Watchmen Trailer Previews 2-Part Animated DC Movie

Warner Bros. Entertainment has released a teaser trailer for its upcoming two-part animated adaptation of Alan Moore’s Watchmen .

What happens in the Watchmen trailer?

Shared on X with the caption, “Danger is on the horizon,” the Watchmen trailer begins with The Comedian’s death and costumed vigilante Rorschach growling, “Someone’s picking off costumed heroes.” The trailer then cycles through the main cast of characters — such as Daniel Dreiberg/Nite Owl II and Doctor Manhattan — as well as several action-packed scenes while Rorschach continues to provide narration. The video ends with the reveal that Watchmen will be released in two parts, subtitled Chapter I and Chapter II.

Check out the first trailer for Watchmen: Chapters I and II below:

Based on the 12-issue limited series by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons , Watchmen is set in an alternate history in the year 1985 at the height of the Cold War, following a group of mostly retired superheroes investigating the murder of one of their own. Along the way, they uncover an elaborate and deadly conspiracy that challenges their moral limitations due to the complex nature of the circumstances.

Watchmen was previously adapted as a 2009 live-action movie directed by Zack Snyder from a screenplay written by David Hayter and Alex Tse. Starring Billy Crudup, Jackie Earle Haley, Carla Gugino, and Patrick Wilson, among others, Watchmen underperformed at the box office, grossing only $187 million, but later found success on home video.

Another live-action adaptation was released on HBO in 2019. Serving as a sequel to the original comic series, the Watchmen limited series picks up 34 years after the events of the comic and features older versions of Doctor Manhattan, Adrian Veidt, and Laurie Blake. Unlike Snyder’s movie, which received mixed reviews, HBO’s Watchmen series was critically acclaimed and won 11 awards at the 72nd Primetime Emmys.

No voice cast has been announced yet for Watchmen: Chapters I and II. The two-part adaptation will be released under the DC Universe Animated Original Movies banner by Warner Bros. Entertainment, with Chapter I arriving in 2024 and Chapter II releasing in 2025.