The DC Extended Universe may be in its infancy, but the studio is taking major steps to catch up with (and dethrone) Marvel as quickly, and as stylishly, as possible. While both Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad made big money but failed to win over critics, one movie on the not-too distant horizon could transform the DCEU into an entirely different beast: Enter Justice League.
Zack Snyder is behind the camera once again for DC's big superhero team-up. Simply put, this movie has to be a big, fun, well-received, billion dollar epic and all the signs so far suggest Snyder may have a winner on his hands. Let's take a look at everything we know so far about Justice League from the latest news to trailers and fan theories. Each new update will be posted immediately below.
Justice League News & Rumors
Updated 09/09/16:
The day after Joe Manganiello was confirmed to play Deathstroke in The Batman (to be introduced, it's speculated, in a brief Justice League scene), Geoff Johns spoke about giving the movie a more "hopeful and optimistic" tone than Batman v Superman, and also promised Batman's newfound sadistic streak will be addressed. Read the story in full:
Geoff Johns Teases Batman's Punishment In 'Justice League'
1161587293915696 benaffleck
You can also read in-depth about the casting of Manganiello, as well as some of the juiciest secrets Movie Pilot learned during our recent set visit:
10 Huge Things We Learned On The 'Justice League' Set
Confirmed: Joe Manganiello Is The DCEU's Deathstroke!
All Justice League news updates, including anything Deathstroke, will be posted here the moment we have them.
Justice League Trailer
The shoot may be ongoing, but Warner Bros. used San Diego Comic-Con in July to debut an exclusive Justice League trailer (or rather, teaser trailer) check it out below. The trailer seems to use footage from the early parts of the movie, following Bruce Wayne's attempts at assembling the Justice League. As you can see, certain members join more willingly than others...
[[yt:gglkYMGRYlE]]
When can we expect the first proper trailer? Most likely some time before the end of the year, possibly around Christmas time. Before then, Wonder Woman fans will also get to see more of Gal Gadot's Amazonian when the first official trailer for that movie drops, most likely by November to coincide with the release of Warner Bros.' Fantastic Beasts and keep hype for the DCEU high over the festive period. Check out the Wonder Woman Comic-Con teaser trailer below
[[jwplayer:Fcv3rby3]]
Each new trailer and TV spot will be posted here the moment they drop.
Justice League Release Date
Whether you're as crazy-hyped as I am for the Justice League to team up, or you belong to the 'cautiously excited' camp, you've got a pretty long wait ahead of you to find out whether Zack Snyder can deliver the goods.
In the US and globally, the Justice League release date is November 16, 2017. A whole host of massively anticipated blockbusters will arrive before then Fantastic Beasts, Wolverine 3, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Thor: Ragnarok, to name just a few. All you can do in the meantime is soak up that hype.
Justice League Plot & Story Details
The closing scenes of Batman v Superman, you may remember, saw the Man of Steel celebrated posthumously as a hero (a brief and very clever shot in Suicide Squad of a street hustler selling a Superman t-shirt with "remember" printed on the back confirms that sentiment), with Bruce Wayne vowing to assemble the Justice League to avenge Superman's death and protect the world from the threats that loom.
The Justice League plot continues more or less directly on from there. Here's the official, spoiler-free plot synopsis courtesy of DC:
Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Supermans selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat.But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.
That synopsis, together with one of the scenes from the Comic-con trailer, seems to hint at a fun relationship between Bruce and Diana, which shouldn't be too much of a surprise considering the strong chemistry they shared in Dawn of Justice.
What could the "assault of catastrophic proportions" be? Well, it's probably safe to imagine it has something to do with Darkseid, whose Omega symbol cryptically appeared in Bruce Wayne's nightmare in the aforementioned movie, and whose deputy general, Steppenwolf, was contacted by Lex Luthor on board the Krypton ship. In other words, some all-powerful threat seems guaranteed to descend from a distant planet to create hell for the Justice League. That's precisely the kind of high-stakes villainy a movie like Justice League. calls for.
Justice League Cast
One thing the DCEU is not short of is a terrific ensemble of superbly talented A-list actors, and pretty much all of the big names from Batman v Superman feature in the expansive Justice League cast list, joined by a few new faces. Check out the main cast as revealed so far:
Ben Affleck: Bruce Wayne/Batman is the glue holding the entire DCEU together, and Affleck received almost universal praise for his quick and effortless embodiment of the Dark Knight in Batman v Superman. As a creative force in this universe and the director of the solo Batman movie on the way, Affleck has the potential in front of and behind the camera to make this Batman the greatest ever.
Gal Gadot: Remember when people had their doubts about the young Israeli actress bringing Wonder Woman to the big screen? It seems ridiculous now. Gadot was the complete package in Batman v Superman, and it feels like there's still so much more to come from her in Justice League.
