Justice League Movie Will Not Crossover with Other DC Franchises

Posted by on March 31st, 2011   Filed under: Action, Books/Comics, Rumours
Source: HeyUGuys

Earlier this week we learned that Warner Brothers was in the process of setting up a Justice League movie that might hit theatres as early as 2013. Although they made it very clear that it would not interfere with Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies, it sounded like they were going to try to tie it in with some of the other DC comic book movies like Green Lantern and Zack Snyder’s upcoming Superman movie. However, Zack Snyder has since clarified the situation, at least in relation to Superman: there will be no connection between the two films at all.

On the red carpet for the premiere of Sucker Punch in the U.K., HeyUGuys asked Snyder how his movie would fit in with the Justice League movie:

“It doesn’t. Like what Chris Nolan is doing and what I’m doing with Superman, what they’ll do with Justice League will be its own thing with its own Batman and own Superman. We’ll be over here with our movie and they’ll kinda get to do it twice which is kinda cool.”

Apparently Warner Brothers is not trying to follow the Marvel formula as closely as we originally thought. Unlike The Avengers, the Justice League movie will stand on its own with a completely different cast (we can probably assume that Ryan Reynolds will not be involved either). While this preserves the integrity of each character’s solo franchise, it does bring up the question of quality for the Justice League. Will they be forced to recruit a group of young unknowns because they can’t afford to put all the A-list actors together in one movie? Also, will multiple versions of the same character cause confusion for the general public?



  • Brian

    I don’t get it… Weren’t they gonna try this a few years ago and decided it was a bad idea…?

  • Derek McFarland

    I think it could be a smart move. I don’t believe it will cause too much confusion, changing up a complete cast of actors. It’ll most likely just seem like another film artist’s vision of the hero’s/villains character (as long as there’s no connection towards the stand alone films.
    I mean how many different movies are there about
    Santa Claus, Jesus Christ, James Bond, Al Capone, etc; and had someone else play those roles not too long after their predecessors? Not using the actors from the DC stand alone films, (in my opinion) somewhat seems better than trying to fit other hero characters (from the same comic book world)in a stand alone, just to hint that all these characters (same actors) will eventually come together as a team in a big block buster movie (like Marvel films are doing).

    As cool as it sounds, I feel there would be just too much at stake. Having to pay all the big star names large amounts of money (assuming the originally actors from the stand alone films would even want to come back to play the role again), the films inevitability to most likely end up being over budgeted for possible script rewrites and more staff hiring; and Last but not least,There’s also, not knowing if the movie will do well in theaters (for being too hyped up). It just seems like too big of a risk.

    It could also possibly be confusing if they went ahead and made a team super hero film, with some of the original actors from the stand alone movies, mixed with new faces to play their predecessors part. DC always seems to have all sorts of different style versions of the same characters, on different cartoon shows (like Young Justice/ Justice League/ Teen Titans). Why not do the same in a live action. For the most part, different versions of the same comic book character should be almost mandatory
    (like James Bond); and would almost be better than having to reboot the characters story every time an actor playing the hero role decides, not to dawn the costume any longer. I always find different directors versions or visions of the same character fascinating, at the same time crossing my fingers; hoping the films will be as good, if not better than the one before. I can except this change. I just hope I’m not wrong.

  • AJ

    This is a terrible idea. Having a new actor playing the same role a few years apart is bad enough, but the thought of seeing a B-team cast assembled just to fit a studio’s budget doesn’t interest me at all.

    This makes The Avengers movie look even more appealing by comparison. I’ve enjoyed the ‘easter eggs’ in the Iron Man movies that have started the process of blending the universes together.

    Whatever. By the time The Avengers or a Justice League movie hits the theaters, I anticipate being well and truly tired of comic book adaptations anyway.

