NYCC Interviews Part 2 with Danny Cannon Gotham’s Executive Producer – Gotham TV Podcast Exclusive

Exclusive: Here’s our interview with British director and Gotham’s executive producer Danny Cannon who discusses the creation of Gotham, the connection with his other police procedural shows, his favourite villain and the possibility of other vigilante’s on Gotham.

Ahead of the UK release of Gotham on Channel 5 Gotham TV Podcast were lucky enough to sit down at a roundtable at New York Comic Con 2014 to discuss Gotham and what we can expect from future episodes in season one with Executive Producer Danny Cannon and five members of the cast (Robin Lord Taylor, Erin Richards, Sean Pertwee, Donal Logue and Ben McKenzie) about their thoughts on the show, their characters and what could be coming in Season one of the show. The roundtable includes questions from other journalists present and our own questions to the cast and creator. You can listen to our full NYCC interviews or skip below to read the full transcripts.

Question – So talk about the concept of Gotham?

Danny Cannon(Show creator and other Executive producer) Bruno Heller had talked about this idea to DC but he sat with me at thanksgiving last year but the idea started way before that. He gave me the pitch of “Go back in time in Gotham and meet the only honest cop left”. It was great because the conversation we had was in 20 years time what would make a city like this need a masked vigilante to save it and why would the villains be so outrageous. So we started from that foundation we had a long way to go. Geoff Johns at DC comics allowed us to go in and we talked about origins of characters and who had the rights and we were amazed at how many didn’t have them. so that enthused them.

Question – So you worked on a lot of police shows has that been useful with Gotham?

D.C. – I spent a lot of time doing that but in Gotham you get to throw it all out. You know it’s more “let’s move the body” lets do that, “lets smoke around the body” lets spill my coffee on the dead guys face it’s going back in time it’s a New York City without gentrification without (New York Mayors) Giuliani or Bloomberg it’s a city spiraling out of control. So the procedural thing goes out the window

Question – So who was your favourite villain to work out the details of?

D.C. – Well I gotta say the villains that are upcoming. We still have many to go. I have to say Fish Mooney a villain that was written from scratch and Jada took that up a notch to make it even better,

Gotham TV Podcast Question – Now that we’ve introduced the vigilante “Baloonman” (in episode 3 of Gotham) there’s speculation that we could see more vigilantes within Gotham

D.C. –  Yeah definitely. I think a city that doesn’t trust it’s mayor or police department or can’t trust your neighbour there’s always going to be someone attempting to do that. As the show progresses the way we get to see David Mazouz’s Bruce Wayne navigate that too is very interesting. I couldn’t possibly say if any of the existing cast will do that.

Montoya the vigilante?

Question – Do you plan on exploring any of the supernatural elements?

D.C. –  We’re very feet on the ground here. Who’s to say where a show will go but for now we’re very grounded.Gotham is a crazy theatrical world but I’d like to think it’s all very credible so for now we’re just going to stick with that.

Gotham TV Podcast Question – Given that a number of the DC shows on TV have police forces or different police departments what are the possibilities of cross overs.

D.C. –  Very interesting again I don’t know. Right now what exists on air is apples and oranges. Tonally it might be a big shift but in the first season of the show as long as we keep building the reality of that situation and the great legacy of that I’ll be happy. Season two we’ll start again.

Question – Do you have any city models that have informed the show?

D.C. –  When I was talking to Bruno Heller who is one of the most well read individuals I know. He needed another partner on the show cause it was such an undertaking. I talked about incorporating Dickensian London and the have’s and have-nots. We talked about Grimm fairy tales and I talked about westerns also in that in a western town is a great way to tell moral stories. It’s easier to tell moral stories when they’re played out in a neutral town.That’s why westerns were always incredibly popular in the 50’s 60’s and 70’s were always so popular because a contemporary moral story is easier to play out in a nondescript town.

Click here for the previous Interview – Robin Lord Taylor                                                Click here for the next interview – Erin Richards

Danny Cannon RTE

NYCC Interviews Part 1 with Robin Lord Taylor Gotham’s Oswald Cobblepott – Gotham TV Podcast Exclusive

Exclusive:  Ahead of the UK release of Gotham on Channel 5 Gotham TV Podcast were lucky enough to sit down at a roundtable at New York Comic Con 2014 to discuss Gotham and what we can expect from future episodes in season one with Executive Producer Danny Cannon and five members of the cast (Robin Lord Taylor, Erin Richards, Sean Pertwee, Donal Logue and Ben McKenzie) about their thoughts on the show, their characters and what could be coming in Season one of the show. The roundtable includes questions from other journalists present and our own questions to the cast and creator.

Here’s our interview with actor Robin Lord Taylor who discusses his thoughts on the character of Oswald Cobblepott, how he prepared for the role, what he takes from the previous live action versions of the character and if the “Penguin” moniker will stick. You can listen to all our NYCC interviews below or read on for the full transcript after the jump.

Question – So how did they prepare you for this role on the show?

Robin Lord TaylorI didn’t really get a lot of prep. When I auditioned I didn’t know what I was auditioning for. It was like the untitled Warner Brothers project but the night before I went in I got the tip off on what it was that “Your going in to audition for The Penguin in the new Batman origin story series” but at that point I was already prepared and I went in and did what I did and it worked out.But now in terms of preparation the scripts that Bruno (Heller) writes along with the world he’s created with Danny (Cannon) and the other writers it’s just so fully realised it’s just all there in front of me. When it’s right it’s easy.

Question – You didn’t feel that you needed to watch the previous incarnations?

R.L.T. – How can you not see previous incarnations the Adam West series played every day after elementary school I’d seen all of that.I’d seen Batman Returns a million times I could recite that movie from memory. But I realised from the scripts that they were going in a different direction with the character but to be following in the footsteps of Burgess Meredith and Danny Devito how freaking amazing is that? The one thing they brought to it was that sense of fun and that can be difficult cause it’s a dark world but that’s the one thing i took away from their performances. I’m trying to bring it into this.

Gotham TV Podcast – That’s a great tie by the way (his tie depicts fish bones all over it)

R.L.T. – (Smiling happily) Thank you very much

Gotham TV Podcast Question – Your character hates being called The Penguin but can we expect to see him take on that moniker?