Henry Cavill: The DCEU was literally born with Henry Cavill, and whether or not you enjoyed Man of Steel, Cavill, with his more brooding, tormented take on Superman, is here to stay. The exact nature of his role in Justice League remains a mystery. The only certainty? Superman will be back with a vengeance.
Jason Momoa: Probably best known to most as Game of Thrones' Kahl Drogo, Momoa could hardly be any more different physically to the comic book Aquaman and yet he looks like the perfect choice to bring a little extra credibility to the man who talks to fish. I'm especially stoked for his first scenes with Affleck.
Ezra Miller: Fans of The CW's The Flash series might not be overly happy with the recasting, but few young actors are as exciting as Ezra Miller, the eccentric star of We Need To Talk About Kevin. On the evidence of the trailer, Miller's Barry Allen looks very different from his TV counterpart. Expect big things.
Ray Fisher: A graduate of NYC's American Musical and Dramatic Academy, stage actor Ray Fisher has only one television credit to his name prior to Justice League (brief Dawn of Justice cameo aside). Essentially he's a complete unknown, but the rest of the cast is so strong, the pressure's on the young newcomer to delive
Amy Adams: In five-time Academy Award nominee Amy Adams, the DCEU has one of the most talented actors of her generation. Knowing what she's capable of, hopefully Adams will be given more to do by Snyder this time around.
Jesse Eisenberg: The frenzied, hyper-kinetic energy Jesse Eisenberg brought to a very Milennial take on Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman wasn't to all tastes but he's back, despite being behind bars, suggesting Snyder has big plans for Luthor.
Jeremy Irons: As with Adams, Jeremy Irons is a huge catch for the DCEU. Expect him to turn on the charm and bring a little comedy to a very dark universe when he returns as Alfred, Bruce's long-time guardian, butler and surrogate father.
J.K. Simmons: Fresh off his Oscar win for Whiplash, J.K. Simmons steps into the iconic shoes of Gotham's Commissioner Jim Gordon. Having already made J. Jonah Jameson his own in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, you could argue Simmons is defecting to the enemy... and the DCEU is all the richer for it.
#justiceleague #mera #amberheard #dc #dcu #dceu #dccomics #dcmovies #movie #movieposter #movieposters #filmposter #movieart #fanposter #poster #posterdesign #design #graphicdesign #instaartist #artistsoninstagram #photoshop
A photo posted by @sg_posters on
Aug 26, 2016 at 12:54pm PDT
Amber Heard: Machete Kills and The Danish Girl actress Amber Heard gets by far her biggest role to date as Mera, Queen of Atlantis and wife of Aquaman. Not much is known about Mera's role in the movie, but Heard will be looking to make a strong impression ahead of her expanded role in the Aquaman solo adventure.
Willem Dafoe: Seriously, this cast is an embarrassment of riches. Dafoe, yet another double-Oscar nominee (and another Spider-Man alum, having played the awesomely frightening Norman Osborn/Green Goblin), enters the DC fold to play Nuidis Vulko, a politician from Atlantis.
Justice League Members: Who's In?
Over the years, the Justice League of DC Comics has endured more line-up changes than Destiny's Child but it's a survivor, and whoever else is recruited to the team's cause, the core line-up typically consists of founding members Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash and Green Lantern. All but one of those will hit the big screen in 2017 the Justice League member line-up looks like this:
Aquaman: King of the undersea nation of Atlantis, Arthur Curry has been one of DC's most prominent heroes since the Silver Age of comics, so it's surprising he's never come to life on the big screen before (Smallville's depiction is definitely best forgotten). Jason Momoa could prove an inspired choice to turn Curry into a huge DCEU fan favorite. A solo movie directed by James Wan hits in July 2018.
Batman: A lot was written about Batman's jaded approach to being a vigilante in Batman v Superman. Brandishing criminals with a bat mark? He wasn't always such a sadist. As the synopsis for Justice League says, Bruth's "restored faith in humanity" should ensure he's a little more light of heart in this movie.
Cyborg: Victor Stone, the victim of an experiment gone wrong at his father Dr. Silas Stone's S.T.A.R. Labs, is essentially the wildcard of the Justice League. The DCEU is somewhat faithful to DC's New 52, explaining his inclusion, but Cyborg has his work cut out to justify being here at the expense of one of the Green Lanterns.
Who Exactly Is The Justice League's Cyborg?
#Repost @datrinti with @repostapp Sorry for being so late, i wanted to do better but there were complications ,i'm not used to add color over greyscale and it kinda threw me off in the end so i've been trying to gather the strength to give it a conclusion and here you have it, your #Justiceleague hope you enjoy (: #dccomics #dcfilms #fanart #dcfanart #dccinematicuniverse #dceu #comicbooks #comicart #comics #superman #aquaman #wonderwoman #batman #theflash #cyborg #henrycavill #benaffleck #jasonmomoa #galgadot #ezramiller #rayfisher #art #artist #artistoninstagram #warnerbros #alexross
A photo posted by Justice League News (@justiceleaguenews) on
Aug 20, 2016 at 9:30am PDT
The Flash: It seems Barry Allen will be the easiest convert to Bruce Wayne's cause, if that first Justice League trailer is any indication he literally signs up on the spot. Expect most of the best one-liners to come from the Scarlet Speedster.
