There aren’t many films that have inspired as many fandom column inches as Justice League. Joss Whedon’s theatrical cut was pretty universally panned, while Zack Snyder’s four-hour “Snyder Cut” was a definite improvement – after a fan campaign that was a rollercoaster to say the least. So after all that, is there a realistic possibility of a Justice League 2 release date coming along?
Well, the DCU is certainly in the midst of a time of a flux. There are plenty of upcoming DC movies on the way, but new bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran are taking the studio in a whole new direction with the Chapter 1 Gods and Monsters plan. Does that leave any room for the Justice League? Will we have to rewrite our DC movies in order again? The answer to the second question is: yes, definitely. As for the first, it’s more complicated.
Justice League 2 release date speculation
OK, let’s get the bad news out of the way first: Warner Bros. isn’t developing Justice League 2 right now. Sorry!
Yes, we know this whole article is about the sequel, but unfortunately, the studio isn’t interested in continuing the story and announced (in July 2022) it has no plans to continue the SnyderVerse. The new movies ahead will be playing in Gunn’s fresh sandbox, which is unsullied by the likes of Batman v Superman and Black Adam.
In March 2021, WarnerMedia CEO Ann Sarnoff told Variety that they’re glad Snyder got to complete his trilogy, but that’s where it stops. “We’re very happy we’ve done this, but we’re very excited about our plans for all the multi-dimensional DC characters that are being developed right now.”
Put simply, it just doesn’t make sense for another Justice League film to be developed right now, especially when Superman Legacy is just around the corner to reboot everything. If there is another Justice League movie down the line, it’ll likely be completely retcon the ones we already know, starring a totally new cast.
Justice League 2 cast speculation
If this version of Justice League 2 ever happens, we’d expect the main heroes to be back, alongside Ray Porter as the uber-villainous Darkseid.
Wayne T Carr was meant to step up as the John Stewart incarnation of Green Lantern at the end of the Snyder Cut, but Warner Bros. had other plans for the character — which is why Martian Manhunter showed up to speak to Bruce Wayne instead. Other than that, Justice League 2 should reunite most of the cast, including the lead trio of Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, and Gal Gadot.
Ray Fisher’s return as Cyborg wouldn’t be guaranteed since he’s leveled a number of allegations of racism and abuse against Warner Bros. executives and director Joss Whedon regarding his behavior during the original reshoots of the first film. Fisher was originally meant to appear alongside Ezra Miller in The Flash, but after posting a lengthy statement on Twitter about the situation, it seems like he’s been dismissed from the Cyborg role completely.
At the time, Warner Bros. issued a statement (via EW) standing by the DC Films president, saying: “Last summer, Mr Fisher was offered the opportunity to reprise his role as Cyborg in The Flash. Given his statement that he will not participate in any film associated with Mr Hamada, our production is now moving on.”
Here’s who we think would be in the Justice League 2 cast:
- Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman
- Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman
- Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman
- Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/The Flash
- Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry/Aquaman
- Ray Porter as Darkseid
What will Justice League 2 be about?
Justice League 2 would have followed the fight against Darkseid, including the villain brainwashing Superman into opposing his own friends in the Justice League.
Although Warner Bros isn’t moving forward with the sequel, we actually know quite a lot about what Zack Snyder originally had planned for the future. In the run-up to the Snyder Cut’s release, the director opened up in a number of interviews about what the fight against Darkseid would’ve looked like.
Snyder told Inverse that Darkseid would’ve killed Lois Lane to break Superman’s will, brainwashing him under the all-powerful Anti-Life Equation – which is a tool that would let the villain enslave the galaxy. So with Superman as the main villain, a “ragtag” Justice League would try to steal another Motherbox (cosmic technology from Darkseid’s planet, Apokolips) so The Flash can travel back in time to prevent Lois’ death.
Ben Affleck’s Batman would’ve then sacrificed himself to save Lois, which keeps Superman on the good old path of truth, justice, and the American way – setting the stage for the ultimate showdown with the king of DC villains in Justice League 3. The third film would’ve seen Superman lead a combined army of Amazons, Atlanteans, men, and other heroes against Darkseid to decide the fate of the universe.
That sounds like the perfect recipe for one of the best superhero movies ever, to be honest. But then again, DC films have always been ambitious, even if the results haven’t always been perfect.
Is there a Justice League 2 trailer?
You can probably guess the answer to this one. No, there isn’t a trailer for Justice League 2.
However, there’s an animated Justice League film that toys with similar themes to what Zack Snyder had planned for the sequel called Justice League Dark: Apokolips War. It’s a bleak adventure, but it’s fascinating to watch – especially for long-time fans of the recent DC animated movies.
It follows the team as they take an army of heroes to Apokolips to put Darkseid down once and for all – only it goes horribly wrong, and most of the costumed crusaders die horribly as soon as the fighting starts. Troubled sorcerer John Constantine is one of the few survivors left on a ruined Earth, and he bands with other heroes and villains to try and turn the tide.
Is there a new Justice League movie?
Speaking of the Justice League Dark, it’s worth knowing that Star Trek and Star Wars director J.J. Abrams is working on a JLD project for HBO Max under his Bad Robot production company.
There are also plans for individual shows following Constantine and Madame Xanadu, while Saltburn director Emerald Fennell is currently working on a script for the Zatanna movie. So fear not, a different Justice League team might be on its way to the small screen very, very soon.
We might not be getting a direct follow-up to Snyder’s movie, but that doesn’t mean DC fans will be left with thin gruel in the years to come. The new face-lift for the franchise opens up a lot of new corners and, after all, there’s still the Aquaman 2 release date in 2023 before the whole thing is reshaped.
And if you really want more from Snyder working at enormous scale, the Rebel Moon release date is right around the corner here. You can find out more about the epic sci-fi adventure in our Rebel Moon cast interview.
Where can I watch Justice League 2?
If Zack Snyder ever gets the green light to resurrect Justice League 2, it will almost certainly be a cinema exclusive.
In the meantime, though, you can watch Zack Snyder’s Justice League in all of its four-hour glory on Max so that you can experience one of the best movies from the old DC regime. The Whedon cut is available to stream too, if you’re a little more pressed for time.
For more on the future of the Gunn-led DC, find out the five things we want to see from James Gunn’s new DCU. You can also find out more about The Brave and the Bold release date for the return of Batman, or work out how to watch the Batman movies in order. Finally, learn about the version of Superman we’ll probably never see in the movies.