R.L.T. – Very much so. That was a pivotal moment from the first episode. Since he was a child he’s been called penguin and he was a victim of bullying and a lot of it was centered around his appearance and his interests and all of his eccentricities but I think the moment that he comes out of the water in first episode was him embracing the name. I mean the moment that you take on the thing you hate the most and embrace it is the moment you take away the power of it and I think that moment is him harnessing the Power of the Penguin and going “OK you’re going to call me the Penguin then I’m the Freaking Penguin, let’s go” and that propels him into the series.

Question – Did you try to make sure that there was a big difference in the characteristics of Oswald before and after the water scene in episode 1?

R.L.T. – Yes definitely. In regards to his walk I love that it’s an actual injury it’s something that we see established. This whole show is bringing some reality to this fantastic world so yeah I was hobbling around the apartment like a moron.working on it making sure it looked good and then Danny (Cannon) was also there to help me out.

Click here for the next interview – Danny Cannon (Executive Producer of Gotham)

Robin Lord Taylor

Gotham Pilot Podcast Year One E01 – Gotham TV Podcast Episode 18

START HERE FOR GOTHAM EPISODE DISCUSSIONS.

Join us for our Gotham Pilot Podcast review

Show Notes

Gotham premiered on Channel 5 in the UK on October 13th at 9PM and on RTÉ2 in Ireland on Monday January 26th 2015 in Ireland and is now available on Netflix and Blu-Ray and DVD. So We’ve finally been able to see the episode and share our thoughts with you. Our episode begins with some Gotham News from back in 2014 when we saw the episode first.

Gotham News

  • We’re not going to talk about ratings much on our show as they generally come out much slower in the UK but ratings for the pilot in the US were pretty high with about 8 million on the night of September 22nd. The audience increased by 50% when DVR watching over the subsequent three days was included. Making the total audience for the show 12 million if out maths is accurate.
  • As we’ve discussed on a past episode Harvey Dent is coming to Gotham and the actor who has been cast to play him is Nicholas D’Agosto. We know him from his turn as one of the ill-fated kids in Final Destination 5. He’s a lot younger than we’ve seen the character on screen before making it very possible that we’ll seen the character on screen before making it very possible that he’s a young lawyer working his way up the ranks of the legal system in Gotham. Hopefully we’ll see a lot of interplay between him and Jim Gordon as they try to clean up the city together.

DC Connected News

  • The Teen Titans joins the expanding list of DC properties being developed as a TV show. Variety reports that TV channel TNT are close to a deal on producing “Titans”, the show would center on Dick Grayson, the former Robin who emerges from Batman’s shadow to become Nightwing and the leader of a fearless band of heroes who include Starfire and Raven. Looks like it might be a show relevant to our interests.

FEEDBACK

We discuss lots of feedback on episode one at the end of the review. If you want to send us your thoughts or suggestions you can send them to our new address [email protected]
Thanks so much to all of our listeners for their feedback it’s great to have the support so far and we hope you keep sending us your feedback as Gotham ramps up.

As always thanks so much for listening and all your interactions over the last 17 episodes. We will be covering all the news and info that came from our trip to New York Comic Con in another episode up this week and the next review episode will be up next week.

Derek & John
Gotham TV Podcast

If you have any questions or comments you can contact us any of the following ways:

You can email us at [email protected]
@gothamtvpodcast on Twitter
Facebook.com/gothamtvpodcast or just search “Gotham TV Podcast” on Facebook.
You can leave us a voicemail on Skype just search for Gotham TV Podcast.
You can also connect with us on Google + at +gothamtvpodcast.

Date recorded: 14/10/2014
Date published: 15/10/2014
MP3, 1h 50mins, 128kbps, 100.2 MB

New York Comic Con – Day 1 – Preview Day Round Up

The top moments of the first day of New York Comic Con October 9th 2014.

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WB Preview Night Screenings

This panel closed out the opening Preview day of NYCC 2014. While it was billed as the preview of the fully completed pilot episode for Constantine and a preview of the Season 2 premiere of The 100, there was actually a lot more on show with an exclusive first look for the crowd at the second episode of the new CW hit The Flash; that really builds on all the threads left open from the pilot episode which was broadcast in the US this week. The episode had a great premise and deepened the relationship between Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) and his surrogate father Detective Joe West (Jesse L. Martin). Another surprise was a preview of crazy upcoming cartoon show Mike Tyson Mysteries. It felt like a fusion of Scooby Doo and Archer and worked very well on the unsuspecting crowd. The newly retooled official pilot for Constatine is excellent, Welsh actor Matt Ryan carries off the swagger of the scouse demon hunter John Constantine excellently, your eyes and ears are drawn to him in every scene that he’s in making it difficult for some of the other characters to get much of a look in. A scene where the helmet of Doctor Fate is introduced got a huge cheer from an audience who had been at the convention for almost twelve hours. I think Warner Brothers have a hit on their hands. Constantine will debut in the US on the 24th of October on NBC, hopefully a UK and Ireland broadcaster will be announced soon.

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Adam West talks “Gotham” and Batman Blu Ray release

In the main hall at 6.45 we were treated to almost an hour in the presence of Adam West who played Bruce Wayne/Batman in the 1960’s series due for release for the first time on Blu Ray in November 2014. Mr. West was a fascinating guest and shared many fun anecdotes of the process of making the show, yes of course they knew it was a joke for adults and apointment TV for kids. He spoke of the various guest stars from Vincent Price to Burgess Meridith and also gave some impressions including a fantastic Liberacé. Adam West also talked about his opinion of the TV show Gotham saying he’s delighted that Fox are taking a new look at the Batman mythology and giving his seal of approval to the shows fresh approach. A really fun panel where we also got to see multiple clips from the newly restored Blu Ray box set which includes and preserves all original 120 episodes of the TV series and contains 3 hours of extra features. We know what’s going on our Christmas list.

