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"JUSTICE LEAGUE" FILM PLOT DETAILS, LOGO REVEALED

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There's still nearly a year and a half before the scheduled release of the "Justice League" film, but Warner Bros. has clear aims on getting some positive word out already. The studio held a set visit last week for the DC Comics-based film, with press including CBR News getting an early look at the movie.

Along with that, the first plot synopsis for "Justice League" has been released, which, while not divulging any unexpected details, gives a brief outline of what to expect from the upcoming superhero team-up:



Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s 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.


Directed by Zack Snyder, this marks the big screen debut of the Justice League, featuring an all-star lineup: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller and Ray Fisher.



"Justice League" is a direct follow-up to this year's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," which somewhat underperformed at the box office -- it grossed $872.7 million worldwide, an impressive number but still below the $1.14 billion counting earned by "Captain America: Civil War" -- and received a mostly negative response from critics and a decidedly mixed reaction from fans. Warner Bros. appears intent on changing the "Justice League" narrative, and that's evident even from the short plot outline.

Declaring right at the star that Bruce Wayne is "fueled by his restored faith in humanity," there's already a clear distinction in tone between "Justice League" and "Batman v Superman," the latter of which was frequently criticized for being overly dark and grim. In "BvS," Batman was driven by revenge and a desire to (violently) end what he saw as a major threat poised by Superman -- here, he's apparently inspired by Superman, and operating as a proactive hero looking to form a super-team.

During the set visit, Affleck -- who debuted as Batman in "Batman v Superman" -- shared with reporters insight into his take on a more hopeful Dark Knight.

"He's a little bit more sardonic, a little more irony," Affleck told reporters. "He's a little more of a man on a mission this time. As opposed to, he was so full of anger because of what happened at the Black Zero Event. That sort of rage that possessed him. And now he’s on a mission to get this group together; to constitute this League. But more of that sort of Bruce Wayne, wry, ironic gallows humor comes out. He's not like a 'haha' jokey, but that sort of stuff comes out a little bit. A bit of his darker humor is present."

At the set visit, it was confirmed that, as had been previously speculated, New Gods character Steppenwolf would be the main villain of the film -- and likely leading the "newly awakened threat" mentioned in the synopsis.

Along with the synopsis, the official logo for the "Justice League" film has also been released:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/first-justice-league-film-plot-details-logo-revealed

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"JUSTICE LEAGUE" MOVIE'S MAIN VILLAIN CONFIRMED

Well, those rumors were right -- it appears Darkseid will not be the main villain of Zack Snyder’supcoming "Justice League" film. The honor goes to another one of Jack Kirby's New Gods characters -- Steppenwolf.

Despite speculation that the omega symbol in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice's"Knightmare sequence hinted at Darkseid, CBR News can confirm that Apokolips' esteemed general, and uncle of Darkseid, will be a chief antagonist of "Justice League." The news was revealed at a visit to the film's London set attended by press including CBR.

During the visit, producer Deborah Snyder confirmed that casting is underway for the Steppenwolf role, and should be finalized soon -- though no actor's names were mentioned.








"We're not completely closed," Snyder said. "We're close."

Of course, Steppenwolf’s big role doesn’t necessarily count out Darkseid -- the character could be the villain of the planned "Justice League" sequel. When asked if there are other major villains planned for the film, Snyder responded, "I can't give away everything." It was confirmed, however, that Parademons -- commonly seen in the comics as Darkseid's foot soldiers, and teased heavily in "Batman v Superman" -- will play a part in "Justice League."

Steppenwolf's "Justice League" role was foreshadowed in a deleted "Batman v Superman" post-credit scene, available on the Ultimate Edition Blu-ray, which Steppenwolf appears before Lex Luthor on a Kryptonian ship. You can watch the scene here

In the comics, Steppenwolf first appeared in "New Gods" #7, by comics legend Jack Kirby. He has a solid villainous résumé as the general of the army on Apokolips, plus one-ups Superman, as he actually survived a battle with Doomsday. The character recently appeared in the "Darkseid War" arc of "Justice League" by Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok -- and it likely won't be too long before we see him show up in "Rebirth."

