At least in the case of Batman V Superman and Suicide Squad, DC went ahead and released the high-quality trailers to the public, rather than have fans criticizing the film over some potato-quality footage. Meanwhile, the Warcraft leak has come and gone, leaving fans with little other than speculation.
As of writing this article, there are still a handful of sites that have yet to remove the leaked Warcraft test footage, but they won’t be up for long. Fortunately for you, we’ve got the scene-by-scene recap.
The test footage opens with a crackling green thunderstorm, looming in the clouds above Hellfire Peninsula. This is the world of Draenor, home of the Orcs, a proud race of warriors and shamans, divided by tribes and clans.
Marching across the wastelands are the red-skinned orcs of the Frostwolf clan. The orc in front is Durotan, leader of the Frostwolf orcs. Beside him is Orgrim Doomhammer of the Blackrock clan. “Stick together,” Durotan commands.
A horn announces their arrival as they approach. Several other tribes have already gathered in this place. “Drakka,” Durotan says, addressing a member of his clan. “Find us a place to camp.” Drakka is Durotan’s wife, who is pregnant with his child.
“Open the gates!” the other orcs cry out. The Frostwolves enter the camp. “Their skin…” Doomhammer remarks, “…it’s green.” This is unusual for the Frostwolves, as red is the natural color for orc skin. Something has happened to these orcs. Something has changed them.
“All I know is our planet is dying,” Durotan replies. “We need food. We need water.”
There is hammering in the background. These green orcs are building something. Cut to the camp at night, where Durotan is meeting with a chieftain of the green orcs. “It is a path to a new world,” the chieftain explains.
“You believe this?” Durotan questions him.
“I believe in Gul’dan,” he replies. Gul’dan is a former shaman of the Stormweaver clan, now a powerful Warlock, the first of his race. “His death magic has made me powerful,” the chieftain replies. “You’ll see.”
Cut to Durotan, lying beside his wife. “I’ve thought of a name,” Drakka remarks. Durotan grips her hand gently. “Well, keep it to yourself, wife. I’ll choose a name when I meet him. Or…” He seems to consider the alternative.
“Oh?” Drakka scoffs. “And how will the great Durotan name his son… if I do not travel with him?”
Durotan sits up. “A son?”
Cut to the Frostwolves marching towards the other orcs, who are gathering en masse around the finished structure. It is the Dark Portal, an enormous doorway glowing dimly with green flame. A female orc watches in chains, but is pulled away by another. “Move, half-breed!” the slave-driver commands. Her name is Garona Halforcen. The other half being Draenei.
“Death…life…” a hooded Gul’dan chants, striking the foot of his staff against the steps of the doorway with each word.
“Do you hear it?” he begins, addressing the horde of orcs before him. “The beat of a thousand hearts–a thousand slaves for a thousand warriors.” He motions to the cages at the foot of the doorway, each containing a prisoner captured during a previous expedition. “Living souls are the key to this portal; I need prisoners, not corpses.”
The orcs begin to cheer and roar to Gul’dan’s rallying words. “Empty their villages and towns, their cities. Bring me fuel for the [fountain?], and make room for the horde!”
Gul’dan turns to face the portal and throws out his arms, absorbing the souls of the captured prisoners and channeling them into the glowing doorway.
An image appears across the shimmering surface of the portal. It is the world of Azeroth, home of the humans.
The green orcs stampede wildly towards the portal, charging through with reckless abandon. In contrast, the Frostwolf orcs Durotan and Drakka wait calmly at the precipice. “Let me go first,” Durotan requests. She nods with approval. Durotan slips through the portal, followed closely by his wife.
Share your thoughts
What’s your first impression of the Warcraft test footage? If you managed to find the leak yourself, what did you catch that we might have missed? Let us know in the comments below. For a more in-depth analysis and critique of the Warcraft film so far, check out my follow-up article.