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Artist Alley and Exhibitors

The preview day of Comic Con is also the day that most collectors are waiting all year for. Almost every exhibitor on the show floor brings along exclusive items for the earliest through the door. From Alliance Cruisers to one off Sketch variants of comics there are tonnes of exclusives available for purchase at extraordinary prices. Given the queues most attendees choose exactly what they are looking for before they arrive and go for that one thing but we saw more than a few NYCC guests layden down with more than they could carry. Alternatively Artists Alley is a great place to visit some of the creators behind all of your favourite characters. DC Comics feature a list of their hottest talent including Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. Many other artists from independant comics to the majors are all over the area willing to give you a few minutes of chat and a signature. We even got a one of a kind drawing from 30 days of Night, Welcome to Hoxford and upcoming “Gotham By Midnight” artist Ben Templesmith. A visit to the artists area will give you that one of a kind experience that only an event like this can produce.

Templesmith

Things we missed

You can’t be everywhere, the one panel we would have loved to have been at was the Disney “Big Hero 6” and “Tomorrowland” panel. Not that we are hugely excited about those particular movies but with panel members such as Damon LIdeloff and Hugh Laurie we were sorry to have to skip it. But even bigger than that was a special appearance from George Clooney who dropped in unannounced to the Tomorrowland panel to discuss his role in the show. He also got the whole room on side when he appologised for killing the Batman franchise with his starring role in the movie Batman & Robin. Don’t worry George we know it was the twelve year old who wrote the movie who was at fault.

Gotham TV Podcast Heads to New York Comic Con 2014

New York Comic Con 2014 (NYCC) is the second largest of the US comic conventions. The event takes place at The Javits Center in Hell’s Kitchen New York from 9th to 12th October. The majority of the event is more focused on comics than it’s West Coast counterpart in San Diego and with increasing TV and movie elements NYCC has getting bigger and more popular each year whilst retaining its focus on comics and the comic industry. This years event being the most popular to date as four-day tickets sold out in 40 minutes..The Senior Vice President of event organisers ReedPop Lance Fensterman sent an open letter to fans explaining how big the event is getting with the example that in 2013 four day tickets for the event took 8 weeks to sell out. It’s a really exciting event with a big line up of Comic, animation and TV panels.

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Gotham TV Podcast will be in New York from 5th to 14th October and we’ll be covering as many of the events as we possibly can. The big event for us of course is the Gotham panel on Sunday 12th October. Currently scheduled as a Special Video Presentation and Q&A with many of the cast attending this home town event at 1.15 pm EST in the main hall. Confirmed for the event are Ben McKenzie, Donal Logue, Robin Lord Taylor, Erin Richards,Sean Pertwee and Danny Cannon. There will be a special video presentation as Gotham has already completed filming the first half of Season 1, we’re hopeful that there will be lots of exclusive footage. We’ll be queueing to get all the news directly from the event about our favourite new show. We might even get to meet a few special guests while we’re there.

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DC and Warner Brothers are also well represented at the event with a panel, Q & A and screening of the pilot for the dark new DC show Constantine. We’re almost as excited for Constantine as we for Gotham and look forward to seeing cast members Matt Ryan (John Constantine) and Angélica Celaya (Zed) along with Executive Producer David S. Goyer taking the stage on Saturday 11th October.

Steven Amell (Oliver Queen on Arrow) will be appearing at the event for all four days, while there is no Arrow or Flash panel scheduled the premiere for both shows will be presented..

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There are also many notable DC Comics events and guests over the four day event. The many Batman related comic events range from current Batman dynamic duo, writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo to the artist of the upcoming Gotham by Midnight regular comic series, Ben Templesmith. There will also be a number of events to celebrate Batman 75.

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The upcoming movie Birdman, featuring former Batman Michael Keaton and former Hulk actor Edward Norton will also be a highlight of the show. The movie about a former superhero movie actor who has fallen on hard times is definitely relevant to our interests.

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New York Comic Con has had a huge boost from genre TV with many describing the event as “the Con that Walking Dead built” due to the recurring appearance of cast and crew of the hugely successful show each year since it began. This year is no exception with the Walking Dead once again taking the prime Saturday night at 6pm spot. Most of the major cast including Andrew Lincoln, Danai Gurira, Melissa McBride, Steven Yeun and Norman Reedus are slated to appear. But that’s not the only big comic related TV event happening at NYCC 2014.

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Where best for Marvel and Netflix to show off the upcoming TV show Daredevil than in his hometown of Hell’s Kitchen New York at the NYCC in the prime slot leading into the Walking Dead panel on Saturday the 10th of October. This will be the first of four shows that Marvel and Netflix are working together including Luke Cage, Jessica Jones and Iron First. The four more grounded Marvel properties are due to lead into one combined mini-series called The Defenders. We’re very excited to see the cast on stage together for the first time. Given that the show has been filming in New York for the last few months there might even be some footage of the upcoming show screened.

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Marvel TV is well represented at the event with a panel for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. taking the prime slot on Friday the 10th of October. They had a smaller panel with Scottish actor Ian DeCastacker (Fitz) and English Actress Elizabeth Henstridge (Simmons) taking the stage along with Jeph Loeb in 2013. It’s hoped that there will be a full cast panel there to discuss the show.

There will be loads of other exciting stuff at the show from Cosplay to exclusive artwork, statues and comics. Be sure to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook and Fliker where we’ll share our unique take on the event.

Gotham episode 3 “Balloon-man” airs on Fox on the 6th of October and the pilot is due for its UK TV premiere on Channel 5 on Monday the 13th of October.

A UK broadcaster for the hotly anticipated Constantine has yet to be announced. The show premieres in the US on October 24th.

Arrow will return to Sky One in October with Flash also premiering on Sky One in the same month.

The comic series Gotham By Midnight by Ben Templesmith is due to come out in November 2014

Walking Dead Season 5 will premiere in the US on Sunday the 12th and Ireland and the UK on Fox on Monday the 13th

Daredevil is set to premiere on Netflix worldwide in June 2015

Season 2 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. had it’s Irish Premiere on RTÉ2 HD and continues every Sunday at 7PM on RTÉ2 HD. You can read John’s review of the first episode over on theeffect.net right now.

We’ll be sharing news stories images and hopefully some interviews from New York Comic Con next weekend so be sure to check back for more news.

Derek & John

Channel 5 Announces UK Air Date for Gotham TV Series

Channel 5 have today announced they will broadcast the big autumn TV show Gotham very soon. The show has been received very well in the US on the 22nd of September with very high ratings and generally well received reviews. Channel 5 will show the pilot episode of the show on Monday the 13th of October 2014 at 9PM and we’ll be watching every episode.