Directed by Zack Snyder and starring Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Amy Adams, Jeremy Irons, J. K. Simmons and Amber Heard, "Justice League" is scheduled for release on Nov. 17, 2017.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/justice-league-movies-main-villain-confirmed
 
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60 things learned about Justice League from the set visit:

  • Justice League takes place a few months after Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
  • We were on set on day 31 of 111.
  • Even though when Warner Bros. announced Justice League it was talked about as two parts, the production is acting like Justice League is one movie. Deborah Synder said it’s not a two-part movie.
  • Batman feels something is coming and the need to assemble a group that can fight the threat. The story is finding the group and putting them together and part of the fun is watching the different personalities of all the members of the Justice League interact with one another.
  • The movie’s MacGuffin are the three Mother Boxes and who controls them. There are three and they belong to mankind, the Amazonians and in Atlantis with Aquaman and his people. Each looks similar but they are distinctive by color (red, silver and brownish) and the symbols and shapes of the designs on the boxes themselves.
  • The film will help to explain the Mother Boxes by offering some sort of history lesson. I think Justice League opens many years in the past and attempts to explain how these boxes came to our planet. My guess, and to be clear this is me wondering out loud, is Justice League might open the way The Lord of the Ringsdid with a prologue to explain a bit about that world and then cut to present day.



  • Steppenwolf is the villain, but they haven’t closed on the actor’s contract yet so they couldn’t reveal who will be playing him.

  • The Parademons seen in the “Batman’s Knightmare” scene in Batman v Superman play a major role in Justice League.
  • Willem Dafoe plays Vulko. He’s from another generation than Aquaman. He has more layers to his costume.
  • Deborah Snyder says Zeus has a small part in the movie in the Mother Box history lesson.
  • Zack Snyder said they have yet to film a scene with all the members of the Justice League together.
  • They’re shooting on film but not in IMAX.
  • Justice League is about the purpose of being a hero. Batman was hit hard by the death of Superman and he feels like he didn’t honor him while alive. He wants to make it up to him and also protect the planet from an incoming threat.
  • A big change from BvS is Batman is learning to trust people in Justice League.
  • Junkie XL is doing the score without Hans Zimmer.
  • Producer Debbie Snyder said one of the things they learned from the reaction toBatman v Superman is audiences don’t want their superheroes deconstructed. She also said the darkest part of the story has already been shown (which was the last film).
  • Justice League is going to appeal to a younger audience. Snyder went on to say “Justice League is much more inclusive. I think also you have these two very young characters, Flash and Cyborg. And you know, they’re definitely lighter. I think they’re going to appeal to a younger audience.
  • Ben Affleck said that the version of Batman inJustice League is “a little bit more sardonic, humor, a little more irony. He’s on a little more man on a mission this time. As opposed to like he was so full of anger because of what happened at the Black Zero Event. That kind of character, that sort of rage that possessed him. And now he’s on a mission to get this group together.”

  • On being an executive producer and what it means, Affleck said it’s because he’s directing one of the upcoming DC movies (Batman).
  • One of the things fans have wanted to see is Batman using his detective skills. Affleck says in Justice League “the world’s greatest detective aspect of Batman is more present in this story than it was in the last one, and will probably be expanded upon further in a Batman movie that I would do. I think all the great Batman stories are, at their heart, detective stories.”
  • BVS was dark and gritty but that’s not Justice League, according to Affleck. He told us the film has “room for more humor. It’s not going to be – DC movies I think, by their nature are a little more – gothic, or mythic rather, excuse me, than some comic book movies are. But that movie was very dark and heavy because it was really rooted in Dark Knight Returns which is a heavy, dark book. And this is not that.”
  • Another change about Batman in Justice League is that he’s trying to redeem himself from his experiences in the last film. Affleck says “Batman definitely went to a very dark place that was rooted in trauma that occurred to people that he loved and worked with and what he saw. This movie is not about that issue for him so much anymore, he’s no longer sort of extreme in that way. From the experiences of the last movie, he’s sort of learned and now he’s sort of wanting to redeem himself and wanting mankind to be redeemed and he’s wanting to make the world better.”

