Rather than take part in the digital version of San Diego Comic-Con that was held last month, Warner Bros and DC Entertainment decided to hold their own presentation this past weekend called DC FanDome. Even though the FanDome was split into two separate events just days beforehand, with the second half, “Explore the Multiverse,” unfolding on September 12, there was still plenty to enjoy from the first half, “Hall of Heroes,” particularly on the movies side of things.
Well, the numbers have been totaled, and it looks like DC FanDome was a huge success. Warner Bros has revealed that the “Hall of Heroes” portion generated 22 million views across 220 countries and territories over its 24-hour run. Additionally, DC FanDome trended on Twitter in 53 markets and on YouTube in 82 markets.
Keep in mind, those tens of millions of views are only accounting for people who tuned in to the DC Fandome “Hall of Heroes” livestream. We also need to take into account all the videos that were first aired during the livestream, and then uploaded separately on various platforms, including the trailers for Wonder Woman 1984, Zack Snyder’s Justice League and The Batman. So even if you couldn’t watch any of the panels as they aired live, if you’re a DC fan, chances are you still helped contribute to DC FanDome’s accomplishments.
The presentation also stood out for its international hook, as it was broadcast globally across 24 hours in nine different languages, with numerous hosts and fans who submitted questions hailing from outside the United States. Ultimately, as Blair Rich, president of worldwide marketing for Warner Bros. Pictures Group, informed Variety, the goal with DC FanDome was to provide a way for DC Comics enthusiasts to come together with their shared interests… while staying socially distanced. In Rich’s words:
You could already feel this sort of detachment and the loneliness of COVID, and we thought this could bring fans together. We wanted it to feel as much as possible as a physical destination and gathering place for fans to celebrate and discover.
Lisa Gregorian, the Warner Bros. TV group president and chief marketing officer, also mentioned how DC FanDome was able to reach a lot more fans around the world that they “wouldn’t normally be able to reach.” As a result, Warner Bros is already planning to do something like DC FanDome again in the future, although whether it’ll be another digital-only vent or morph into a physical convention akin to something like D23 or Star Wars Celebration.
Whatever ends up happening, there was definitely a lot to take in from the first round of DC FanDome festivities. Along with the aforementioned trailers, we also got peeks at The Suicide Squad, Black Adam and The Flash, as well as learned the Shazam! sequel’s title, not to mention various comics, video games and TV shows getting coverage.
Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for all the latest and greatest in DC movie and TV-related news. If you’re curious about what this corner of the superhero movie market has hitting the big screen in the coming years, look through our DC movies guide.