Gotham tells the story of young Detective James Gordon (Ben McKenzie, The O.C., Southland, Batman: Year One) a former resident of Gotham City who returns after more than 10 years away to join the Homicide Unit of the Gotham City Police Department. His partner in the G.C.P.D. is street savvy Detective Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue, Vikings, Law & Order: S.V.U., Sons of Anarchy) a detective with connections to underworld characters including Nightclub owner Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett-Smith, The Matrix Revolutions, Scream 2, Collateral), a character newly created for the show. In Fish’s employ are Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Lord-Taylor in a break out performance) a well-known character from the comics who will eventually become crime boss The Penguin and her right hand man Butch Gilzean (played by Drew Powell who previously worked with Ben McKenzie on Southland).

Other members of Gotham City Law enforcement include Detectives Renee Montoya (Victoria Cartagena) and Crispus Allen (British actor Andrew Stewart-Jones) who we at Gotham TV podcast had the pleasure of interviewing recently you can listen to the interview in the player below. As members of the Major Crimes Unit they have a distrustful relationship with anyone outside of their tight knit partnership including Detective Allen’s former partner Harvey Bullock. Captain Sarah Essen (Zabryna Guevara) heads up the Gotham City Police Department providing guidance for the team. The detectives work closely with the intelligent yet inscrutable Edward Nygma (Cory Michael Smith) another character well-known to comic book and Batman fans as the future Riddler.

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With the help of his fiance Barbara Kean (Welsh actor Erin Richards), Jim Gordon will try to navigate the dangerous mob run streets of Gotham to investigate the murder of 12-year-old Bruce Wayne’s (David Mazouz, Touch) aristocratic parents Dr. Thomas and Martha Wayne.

Left in the care of his butler, former soldier in the British SAS Alfred Pennyworth (British Actor Sean Pertwee, Dog Soldiers, Event Horizon) the young Bruce Wayne will find it difficult to grow up without guidance.

The city of Gotham and it’s characters from young Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova),  mob boss Carmine Falcone (John Doman, The Wire) to his rival Salvatore Maroni (David Zayas, Dexter) will make a great backdrop to what we expect to be a fascinating look at the time in Gotham before the Batman and what led a young man with a score to settle to don a cape and cowl to patrol the streets of this lost city.

Join us after the premiere of Gotham on Channel 5 on the 13th of October for our review of the episode. If you want to listen to our podcasts that have been leading up to the release of the show so far and give background information on the major players from comic book appearances to events with the cast you can listen here or subscribe in iTunes. You can send us your thoughts on the episodes at [email protected]

We’re getting very excited to see what Gotham has to offer we’ll be attending the Gotham panel at New York Comic Con on the 12th of October 2014 for some final news before the season starts in the UK and Ireland on Channel 5.

Derek & John

“Zero Year Continues” – Gotham TV Podcast Episode 17

Show Notes

With our friends in the USA and Canada sitting down to watch Episode one of Gotham, we at Gotham TV Podcast look at the latest news from the series and connected DC universe as we wait for the mid-October release in the Ireland and the UK on Channel 5. Zero Year, Episode 17 of Gotham TV Podcast also looks at and reflects on what we can expect in the upcoming series of Gotham, talks about October’s New York Comic Con (N.Y.C.C.) and draws the winner out of the hat for the Penguin poster by Matthew J Fletcher.

Gotham News

  • The 22nd September is finally upon us and our friends across the Atlantic in the USA and Canada. Today is the day when all the waiting comes to an end and everyone in North America, via Fox and CTV, finally gets to watch episode one of Gotham. We hope it is everything they want from the show and more over the coming weeks. Don’t worry we’re not too far behind as over in Ireland and the UK Channel 5 airs Gotham from mid-October. Enjoy the Gotham premiere parties.
  • Tonnes of interviews out there with the cast and crew including our own interview with Victoria Cartagena and Andrew Stewart Jones but this one that Show Creator Bruno Heller did with Digital Spy caught our eye. He discusses the possibility of DC Universe Cross Overs. You can read the full interview with Digital Spy here.
  • The build up to the premiere of Gotham also saw the release by Fox of more character videos and snippets. The videos showed and expanded on some of the more well-known trailer scenes including the famous “There will be light…” scene from Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) and also explored some of the other main characters such as Barbara Kean (Erin Richards).
  • Hot on the heels of the series premiere, Gotham will also be at New York Comic Con on Sunday 12th October for a special video presentation and Q&A session. Gotham TV Podcast will be there to follow the events as they unfold from New York.
  • After our Episode 16 roundtable discussion with two of the newer Gotham podcasts last week we also took part in a question and answer session about Gotham with podcasters at the Assembly of Geek. You can check the Assembly of Geek Podcast out here.

DC Connected News

  • Also at New York Comic Con will be a number of other DC features including Constantine (Saturday 11th October), Special Guest Stephen Amell who plays Oliver Queen on WB’s Arrow will at the event for the weekend.
  • DC Entertainment and Comic panels looking at Batman’s 75th Anniversary (Saturday 11th October) and the new comic series Batman: Gotham Rising (Friday 10th October) and much much more.

FEEDBACK

  • Elizabeth D-V has asked us to share a discussion point with our listeners. Who do you think will appear on Gotham who has yet to be announced. She’s said she wants to wait to get the tone after a few episodes but if any other listeners want to send in their suggestions you can send them to our new address [email protected]
  • Our Zero Year Competition to win a Penguin poster by Matthew J Fletcher is now finished and we revealed the winner on our show The poster will be winging it’s way to the winner very soon. Have a listen to find out if it’s you.

Thanks so much to all of our listeners for their feedback it’s great to have the support so far and we hope you keep sending us your feedback as Gotham ramps up.

As always thanks so much for listening and all your interactions over the last five months. We have just over a month left until Gotham launches in the US hopefully it won’t be very long until we get to see the show in Europe and keep up the coverage.

Next time we’ll be on the road with all the coverage of Gotham and the DC Connected universe at New York Comic Con.

D&J
GothamTVPodcast

If you have any questions or comments you can contact us any of the following ways:

You can email us at [email protected]
@gothamtvpodcast on Twitter
Facebook.com/gothamtvpodcast or just search “Gotham TV Podcast” on Facebook.
You can leave us a voicemail on Skype just search for Gotham TV Podcast.
You can also connect with us on Google + at gothamtvpodcast.