  • On his solo Batman movie, Affleck says he doesn’t want to start filming until he has a script that’s 100% ready to go because, “I’ve been on the end of the things when you make movies when you have a script that’s not good yet and it doesn’t pan out.” He says they’re currently working on it but he’s not finished.
  • One of the sets we got to visit was called Wayne Hangar. Imagine an old hangar that’s been abandoned and taken over by Bruce to tinker with Batman’s tech and build new vehicles. One of the signs on the ground said Gotham Iron Foundry Company established 1920. I believe the hangar was located on or near Gotham Warf. Along the tables I saw vintage newspapers with numerous car, missile parts, and little miscellaneous pieces scattered about. In one corner of the room twenty missiles were stacked in four rows of five. In another area a Honda motorcycle. In another area the Batmobile. I’d say the hangar was big enough to hold at least 20 Batmobiles and still have some room. Also, in another corner, which looks like Batman’s desk, the monitors were displaying the scenes fromBatman v Superman when Batman was discovering Luthor’s footage about Flash, Wonder Woman, Cyborg and Aquaman.





  • Producers Debbie Snyder and Chuck Roven say that while each DC film is independent of one another, all the films are interconnected by bits of connective tissue. She said, ”All the films kind of fit in a timeline, but they’re independent films. You can see one and not need to see the other. They operate on their own. They all have their own tone and they deal with different characters. Yet they’re all in the same filmic universe and there is little bits of crossovers that we see. But that isn’t essential to the story.”

  • We will see Atlantis in different time periods in Justice League. The culture is being created from the ground up. It’s a very ancient culture.
  • The producers wouldn’t comment on the way Superman is in the film. But based on what I saw and learned I’d say Superman isn’t in the first half of the film and might not be returning until close to the third act.
  • We get a very classic looking Commissioner Gordon in the film. We were on set for J.K. Simmons’ first day and he was wearing a hat, tie, long trench coat and glasses. He looked like the animated series Gordon and also like he was literally ripped out of the comics. Fans will be very happy.
  • Justice League features a number of new vehicles for Batman and his team to play with including the Flying Fox and the Nightcrawler. We got to see the top of the Flying Fox and the controls look very similar to the Batmobile controls.
  • The interior of the Flying Fox is massive. It’s a three story ship that can fit the Batmobile and tons of other Bat gadgets. The ship is self-contained and a fantastic piece of equipment.
  • We’re going to see an upgraded Batmobile inJustice League. Due to the additional threats Batman has added machine guns and a missile launcher to the top of the vehicle.

  • The Nightcrawler is MASSIVE. Imagine the main part of the Batmobile except where the wheels would normally go you have four spider like legs from the largest spider you can imagine. These legs allow the Nightcrawler to climb and move in ways a car or plane can’t. It also allows the vehicle to access hard to reach terrain. Something else to know is when the Nightcrawler moves it damages the terrain due to the base of its legs.
  • While the backstory of the Nightcrawler won’t be explained in the film, production designer Patrick Tatopoulos said that he imagined it’s an old piece of Wayne Technology created by Bruce’s father that was originally going to be used by the military.
  • The production only built the top of the Nightcrawler and the rest will be added in with CG.
  • The Nightcrawler is part of a massive action set piece that takes place in a tunnel between Gotham and Metropolis. We got to tour part of the set they built for the scene and learned the tunnel was built by the Gotham W.P.A. between 1925-1929 and it sounds like it was never completed. My guess is the action set piece takes place around half way through the film.
  • Zack Snyder said Jack Kirby’s New Gods influenced the Justice League movie.
  • When comparing the version of Wonder Woman we’ll see in Justice Leagueto Batman v Supermanand her solo film, Gadot said, “The Wonder Woman we see in the Justice League is similar to the Wonder Woman we saw on BvS. The Wonder Woman that you’ll see in the solo movie she’s different…it’s the coming of age story. It’s about her becoming an adult really. From a child to adult and understanding the complexities of life and human beings.”

