Warner Bros. to Hold Virtual, 24-Hour DC FanDome Event This August

The age of virtual conventions is upon us, and as the grandaddy of them all, San Diego Comic-Con, plans its own at-home event for July, Warner Bros. is making moves with a 24-hour long event called DC FanDome that will debut online this August. Featuring talent from Warner Bros. and DC’s movies, TV shows, comics and video games, FanDome promises to unveil a slew of news and experiences — and unlike the usual in person convention experience, it’s all free, and all online.

“There is no fan like a DC fan,” said Ann Sarnoff, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Warner Bros. in a statement. “For more than 85 years, the world has turned to DC’s inspiring heroes and stories to lift us up and entertain us, and this massive, immersive digital event will give everyone new ways to personalize their journey through the DC Universe without lines, without tickets and without boundaries. With DC FanDome, we’re able to give fans from around the world an exciting and unparalleled way to connect with all their favorite DC characters, as well as the incredible talent who bring them to life on the page and screen.”

As for that incredible talent, FanDome will include cast and creators from properties including: on the film side, The Batman, the Snyder Cut of Justice League, Wonder Woman 1984, Aquaman, SHAZAM!, The Suicide Squad and Black Adam; and on the TV end of things, Batwoman, Black Lightning, DC Super Hero Girls, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, DC’s Stargirl, Doom Patrol, The Flash, Harley Quinn, Lucifer, Pennyworth, Supergirl, Superman & Lois, Teen Titans GO!, Titans, Watchmen, and Young Justice: Outsiders.

There’s a lot of interest there, from theatrical films currently in production like the Robert Pattinson starring The Batman, to the long in development Black Adam starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, to the much discussed Snyder Cut of Justice League, which is heading to HBO Max. And on the TV side, fans will certainly speculate about what news will get dropped given the behind the scenes changes on Batwoman with Ruby Rose leaving the show, and a panel for Watchmen, which has yet to get a Season 2 announcement from HBO. Certainly WB and DC are teasing that there will be “highly anticipated announcements,” as well as exclusive footage and more at the event, so stay tuned.

DC FANDOME LOGO
Photo: Warner Bros.

As for the event itself, though it is free it will exist on a specialized website, DCFanDome.com, which will open for the virtual con at 7am ET/10am PT on August 22, and run for a full day. The site will be available in multiple languages including Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean and Spanish.

And most importantly (though hopefully not confusingly), the event will split into several virtual hubs: the Hall of Heroes, featuring panels and content reveals from the films, TV shows and games; DC WatchVerse, which invites you to “sit back and join our virtual audience and become completely engrossed in hours of must-see content from around the world. Everything from panels and exclusive screenings to never-before-seen footage, featuring cast, creators and behind-the-scenes crew from across DC Films, TV, Home Entertainment and Games”; DC YouVerse, a fan hub that includes user-generated content, cosplay, and fan art from around the world; DC KidsVerse, which is also accessible from DCKidsFanDome.com; DC InsiderVerse, featuring a video from DC CCO/Publisher Jim Lee, President of DC-Based Film Production Walter Hamada, and creator of the DC TV Arrowverse, Executive Producer Greg Berlanti, and a focus on the “master artisans” who work on DC’s comics, games, TV, movies, theme parks, consumer products and more; and DC FunVerse, which includes “shareables” as well as a comic book reader, a store, digital giveaways and printable kits.

DC FanDome map
Photo: Warner Bros.

As they say, though, that’s not all! There’s also a Blerd & Boujee House which celebrates Black nerd culture, as well as LatinxGeeks and promises a big party a la the Blerd and Boujee boat from 2019’s San Diego Comic-Con; a blog called The Daily Star that will roll out announcements; and of course a place to submit to the DC YouVerse at create.DCFanDome.com.

Though the announcement is packed with info, specific details on panels and talent will come at a later date. And whether this will impact Warner Bros. and DC’s participation at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con remains to be seen. Though WB is often a major presence at the Con, SDCC itself hasn’t announced any details yet about panels or participants. Have the virtual con wars begun? Stay tuned…