Date recorded: 22/09/2014
Date published: 23/09/2014
MP3, 35 mins, 128kbps, 32.2 MB

Gotham TV Podcast Exclusive: In the Interview Room with Gotham’s Victoria Cartagena and Andrew Stewart-Jones

EXCLUSIVE: There are many fascinating pairings set for Gotham, from Jim Gordon and Harvey Bullock to Fish Mooney and Oswald Cobblepot, and Gotham TV Podcast got the opportunity to interrogate the Detective partnership of Renee Montoya (Victoria Cartagena) and Crispus Allen (Andrew Stewart-Jones) about the TV show, their characters, the role of the Montoya / Allen partnership and the influence of the comic series Gotham Central on the show. We get to hear that their off-screen friendship is as strong as their on-screen partnership, we find out Victoria Cartagena’s favourite arc of the comic series Gotham Central and we uncover some details about Detective Allen’s past.

In the build up to the release of the Gotham premiere on Fox in the USA (22nd September) and Channel 5 in the UK, our look at the comic series Gotham Central shows the importance of this detective partnership to the Major Crimes Unit (M.C.U.) of the Gotham City Police Department and we can’t wait to see this great Detective alliance brought to the screen. You can read the interview below but there’s nothing better than hearing them in person. Check out the full interview where they answer all of our questions.

 

Gotham TV Podcast: What drew you to audition for a role in the upcoming batman prequel series Gotham? Did you have much exposure to previous incarnations of this universe such as the movies, comics or TV shows?

Victoria Cartagena (Renee Montoya): When I got the call for the audition there was no script there were only dummy sides [scenes unconnected to the TV show Gotham], however, I was aware that it had something to do with Batman’s Gotham and, because I’d been a fan all my life, I certainly wanted a chance to be part of the show. Because i grew up watching the Batman re-runs with Adam West and seeing all the Batman films from the 80s, 90s all the way up to the Nolan films, I’ve seen them all in the theatre so I was definitely familiar and excited to even audition for it.

Andrew Stewart-Jones (Crispus Allen): Honestly, the audition was one of a bunch on Valentine’s Day this year. I was just trying to get through the day. At the time, I had no idea what I might be getting involved in.  Also the role was a possible recurring so although that is wonderful, I was already auditioning for series regulars roles so this wasn’t high on the list. I should add that the folks behind Gotham were very secretive. I had no idea exactly what I was reading for.

 

GTVP: You’ve been cast in the roles of Renee Montoya and Crispus Allen, detectives in the Gotham City Police Department (G.C.P.D.). What qualities of the character of Montoya and Allen drew you to their characters?

Cartagena: I love that she’s passionate and fiercely loyal and I’m really drawn to what a bad-ass she is. Cause she certainly has a swagger, that I don’t, so that’s fun to play. She works with some really tough guys but she can hang with the best of them. And as an actor I appreciate that she’s flawed. She’s strong and intelligent but at the same time she’s quick to anger and it sometimes clouds her judgment. So she’s tough but vulnerable too and that’s always interesting to play.

Stewart-Jones: Without a doubt, his moral compass would always be his outstanding quality. In a world so dark and corrupt, Allen has his eye on the right way to do things. I love that.

 

GTVP: This is the first screen outing for Renee Montoya. She is known in the comics to have a complex and interesting back story in both her professional and private life. Will we see any of these complexities play out in the TV series?

Cartagena: So I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future but in the episodes we have shot you will DEFINITELY get a glimpse into the complex relationships, for sure (laughs).

GTVP: This is also the first screen outing for Allen. He is known in the comics to be fiercely loyal to his friends but doesn’t suffer fools lightly.  Will we see any of these strong character traits play out in the TV series?

Stewart-Jones: Rob Brown played a G.C.P.D. officer by the name of Allen in The Dark Knight Rises. Just FYI.  But yes, this is Crispus Allen’s big debut as such.  You’ve basically described me, Andrew, to a tee… so yes.

Jim Brown V4 Dark Knight Rises

GTVP to Victoria Cartagena: Another important person in Renee’s life is Detective Crispus Allen, your partner in the G.C.P.D. Given they have such a close relationship how has it been creating and developing that bond with Andrew Stewart Jones?

Cartagena: I absolutely could not have asked for a better screen partner. From the first day we walked on to set we had this immediate connection and he’s become a really great friend and I think that our bond keeps strengthening the more that we work together and its certainly transferred onto the screen. He’s just an amazing actor, a very generous actor and a lot of fun to be around. So I’m really just grateful to be able to be his partner.

GTVP to Andrew Stweart-Jones: Detective Allen is very protective of Renee Montoya, his partner in the G.C.P.D., and is known in the comics to have her back in many tough situations both in the field and in the office. Are you enjoying creating this partnership with Victoria Cartagena as Renee Montoya?

Stewart-Jones: Working with Victoria is an absolute honor and a treat. She is incredible. Very giving, funny and gullible. So susceptible to all of my shenanigans – which I LOVE!  The on-screen relationship, I believe, will benefit from the instant connection we had as professionals.

 

GTVP to Victoria Cartagena: We’ve been covering the comic series Gotham Central in the lead up to the show and have particularly been enjoying the interplay between your character and Crispus Allen. We know that you’ve been reading the series too. Are there any standout moments that you read and would like to see transferred to the TV series?

Cartagena: I really love the story arc for Renee in Half a Life [issues 5 – 9] she went through a lot of highs and lows. So I really hope it makes it onto the show because what stood out to me was how strong the bond is between Montoya and Allen. During those really tough times (Crispus) Allen was the only one that really went to bat for her and he had her back without question. You could just see how fiercely loyal they are to one another. So they’re more than partners, they’re friends or…more like family actually. I hope that the audience get to see that bond and it was important for me to read that on paper to make sure we were getting the job done.

GTVP to Andrew Steward-Jones: We’ve been covering the comic series Gotham Central in the lead up to the show and have particularly been enjoying the interplay between your character and Renee Montoya. We know a number of the cast have been given Gotham Central to prepare for their roles. Were you given any reading material to guide your preparation of your character and to what extent do you balance this with the bringing new ideas to the role?

