How to Promote Your DC Film

Josh Rosenberg
·5 min read
dc films
How to Promote Your DC FilmDC

When new DC Films head James Gunn announced the studio's future slate of films, superhero fans went nuts. A new Superman! A new Batman & Robin television show! A Green Lantern property that (maybe) won't make me vomit! But when Gunn unveiled his dreams to the world in January, it felt like he undercut a few DC superhero films—created by the studio's old guard—that would likely no longer live in any continuity moving forward. The Aquaman and Shazam! sequels would seemingly end their respective franchises—along with blockbusters like the long-awaited multiversal outing in The Flash, plus the Blue Beetle origin film. Oopsie.

Nevertheless, the casts and creative teams behind these films still needed to figure out how to get you to see their movie. This isn't Marvel, where you're almost forced to see Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania simply because you'll miss out on the larger narrative if you don't. With Shazam!: Fury of the Gods surely marking the final Shazam! film? If you skip it, big whoop. That's likely why the third Ant-Man film made close to $475 million at the box office, while the Shazam! sequel only took in $128 million. Honestly, neither is leagues above the other, but Gunn's announcement certainly undervalued the film.

So, what do you do when people aren't lining up to see your DC film? Well, you have to really convince them—by any means necessary. Here's a handy guide to do exactly that, should you ever find yourself fiercely advocating the worth of a suddenly low-stakes DC movie.

Talk It Up!

The easiest way to promote your DC film is to buddy up with the press—and say how much you enjoyed working on the project. "There’s a lot of cool stuff happening in this one," Jason Momoa told Total Film about Aquaman 2. "There's no one bigger than Aquaman!" Feel that easygoing energy? It's exactly what you need to do. And even when the negative reviews start pouring in, just keep your spirits up. "Is it a perfect film? No. I 'm hard-pressed to think of perfect films," Zachary Levi said in an Instagram Live video, shortly after Shazam!: Fury of the Gods hit theaters."But we are a far better film than some of these critics and reviewers have given us credit for, and those of you who have seen the movie know this, and those of you who haven't seen the movie are in for a treat because it's gonna blow your mind."

Take the Low Road and Put Down Another Film

The weekend after Shazam! Fury of the Gods debuted in March, John Wick: Chapter 4 rolled in, guns blazing. But Levi, of course, had to make sure that people wouldn't stop seeing Shazam! after just seven days. "I love Keanu Reeves. If you wanna go see John Wick, go for it. I 'm not gonna tell you not to," he said."John Wick's not a family movie, so if you're looking for a movie for your family, or your date, or you just don't want to get into hardcore [gunshot noises], go see Shazam! Fury of the Gods."

Damn, it's cutthroat out here! Per The Hollywood Reporter, the Shazam! sequel's second weekend takeaway was the steepest drop of any DC superhero film. That's what instant karma for putting down Keanu looks like.

Simply Start Making Stuff Up

If Gunn took away your superhero franchise, then you better start pitching your worth. I 'm talking about a Henry Cavill-is-back-as-Superman-in-Black-Adam type of stunt, which Dwayne Johnson hyped to oblivion. It almost worked! Well, maybe Jason Momoa has a better chance at sticking around. In an interview with Total Film, Momoa stated, "I absolutely think Aquaman will be involved in the DCU." Gunn has yet to comment on Aquaman's future, but not a single hero from the current DC films lineup has been announced to return. At the same time, Momoa is also openly joining in the fun of fans casting him as an antihero by the name of Lobo.

Plus, the Aquaman star met with Gunn—shortly after his takeover as the new co-head of DC Films—telling Variety at the time that "there might be other characters” for him to play in the future besides Aquaman. So, yes—you can play both sides, too.

Say Something Controversial

Let's check back in with our friend, Zachary. Just two months before Shazam! Fury of the Gods premiered, Levi declared on Twitter that he was in "hardcore" agreement with a post claiming Pfizer—a COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer—is "a real danger to the world." Telling people not to see John Wick: Chapter 4 is one thing. Telling them not to take the vaccine in 2023... yikes. It's not even an original controversial thought! Actually, maybe ignore this section.

Try a Little Bit of Everything

Well, there's a special movie coming out this week. This particular film has dabbled in all of the above tactics—and it just might work. For starters, Gunn told Deadline that The Flash is "one of the greatest superhero movies ever made." Hell, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav allegedly sent Tom Cruise the film in advance. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cruise said The Flash was "everything you want in a movie” and “the kind of movie we need now." High praise! Director Andy Muschietti even called The Flash's star, Ezra Miller, "One of the best actors I’ve ever worked with."

The DC Studios machine probably wouldn't be working so hard to pump up The Flash if its leading star wasn't accused of some of the most heinous headlines I've read in a long time. But Warner Bros. is sticking by Miller—who is now "completely committed to their recovery," as Peter Safran told The Hollywood Reporter. Zaslav recently described The Flash as "the best superhero movie I’ve ever seen," boasting at CinemaCon that he's seen it "three times." Hell, maybe you should too! I hear that the best way to enjoy a film is to pay to see it more than once.

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