  • Justice League is manufacturing all their costumes in-house and 3D printing is a huge part of making the costumes. The big challenge of creating them is making sure they not only look great but they’re functional for fighting and maneuverability.
  • Michael Wilkinson is the costume designer. He also worked on Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Man of Steel, Watchmen, 300, and tons of other films.
  • Cyborg’s costume is being created digitally from the neck down but still has to be designed. Not a lot of Victor Stone from the neck down.
  • Cyborg is using technology that he got from one of the Mother Boxes which was shown in Batman v Superman. His technology is mysterious and he discovers his “gun arm” in the film.
  • Cyborg’s suit can enlarge when provoked or when he goes into battle mode.
  • We’ll see Cyborg in civilian clothes during parts of the film. I think he wears sweatpants.
  • Flash’s costume is made up of 148 pieces and the cowl alone has 70 pieces. All the pieces have numbers on them to help put it together and two people need to assist Ezra Miller when dressing. However, while you might think it would take hours to assemble the outfit, it’s about five minutes!
  • When we first meet up with Flash the suit he’s wearing is a prototype. From what I gathered, it seems that Barry Allen may have broken into NASA and is using 3D printers to help make the outfit protect him when running at super speed. The design is very aerodynamic and, as many of you know, when Flash runs he generates electricity which circles around his body. The help make the effect come to life, the costume has black stretchy wires which will show the electricity and will be added in post-production. Once Barry Allen connects with Bruce Wayne and Wayne-Tech, Flash’s costume will probably get an upgrade….
  • Flash has a cool pair of sneakers with the Flash symbol on both sides and on the base. I’d imagine we’ll get some sneaker company releasing these sneakers when the movie is coming out.
  • When Wilkinson was designing Flash’s costume he didn’t feel the need to compete with the TV show because the design he needed to come up with had to work in Zack Snyder’s universe.
  • There are two Batsuits in the film. The first one looks like the Batman costume you’ve already seen excerpt it has new armor plates under the costume to give added protection. Also, on Batman’s forearms they’ve added spikes on the outside of the costume. The second Batsuit is towards the end of the film but it has added carbon fiber, more protection, and a new cowl which adds more strength and protection around the neck and added levels of communication with Alfred and the members of the Justice League. The second costume also has new goggles which help pilot a new vehicle. The costume also helps amplify his strength even when dealing with an old injury.
  • Wonder Woman’s costume has a few changes from Batman v Superman but it’s nothing major. From what I gathered it has a slight color adjustment (a bit more red) and has been designed to make the costume more comfortable and maneuverable.
  • Did you know Wonder Woman’s costume is 5,000 years old? Neither did I. But that’s what Wilkinson told us when talking about her costume.
  • In the costume department we saw some concept art of Wonder Woman with a pretty big blue cape over her costume and on her back. I’m not sure it’s in the movie but it looked pretty cool.

  • Everything Gal Gadot wears as Diana Prince is being made by the costume department. Nothing is store bought.
  • Justice League has to dress 3,000 extras and it has 200 speaking parts.
  • Wilkinson described Metropolis as a New York City while Gotham was more like a Philadelphia in terms of dressing the background actors.
  • Bruce Wayne has a new car in Justice League but no one would reveal what it was. While in Wayne Hangar a car was being covered by tarps to make sure we couldn’t figure out what it was. I will say the car was very low to the ground so I’m sure it will be expensive and cool.
  • Justice League is filming in London until September and after they wrap there they go to Los Angeles and another still to be determined location. Filming is currently scheduled to wrap in October.
  • During our interview with Ray Fisher (Cyborg) he talked about how he came to be in the film: “I was in a play off Broadway playing Muhammad Ali at the New York Theatre Workshop three years ago now. And around the time, Ang Lee, one of his upcoming projects was a 3D boxing movie about Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier and he came and saw the show at that time. And I hadn’t had an agent or a manager up until that point, but once people caught word of that, they started coming to the show to see who’s this guy that people are coming to look at and from there I signed up and went out to California for a visit and met up with Lord Kennedy and Kristy Carlson from Warner Brothers and they said, “we have something that may be right for you, but we can’t tell you what it is. It’s just in the real of the Batman/Superman universe.” And I was like, “I’m done, I’m done. Sign me up. I’ll play a tree.”
  • The production spent six months working on the costumes in research and development before any of the actors got involved.

  • Producer Debbie Snyder confirmed Amber Heard is still playing Mera in Justice League.
  • Batman continues to change the Batmobile to fight new enemies. We saw art that showed two massive machine guns and a missile launcher on top.
  • Alfred and Bruce Wayne develop a lot of tech for the members of the Justice League.
  • Steppenwolf, the creature we saw in the Batman v Superman deleted scene with Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) has not yet been cast. The creature will be voiced by someone but not acted the way some motion capture characters have recently been done.