Stewart-Jones: I wasn’t asked to read anything but I’m a bit of a comic nut. I didn’t want to just lift the character off the comic book pages and present him on people’s screens. I wanted him to be human. Accessible. But, at the same time, I am committed to always having the comic as the foundation upon which I build.

 

GTVP to Victoria Cartagena: Gotham has many different characters on the path to greater destinies, Jim Gordon eventually becomes the Commissioner of the G.C.P.D., the young Bruce Wayne will in adulthood become the Batman and Oswald Cobblepot is taking his first steps on the road to leading the criminal underworld, which of these narratives most excites you?

Cartagena: I’ve had the privilege to do at least one scene with all of these actors so I’m just looking forward to what each one of them brings to the story because they are so talented and they bring their own unique and original take on the portrayal so it’s just going to be thrilling to watch. (My answer is) all of them.

GTVP to Andrew Stewart-Jones: Gotham has some other interesting characters on the payroll of the G.C.P.D., there is the mystery of Edward Nygma, the intensity of Jim Gordon’s moral code, the political aspirations of Captain Sarah Essen and the old school style of Harvey Bullock. How does this mix of characters affect the dynamic in the G.C.P.D. and which of these characters interest you the most?

Stewart-Jones: The beauty, mystery and sheer fun of Gotham is the mufti-faceted dynamics of the relationships. It’s never ending. Always escalating. It’s fascinating to witness. I was Harvey’s partner before Gordon and so there is tension. A wound or two. Deep history. I’m closest to him. I won’t say if that’s good or bad.

 

GTVP: The fan reaction is building for this show in a big way, are you excited for the New York premiere of Gotham in September where you and your fellow cast members get to experience the fan reaction to the pilot first hand?

Victoria: For sure, I’m definitely excited. We’ve been working on this for months, it feels like a really long time and we really can’t wait to share it with the public and I really hope to hear back from the fans and I hope they enjoy it and I think that they will. So, Yes, can’t come soon enough. Just a few more weeks.

Stewart-Jones: When the word for my level of excitement is invented, I will happily use it ad nauseam. Until then we can use the longest word from Mary Poppins. It’s PGA rated, which helps.

 

GTVP: Finally, if Gotham TV Podcast were to be questioned in the suspect interview room at the G.C.P.D., which of the Montoya-Allen partnership would play the “Good Cop” and who would play the “Bad Cop”?

Victoria: This is my favourite question. So…you guys are so great that I think that there would be no need either of us to play the bad cop. But, on the off chance that one of you broke the law or you just had something that we need like some information then I’m pretty sure that Montoya would be the one to ride you until you spill the beans because she is a dog with a bone that one.Yeah I’d put my money on Montoya.

Stewart-Jones: If you ever end up being questioned by us, that information will not help you in the slightest and you will be wishing and praying to wake up from your bad dream! Gotham TV Podcast… do not cross Allen and Montoya! Oh, and thank you for this. I’ll be listening in. Enjoy the premiere.

 

Derek O’Neill and John Harrison are hosts of the Gotham TV Podcast, the unofficial podcast about the TV show Gotham and the connected DC universe. A very special thank you for this interview to Amy at Channel 5 and Holly, Marc and Steven at Warner Bros for their help and most importantly we want to thank Victoria Cartagena and Andrew Stewart-Jones for their time.

You can check out our other podcasts here. For anyone wishing to delve deeper in to the Gotham Central series you can check out our podcast reviews and discussions on the comic series: Gotham Central Review Part 1, Gotham Central Review Part 2, Gotham Central Review Part 3, Gotham Central Review Part 4, Gotham Central Review Part 5

 

Renee and Crispus Police Car (2)

 

 

 

Gotham TV Podcast Exclusive – “Victoria Cartagena and Andrew Stewart-Jones Interview” – Zero Year E15

Show Notes

In Zero Year, Episode 15 of Gotham TV Podcast we managed to track down and interrogate Victoria Cartagena (Renee Montoya) and Andrew Stewart-Jones (Crispus Allen) about their upcoming roles on Gotham. We get to hear that their off-screen friendship is as strong as their on-screen partnership, we find out Victoria Cartagena’s favourite arc of the comic series Gotham Central and we uncover some details about Detective Allen’s past.

Gotham News

⦁    Netflix have purchased the worldwide broadcast rights for Gotham before the first episode has even aired. In an unprecedented move the streaming service have purchased the streaming rights worldwide before the first episode is even broadcast. It is announced the begin streaming in 2015 after linear TV (Fox, CTV, Channel 5) complete their runs of the show. It’s not known yet if this will be as soon as the show finishes airing or whether there will be a period where Netflix will have to wait to air it so it will be available in September October 2015.

DC Connected Universe News

⦁    The Rock has finally confirmed he is to play the role of super villain/anti-hero “Black Adam” in the DC movie universe.

⦁    We’ve discussed the character Jim Corrigan’s upcoming role in NBC’s Constantine recently and today we’ve heard that Dublin actor Emmett Scanlan has been hired to play Detective Jim Corrigan in the show. Although the character is very similar to the one we discussed in our Gotham Central coverage it is more likely this Corrigan is based on the character also named Jim Corrigan who was host to the cosmic entity “The Spectre” from the 1940’s. We can’t wait to find out more.

Dan is the latest listener to enter our competition to be in with a chance to win a Penguin poster by Matthew J Fletcher. The competition is drawing to a close but you still have time to enter before the premiere of Gotham on the 22nd September. Remember we’ll send the poster worldwide and all you need to do is post a comment or send a question that we discuss on the show. Check out the website for more details.

As always thanks so much for listening and all your interactions over the last 6-months. There is now only a short time until Gotham launches in the USA hopefully it won’t be very long until we get to see the show in Europe and keep up the coverage.

Next time we’ll we will join with other Gotham podcasts in a roundtable discussion about Gotham you can join the discussion and ask questions here .

Derek & John
Gotham TV Podcast

If you have any questions or comments you can contact us any of the following ways:

You can email us at [email protected]
@gothamtvpodcast on Twitter
Facebook.com/gothamtvpodcast or just search “Gotham TV Podcast” on Facebook.
You can leave us a voicemail on Skype just search for Gotham TV Podcast.
You can also connect with us on Google + at gothamtvpodcast.