  • Derek McFarland

    @Brian

    They sure did, but that was before they decided to make the Green Lantern movie, or the reboot T.V. Show, Wonderwoman.
    After 10 seasons of Smallville (this season being their final), there have been plenty of episodes with characters such as The Flash,
    Green Arrow, Aquaman, John the Martian Manhunter, Cyborg, The Black Canary, Doctor Fate, Superboy, Supergirl, Hawkman, Zatanna and at least 5 more superheroes, that I can’t think of off the top of my head.
    Back when they were in talks of making a JLA film, most of those characters had not appeared on that popular T.V. show. But now… all these DC hero appearances on Smallville alone, are more than enough of a good reason to give a JLA movie another chance at being made successfully. In my opinion those special appearances on the show feel almost like a tease anyway; because the characters always hint to each other that “one day they should work together as a team” (mind you, this show is mainly about Clark Kents journey, to becoming Superman.

  • Derek McFarland

    @AJ

    You could be right… I have high hopes that The Avengers does well, considering the fact that my boy
    Joss Whedon is filming it. I honestly can’t wait. But I don’t think judging movies by it’s cast of unknowns will automatically make a film a bad one…
    (look how Star Wars turned out, back in 77′ or
    District 9) Most of those casts were of unknowns. JLA still has yet to find a story, or even a director. For all we know the movie could be getting directed by Peter Jackson or James Cameron (wishful thinking).
    It’s not always who’s in a movie, but more as to who’s behind the movie.

  • Nelson

    To me, this is very sketchy. It’s like instead of being methodical and strategic about the characters and the movies, which is basically what Marvel is trying to do, DC is going, “Hmmmm, how can we make as much money as possible, with the least amount of planning and forethought?”

    “Let’s not tie anything together, let’s just ask the audience to pretend like none of this is connected or related. They’ll play along, they’ll understand, they have no choice.”

    Of course there are ways they could pull this off and have it all turn out brilliantly, BUT, I’m having a hard time seeing it.

    A lot of people are looking forward to this Justice League movie, I am too, but I really think they should actually come up with a strategy for the solo movies and characters before they try and develop a group movie, AGAIN.

    Why am I worried though? If they throw something together and it just completely bombs, in a few years they’ll just do another Justice League movie with all new actors and directors and call it a “reboot” right?

    No pressure to take time and get it right the first time because if we rush into it and screw it up we can just pretend like it never happened in the first place…

  • Captain N

    If the film is good, then nobody will care if different actors are playing the roles.

  • Niklas

    @Nelson – why does it have to be connected?

  • Ryan Marlow

    “I really think they should actually come up with a strategy for the solo movies and characters before they try and develop a group movie’

    It could work but I don’t think it is the best tactic to tailor a solo movie to a specific universe. It pigeonholes the directors and stifles their visions.

    The director of the JLA movie would be forced to take characters that have aesthetics from different visions, actors that may not have chemistry as a group (and cost a fortune together), and tonal balances from each character’s movie into one pot and more likely than not they end up with a grey barf.

    I think Whedon might pull it off with Avengers, but not as well as he probably would if he could start from scratch.

    “Will they be forced to recruit a group of young unknowns because they can’t afford to put all the A-list actors together in one movie?”

    I think this is almost always a better route for previously established characters.

  • Thank God! As bad as the SUPERMAN movies always are, at least I never have to watch one as bad as IRON MAN 2!

  • Doddy BJ

    JLA movie is one thing that should be created… that’s for sure… But the Avengers in 2012 make it tough for anyone that sits as the producer of JLA movie… if it connected to the individual superhero movie, it will make it as a carbon copy of Avengers… they should make different strategy… Nolan’s Batman Trilogy is a rock solid movie sequels, so leave it alone will be a good idea… but the challenge is to make the “new” Batman in this JLA to shine (without Nolan n Bale’s touch), and to make the great characters of DC to shine (which so far they are failed to do so..) .. Superman, Green Lantern, Wonder WOman, Flash, Hawkman, Aquaman, Green Arrow etc.. it’s a big homework for DC movies…

    so far in this kind of Ensemble Team superhero movies, Marvel has done a great job…

    Let’s Go, DC and JLA :)

  • bbfighter

    I prefer Avengers 2 more