Also, here's a description of a scene that was filmed:

Towards the end of the day Snyder showed us an edited scene from Justice League without finished effects. The scene showed Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) arriving at his apartment only to find Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) sitting in his second favorite chair. Bruce is telling Barry that he knows he’s special but doesn’t know how and Barry is trying to deflect everything being said with humor and well-written dialogue. Finally, Bruce has had enough and throws a Batarang at Barry who proceeds to slow down time using his super speed and catches the weapon. As he examines the weapon it dawns on him that Bruce is Batman. As he enters real time Bruce says, “so you’re fast.” Barry then says “so you’re Batman?” Bruce explains he’s putting together a group to battle what’s coming. Before he’s even four seconds into his pitch as to why Barry should join him Barry says, “I’m in.” Bruce is shocked and proceeds to smile, extremely surprised at what just happened. Barry then tells him “I need friends. Can I keep this?” As the scene ended all the reporters in the room were laughing.
 
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JUSTICE LEAGUE: 9 THINGS WE LEARNED ABOUT THE DC FILM


Superman Lives! (Not That Anyone Will Talk About That)


Superman was curiously absent from what we were shown on set and no one would speak about his resurrection except to begrudgingly admit that he somehow does. The only concept art of him showed him with the other five members of the team; otherwise, only a few past images of Henry Cavill's Superman from Man of Steel and BvS appeared in the cast section of the production room's artwork.

However, the fact that the production art appeared to be presented in chronological, narrative order seemed to indicate Superman wouldn't return until the movie's homestretch.

Scientists Are Being Kidnapped

The scene we observed being shot last Friday revolved around four members of the newly formed Justice League -- Batman (Ben Affleck), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), the Flash (Ezra Miller), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) -- responding to the Batsignal being shone into the stormy, night sky above Gotham City. Batman, Wonder Woman, and Flash arrive on the rooftop of GCPD headquarters to find a worried Commissioner James Gordon bringing them up to speed on a case of missing scientists when the League's fourth member, Cyborg, arrives to announce that his father Silas Stone (Joe Morton), the head of S.T.A.R. Labs, is now the ninth scientist to have been abducted. Wonder Woman suspects a nest of Parademons must be nearby.

Cyborg Costume Involves Mo-Cap

Unlike his fellow Justice League actors who require full costuming, Ray Fisher wears a gray performance-capture suit (essentially pajamas) on set with his cybernetic costume to be added via CGI later in post-prodution. Fisher wore an eye piece with a red light and a red light on his chest as reference points, and walked with a heavy, automated gait a la Robocop when acting.

You may recall Batman v Superman depicted Mother Box technology playing a role in Cyborg's origin. As a result, costume designer Michael Wilkinson confirmed the big screen Cyborg can change his size and also transform parts of himself (for example, like turning his hand into a weapon). Speaking of Mother Boxes ...


Three Realms on Earth Each Possess a Mother Box

Eons ago, ancient humans, Atlanteans, and Amazonians (along with the Greek god Zeus, as seen in the movie's concept art) came into the possession of three alien Mother Boxes, with each realm hiding one away for the ensuing centuries in order to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. This whole ancient sequence sounded not unlike the prologue to Lord of the Rings, which described the Rings of Power and the creation of the One Ring.

Steppenwolf's Casting Hasn't Been Finalized Yet

The filmmakers confirmed that Darkseid's kinfolk, Steppenwolf, is the villain of the movie, but that the deal for his casting has not yet been closed so they couldn't say who was playing the role. The character is expected to be performed via motion-capture, and the production room artwork only included a large silhouette of the character (who was glimpsed in that deleted scene from BvS).

Alfred Sees Action

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Concept art showed Jeremy Irons' Alfred Pennyworth as a de facto member of the Justice League, serving as a tail gunner on the Flying Fox, the giant aircraft he and Bruce Wayne transformed into a mobile command center for the Justice League.


The Flash's Costume Is a Prototype Using Wayne Tech

Costume designer Michael Wilkinson implied Barry Allen may have stolen materials from NASA in order to build his Flash costume, which he added is just a prototype. Imagery of the Flash costume in the production office's "war room" revealed it also utilized Wayne tech. We were also shown a clip of Bruce Wayne surprising Barry at home and remarking how the materials of his suit, which stands in the middle of his ramshackle apartment, uses materials that prevent the space shuttle from burning up when reentering Earth's atmosphere. So, yeah, looks like this Flash may not be above swiping here and there.


The Flash's Religion



In a nod to both the 1989 comic book "Christmas With the Super-Heroes" and actor Ezra Miller's own ethnicity, the clip we were shown depicting the first meeting between Bruce Wayne and Barry Allen has the latter referring to himself as "a very attractive Jewish boy." Outside of this aforementioned DC comic, Barry Allen's religion has never been explicitly mentioned.

