC will try to capitalize on its momentum in 2019. The acclaimed Gotham series will air its final season this year, and Titans (the new darker take on the Teen Titans) seems to be making waves as well. This leaves many of us wondering – is 2019 finally going to be the year for DC?

In past years, DC Comics has taken a backseat to rival Marvel. Marvel beat DC to the punch by creating its own cinematic universe and DC has been playing catch up ever since. The Batman Vs. Superman movie was not well received by critics, although fans seemed to like it. It seemed like Jesse Eisenberg didn’t know the character of Lex Luthor at all, and instead was playing the Riddler or the Joker. Next the Justice League movie was a pretty big swing and a miss, although the solo Wonder Woman movie was heralded as a great movie. However, most of DC’s movies just couldn’t hold up with what Marvel had accomplished.

The new Shazam! trailer aired recently, and I have to say, it looks pretty good. Shazam isn’t a typical superhero, he is a 14 year old kid who comes across super powers that turn him into the adult hero Shazam. Most of DC’s recent movies have been darker, and this lighthearted approach seems like a solid step in the right direction. I love the scene in the trailer where Shazam is trying to buy beer, and I think that adding this different type of hero to their movie lineup is going to really help DC. This kind of hero can draw in the type of crowd that is tired of all the typical superhero movies and can bring in children and adults alike. Power move by DC Comics.

DC is hitting the ground running this year by bringing back Hellboy. The film is going to have an R-rating and be a more mature, character-focused piece. David Harbour from Stranger Things will be playing the titular Hellboy, and I’ve gotta say, he looks great in the costume. This reboot will be appeasing to die-hard Hellboy fans who have been waiting 11 years since the last Hellboy film.

Personally, I am most excited about Joker, which is slated to come out in October of this year. First off, October is the perfect release time for this movie. There’s no better time for a Joker origin movie than just before Halloween. I already know that so many people are going to dress as this character this year. Now I know, the origin of the Joker has always been unknown, which makes the character so great and interesting.

This Joker origin story is directed by Todd Phillips, who has directed the Hangover series, one of my favorite movie series of all time. Even better than Todd Phillips though, is the fact that Joaquin Phoenix is playing the Clown Prince of Crime. Following Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the iconic villain will be tough (let’s all forget about Jared Leto’s) but if anyone can follow Ledger’s Joker, it is Phoenix. The man has a history of playing borderline insane characters and he think he is going to blow this role out of the water. Look out for this movie to generate some serious buzz.

It is true that DC Comics hasn’t lived up to its potential in the past. But it is a new year, so why not give them a shot? With Marvel’s Avengers series coming to an end, DC needs to put together some quality films if they want to be successful moving forward in the future. Only time will tell.