Wonder Woman: Unlike Aquaman or The Flash, Wonder Woman was given the privilege of a proper introduction in Batman v Superman, instantly quashing any doubts that Diana Prince would be mere eye candy in this universe. Her strength and charm are evident, but can Diana keep her new friend Bruce in check?
Superman: Lastly (but certainly not least) is the Man of Steel. Back in August, Henry Cavill teased a black suit with a striking resemblance to Superman's look in the Return of Superman comic book saga from the early '90s. Will Krypton's greatest export return refreshed, or even darker than in Dawn of Justice?
In summary, this is the classic Justice League team minus one iconic member and with Cyborg added in instead. Although Cyborg has some fun powers of his own, that's going to be a bitter pill for Green Lantern fans to swallow fortunately, a Green Lantern Corps movie is on the way, suggesting Hal Jordan may take up his rightful place in the Justice League sooner or later.
Justice League Characters & Villains
Alfred Pennyworth: Batman's loyal butler and guardian, returning to keep his charge armed with the latest in high-tech weaponry, and to offer advice which inevitably won't be acted-on.
Commissioner Jim Gordon: Although it's only a minor role for Jim Gordon in Justice League, he does share scenes with The Flash and Wonder Woman in addition to Batman. He'll become more significant in Batman's solo movie.
Lois Lane: Nobody yet knows what exactly Lois Lane will be doing in Justice League, but with Superman out of the picture for a good chunk of the movie, this could be a great opportunity for some strong character development. Arguably, she's the most important of all the non-heroic Justice League characters.
Mera: The Queen of Atlantis will have a much bigger role in Aquaman, but expect a fun first introduction to Arthur Curry's typically red-headed wife in 2017.
Lex Luthor: He may have ended Batman v Superman behind bars, but Lex Luthor almost certainly has a scheme designed to make life difficult for Batman and co.
Nuidis Vulko: A politician who pops up frequently in Aquaman comics, Nuidis Vulko has been described as a good guy rather than a villain. Little else known.
Steppenwolf: Darkseid's general and the primary villain of the first Justice League movie, to be performed via motion capture. As of August, Deborah Snyder claimed an actor was "close" to being cast to play Steppenwolf. Appeared briefly in the Ultimate Edition of Batman v Superman as a purely CGI creation.
Justice League Spinoff & Sequels
On paper it feels a little early to be thinking about a Justice League spin-off considering it's not yet released, but this is the DCEU. In August it was confirmed that Edge of Tomorrow director Doug Liman will helm DC's Dark Universe, a Justice League Dark movie focused on John Constantine and, presumably, the likes of Zatanna and Swamp Thing. No release date is known for that movie yet, but expect it around 2019.
A second Justice League movie (with a new story, rather than the conclusion of a two-parter) is coming June 2019, with Zack Snyder currently attached to direct.
'Dark Universe' To 'The Batman': Every DCEU Movie Coming By 2020
Justice League Theories
Nobody enjoys a good fan theory quite like superhero fanboys and girls, as evidenced by the absolute meteor shower of speculation to hit the internet in the months leading up to Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad. Currently, with not much revealed in the way of story, Justice League theories are pretty thin and far between right now expect that to change in 2017 with the release of more trailers.
#Superman
A photo posted by Henry Cavill (@henrycavill) on
Aug 15, 2016 at 11:58am PDT
Almost all of the theories we've heard so far revolve around Superman, the method of his resurrection and the reason he'll be suiting up in a black costume. Check out three of the best:
3 Theories On How 'Justice League' Could Resurrect Superman
Does The Black Suit Suggest A Lighter Superman In 'Justice League'?
A 'Justice League' Mystery: Superman Has His Curl, But Where's The Black Suit?
Every new theory to hit the internet will be added here, just as long as it's not totally insane. (Jason Todd theorists, I'm looking at you.)
Where To Watch Justice League Online
Obviously, seeing as it's not out until late 2017, you're not going to be watching Justice League from the comfort of your own home until well into 2018. Even when the Blu-ray is released, don't expect the movie to pop up on Netflix. Still, when we do eventually get word on where you can watch Justice League online, that info will be updated right here.
This comprehensive guide to all things Justice League will be updated with every new piece of news, rumor, spoiler, theory, trailer or announcement to hit the internet between now and November 2017. Check for new updates at the top of the page, and don't be a stranger.
Which of Earth's greatest heroes are you most stoked to see in action in Justice League?