Date recorded: 08/09/2014
Date published: 08/09/2014
MP3, 25 mins, 128kbps, 23.5 MB

“Gotham Central 5 – The Legend Reborn” – Zero Year E14

Gotham Central Part 5 – The Legend Reborn – Zero Year E14

Show Notes

Zero Year, Episode 14 of Gotham TV Podcast we talk about the 21 minute “The Legend Reborn” preview special from Gotham. The preview was released in conjunction with the Gotham season pass on iTunes and was also released in four parts on You Tube titled “Mythical Beginnings”, “A City on the Edge”, “Behind the Shadows” and “Heroes and Villains”. We also complete our five part review of the comic series Gotham Central by Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka and Michael Lark, covering issues #28-40 which encompass the story arcs “Keystone Kops”, “Nature”, “Dead Robin”, “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and the bittersweet finale “Corrigan II”.

Gotham News

  • In the build up to the premiere of Gotham a front page feature was published in SciFi Now magazine and Gotham is also featured in the SFX magazine. Both publications provide a lot of information that we have heard over recent months but also include some new bits of information. In particular, we hear from Bruno Heller that with the casting of David Mazouz as the young Bruce Wayne the role became a more central to the story of the TV series. It was also hinted that Gotham will also explore other vigilantes that may have existed before the Batman and which could have served as an inspiration and possible role model for the young Bruce Wayne.
  • Another European broadcaster Canal Plus in Spain have announced that they will broadcast Gotham within one day of the US broadcast on the 23rd of September.While we know the show will air on Channel 5 in the UK we’ve yet to get a release date, but hopefully it won’t be far behind the 22nd September air date in North America on Fox in the USA and CTV in Canada.
  • iTunes now allow you to subscribe to the full season of Gotham on their US and Canadian service. For US €29.99 or CAN €49.99 you get the full season of 16 episodes and a special exclusive behind the scenes video. In addition, iTunes have put up a complete 21 minute preview of the show called “The Legend Reborn”. This preview is split into four parts and has been released on YouTube. Watch all four parts of “The Legend Reborn” here.

As always thanks so much for listening and all your interactions over the last six months. We have just under three weeks left until Gotham launches in the USA and Canada so we’re working on a few surprises for our next podcast and we’ll let you know details as soon as we can.

For details of our competition to win a Penguin poster by Matthew J Fletcher, please check out our website here.

Derek & John
GothamTVPodcast

If you have any questions or comments you can contact us any of the following ways:

You can email us at [email protected]
@gothamtvpodcast on Twitter
Facebook.com/gothamtvpodcast or just search “Gotham TV Podcast” on Facebook.
You can leave us a voicemail on Skype just search for Gotham TV Podcast.
You can also connect with us on Google + at gothamtvpodcast.

Date recorded: 30/08/2014
Date published: 01/09/2014
MP3, 129 mins, 128kbps, 123 MB

Gotham TV Launch – 22 September – “The Legend Reborn” Preview

Gotham launches on American TV network Fox and Canadian TV channel CTV on the 22nd of September 2014. While we know the show will air on Channel 5 in the UK we’ve yet to get a release date. Another European broadcaster Canal Plus in Spain have announced that they will broadcast Gotham within one day of the US broadcast on the 23rd of September so hopefully we won’t be far behind.

To celebrate the launch of Gotham iTunes now allow you to subscribe to the full season of Gotham on their US and Canadian service. For US€29.99 or CAN€49.99 you get the full season of 16 episodes and a special exclusive behind the scenes video. In addition, iTunes have put up a complete 21 minute preview of the show called “The Legend Reborn”. This preview is split into four parts and has been released on YouTube. Watch all four parts of “The Legend Reborn” below:

Part 1 – Mythical Beginnings

In this part we hear of the genesis of the idea of Gotham from Bruno Heller, Danny Cannon, Geoff Johns and members of the cast. We see more of the interplay between young Detective James Gordon (Ben McKenzie) and his Gotham guide, partner Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue). We also get to see more information about the villains of the show such as Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor) and Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett-Smith) and a sneak peak of four new Characters to Gotham.

Part 2 – A City on the Edge

This second part gives us our first introduction to two members of the Major Crimes Unit of Gotham City Police Department, Renee Montoya (Victoria Cartegena) and Crispus Allen (Andrew Stewart-Jones). It also introduces us to the wider cast of the show such as Jim Gordon’s partner Barbara Kean (Welsh actress Erin Richards) and some of her background and connections in the city.

Part 3 – Behind the Shadows

This part of the documentary gives us some details of how the city of New York plays it’s part in the creation of Gotham. We get our first look at the primary set for the show, the Gotham City Police Department precinct office. This epic set is two stories tall and took over ten weeks to build. We also see some of the visual effects and special effects that will be used in the first few episodes of Gotham

Part 4 – Heroes and Villains

The final part of the documentary includes some of the footage that we have seen in the past providing some more detail on the characters and how the show will see the development of the two sides of the battle for Gotham before the existence of the Dark Knight.

Check the videos out and then come back and listen to episode 14 of our podcast where we discuss some of the information releases in these videos.

Derek & John

“Gotham Central Review Part 4” – Zero Year E13

“Gotham Central Review Part 4” – Zero Year E13

Show Notes

In Zero Year, Episode 13 of Gotham TV Podcast we talk about all the news surrounding Gotham and DC connected universe, in particular, this week the confirmed UK release of Gotham on Channel 5 this Autumn. We also continue our Gotham Central series review looking at issues #23-27 and including the story arcs “Corrigan”, “Lights Out” and “On The Freak Beat” by Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka and Michael Lark.

The review is full of spoilers so if you haven’t read the comics, grab a copy from your local comic book shop or you can read it digitally at Comixology and join us. Let us know your opinion on the story and we’ll discuss any feedback on the next episode.

