February 27th was the second day of the online convention IGN FanFest. The two big moments of the day were Batman-related. First was an interview with director Zack Snyder fueling the hype engine for his upcoming HBOmax release Zack Snyder’s Justice League. As well as a Batman Beyond cast reunion and table read. The cast members were Kevin Conroy, Will Friedle, Cree Summer, and Michael Rosenbaum, and industry legend Andrea Romano directed them.
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Snyder said he was “very satisfied” with his cut of Justice League, and he was even able to fill some gaps in the movie that he did not think possible. The highlights from the interview were that the plan for the then-planned Justice League: Part 2. That film would have been set in the post-apocalypse setting. Per Snyder…
…the sort of post-apocalyptic world that I am a huge fan of, and really the idea was that as the movies progressed. The next movie, if there ever was one. And it doesn’t seem like there ever will be but, if there was, it would exist primarily in that world with them trying to set it right…
Another cool tidbit from the interview was an exciting easter egg-filled montage featuring the Justice League and Mother Boxes. The montage will remind fans of the Man of Steel history lesson between Zod and Clark. The montage played over Tom Waits’ “Time.”
An older easter egg from Man of Steel will be making a comeback. Snyder confirmed that the scout ship’s open pod would be seen in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. The pod has been a topic of speculation since 2013, with many fans thinking that it may have contained Kal El’s cousin Kara who depending on continuity and timeline, eventually becomes Supergirl.
The drop the mic moment of the interview was how Snyder described the ending of the movie.
“It is a cliffhanger…The movie ends in a massive cliffhanger.”
BATMAN BEYOND Table Read
The other Batman-related moment of FanFest was the Batman Beyond table read. Members of the cast reunited to let fans in on a unique behind-the-scenes look at the production process. The featured episode was “Out of the Past” from season three. Andrea Romano described this episode as one of her favorites as it gave them a chance to do a brief Batman musical seriously.
Seeing the cast under the direction of Romano is a real treat. I’ve interviewed various members of the DC Animated Universe, and they have always spoken very highly of Romano. Now, finally seeing her in her element, you can see why. Romano calls upon cast members to recite their characters’ lines and fill in the gaps for side characters and minor roles. Romano asks members of the cast to repeat lines at various points of the show, “say it a little younger,” “lower your pitch.” You would think the first time was sufficient to the untrained ear, but under the direction of Romano, you notice the difference the second time and see why she is the Hall of Famer that she is.
The best part of the table read was when Romano calls for “Batman” to read his line, and both Conroy and Friedle speak simultaneously. The whole cast busts out in joyous laughter and joke around for a few seconds. Friedle claims that this was the first time in 25 years that this has ever happened. It was a lovely moment.
You must do yourself a favor and watch this table read. Fans do get an inside look at how these animated shows are created, and it is well worth 30 minutes of your time.
- Click here for the entire live stream of IGN FanFest 2021.
- Click here for the Zack Snyder interview.
- Click here for the Batman Beyond portion.
Check them out for yourself and enjoy! – Peter Verra