Gotham News

⦁    The big news this week is that we finally have a confirmed UK broadcaster for Gotham. Channel 5 a UK channel will be broadcasting the show in the UK. The penetration of the channel is quite low in Ireland but luckily we can at least see it. In Irish broadcast news there’s a vague confirmation that our national broadcaster RTÉ has picked up Gotham and will broadcast it on RTÉ 2. *UPDATE 16/10/2014 – The Irish Independent are reporting that RTÉ 2 have the rights for Gotham and will be showing the TV show from 2015 for those who don’t have access to Channel 5.
⦁    Casting news in this weekend from Gotham is that David Zayas who played Detective Angelo “Angel” Batista throughout the hugely successful TV show Dexter will be swapping to the other side of the law to play Salvatore “The Boss” Maroni. Along with Carmine Falconé and Oswald Cobblepot, Sal is another of the big mobsters of Gotham. Previously he was played by Eric Roberts in Christopher Nolan’s Batman: The Dark Knight and played a very big part in the creation of Two Face in the seminal graphic novel Batman: The Long Halloween.

Other DC News

⦁    DC have planted flags in the sand for movies all the way up to 2020. This provides a little confirmation of the story we reported early from Nikki Finke of the supposedly leaked DC Movie slate but no actual films have been reported in the slots.
⦁    While we still haven’t got confirmation of who’s playing Aquaman, Jason Mamoa, who played Kal Drogo on season 1 of Game of Thrones, has been very strongly rumoured. Pretty interesting casting but another interesting story came out this week about DC commissioning two different writers to write two scripts for an Aquaman movie. So apparently there will be some kind of Aquaman battle Royale to decide which script is the king of the ocean.
⦁    A new Batman comic, Gotham by Midnight, is due to be released in October/November 2014 focusing on the even darker corners of Gotham City and its police force, the GCPD. Written by Ray Fawkes the current writer of “Batman Eternal” and featuring the artwork of “30 Days of Night”  and “Welcome to Hoxford” artist Ben Templesmith. Writer Fawkes says this series is a mix of horror and supernatural and will be largely devoid of the Caped Crusader. Jim Corrigan will also feature in the issues.
⦁    The upcoming Constantine TV Show is starting to stake their claim on some of the wider DC universe characters and confirmed that C.S.U. Officer Jim Corrigan of the Gotham City Police Department will play a big part in the first season of the TV Show. Very interesting and the progress of this story might provide an answer to whether characters from these shows will cross over. If they can work Corrigan into a cross over story with Gotham at some point it opens the door to network agnostic crossovers…. We talk a lot more about Corrigan in this weeks Gotham Central Review.

As always thanks so much for listening and all your interactions over the last five months. We have just over a month left until Gotham launches in the US hopefully it won’t be very long after until we get to see the show in Europe and keep up with the coverage.

Next time we’ll complete our Gotham Central coverage with the final set of issues #28-40, which encompass the collected set “Corrigan II”.

For details of our competition to win a Penguin poster by Matthew J Fletcher, please check out our website here.

D&J
GothamTVPodcast

If you have any questions or comments you can contact us any of the following ways:

You can email us at [email protected]
@gothamtvpodcast on Twitter
Facebook.com/gothamtvpodcast or just search “Gotham TV Podcast” on Facebook.
You can leave us a voicemail on Skype just search for Gotham TV Podcast.
You can also connect with us on Google + at gothamtvpodcast.

Date recorded: 17/08/2014
Date published: 18/08/2014
MP3, 78 mins, 128kbps, 72.1 MB

“Comic-Con Chat” – Zero Year E12

“Comic-Con Chat” – Zero Year E12

Show Notes

Zero Year, Episode 12 of Gotham TV Podcast is all about all the Gotham and DC Connected Universe news from San Diego Comic Con 2014 (SDCC).

SDCC Gotham News

⦁    We discuss the new character arc details and fan reaction to the Gotham pilot shown at this years San Diego Comic Con, which included a new Gotham trailer and fan competition.

DC Connected Universe News at SDCC

⦁    We chat about everything from Lego Batman and the reveal of the new Wonder Woman to iZombie and the WB/DC Entertainment panel that also included the DC shows Constantine, The Flash and Arrow.

As always thanks so much for listening and the 1,000 downloads so far. Next time we return to Gotham Central.

For details of our competition to win a Penguin poster by Matthew J Fletcher, please check out our website here.

Derek & John
GothamTVPodcast

If you have any questions or comments you can contact us any of the following ways:

You can email us at [email protected]
@gothamtvpodcast on Twitter
Facebook.com/gothamtvpodcast or just search “Gotham TV Podcast” on Facebook.
You can leave us a voicemail on Skype just search for Gotham TV Podcast.
You can also connect with us on Google + at gothamtvpodcast.

Date recorded: 28/07/2014
Date published: 31/07/2014
MP3, 50 mins, 128kbps, 46.2 MB

New footage in SDCC Gotham TV Trailer

A new Trailer for Gotham was released along with a fan competition on Fox.com. The competition gives the option to create a new poster for the upcoming TV show Gotham or to recreate a scene from the new trailer below to win a trip to New York to watch the official premiere of Gotham.

The new trailer includes footage that looks like it’s taken from later in the season including our first mention of Arkham Asylum, Bruce Wayne’s assertion that he’s just testing himself with a burning candle to his hand and Robin Lord Taylor being picked up by two frat boys who tell him he looks like a certain aquatic flightless bird. Take a look at the trailer below and if you are in the United States enter the contest here or the video contest on the facebook page here

Also at an interview with IGN.com Ben McKenzie confirmed the appearance of the previously unannounced Gotham kingpin Sal Maroni. Previously played by Eric Roberts as the pretender to the throne left behind by Carmine Falconé this time they’ll both exist in Gotham together. We’re excited.

We’ll be talking all about the new trailer, competitions and the panel in our podcast tomorrow.

Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman is finally revealed

As the internet exploded all around the Warner Bros. Pictures panel delivered. To introduce their panel a short and sweet (the film is 2-years away) Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice tease on a number of fronts was given to Hall H at SDCC 2014. As Zack Snyder walked on to stage he revealed concept artwork for the movie and a short piece of footage depicting Batman as he reveals the Bat Signal. The footage also reveals an angry looking Superman looking on as he flies overhead his eyes begin to glow red with heat vision…ready for a Batman Superman showdown. Snyder was then joined by the reunited team of Batman (Ben Affleck), Superman (Henry Cavill) and for the first time Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) to huge excitement and much applause. What a way to kick off a panel. Check out the Silver Lasso on her left hip.

Wonder woman 6