Aquaman Wears Jeans

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At one point in the movie anyway. A piece of production art showed Jason Momoa's Arthur Curry bare-chested and barefoot save for his Atlantean gauntlets and ... a pair of tight-fitting, low waist jeans. This artwork got many of the press joking, but it should be pointed out even Marvel's Thor donned jeans while barechested. But don't worry, fans. Aquaman also wears a newly redesigned suit of Atlantean armor. I saw it with my own eyes and even got to touch it (it's largely made from a type of latex that looks hard, but allows for the actor's movement).


http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/06/21/justice-league-9-things-we-learned-about-the-dc-film
 
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meilmarc said:
The perfect way to push Snyder out instead of having him connected to both films.
Click to expand...

Sure is..unless they say he going to be"Co-Executive Producer" of the next JL movie(if there is one) :rolleyes:

Also, here's a description of a scene that was filmed:

Towards the end of the day Snyder showed us an edited scene from Justice League without finished effects. The scene showed Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) arriving at his apartment only to find Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) sitting in his second favorite chair. Bruce is telling Barry that he knows he’s special but doesn’t know how and Barry is trying to deflect everything being said with humor and well-written dialogue. Finally, Bruce has had enough and throws a Batarang at Barry who proceeds to slow down time using his super speed and catches the weapon. As he examines the weapon it dawns on him that Bruce is Batman. As he enters real time Bruce says, “so you’re fast.” Barry then says “so you’re Batman?” Bruce explains he’s putting together a group to battle what’s coming. Before he’s even four seconds into his pitch as to why Barry should join him Barry says, “I’m in.” Bruce is shocked and proceeds to smile, extremely surprised at what just happened. Barry then tells him “I need friends. Can I keep this?” As the scene ended all the reporters in the room were laughing.
Click to expand...

..in other words its their version of the Tony Stark meets Peter Parker scene from from CA:Civil War :rolleyes2:
 
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Zack Snyder Faces His Haters on the Set ofJustice League

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Twenty miles outside London, on Day 31 of a mammoth, expensive shoot for next winter’s film Justice League, an unlikely group surrounded Zack Snyder in the production’s sketch-strewn “war room”: his critics. Many of the assembled writers and journalists had contributed to the abysmal 27 percent Rotten Tomatoes score earned by Snyder's previous effort,Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, savaging the movie in reviews and questioning the foundation Snyder had built for Warner Bros.’ burgeoning DC expanded universe. One wrote, “To say that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a bad movie doesn’t go far enough,” while another said, “I am gobsmacked by just how dull this movie turned out to be.” So when Snyder called over all his skeptics for an on-the-record chat, I had to laugh: Among the iPhones thrust into his face to record the conversation was one emblazoned with Captain America’s shield, a detail that sums up everything you need to know about what Snyder’s movies are up against and why the studio had invited us here for what proved to be a very unusual set visit.

Batman v Superman remains one of the highest-grossing movies of this year. Still, in an era when the similarly superhero-stuffed Captain America: Civil War easily breezed past a billion-dollar worldwide take,Batman v Superman fell short; it was outpaced domestically by the smaller, scrappier Deadpool and made far less worldwide than Christopher Nolan’s last two Batman films, despite offering a match-up between a pair of iconic DC Comics heroes that had never before been seen on the big screen. Pundits panned the film, audiences complained about its dark tone, and Warner Bros. responded by reshuffling its plans for a series of interconnected movies that the studio hopes can compete with Marvel’s lucrative, acclaimed cinematic universe.

“When Batman v Superman came out, I was like, ‘Wow, okay, oof,’" admitted Snyder. At Comic-Con to promote the film last summer, he wore a tight black T-shirt pulled over his muscular frame, but on Justice League’s Leavesden, England, set, the now-slighter Snyder was dressed in a tweedy vest and tie, his reading glasses dangling from a lanyard. Since coming onboard to direct Man of Steel in 2011, Snyder has worked virtually nonstop on these DC Comics films, and he began production onJustice League a mere two weeks after Batman v Superman debuted to scathing reviews.

“It did catch me off guard,” he said of the response to BvS. “I have had to, in my mind, make an adjustment. I do think that the tone of Justice League has changed because of what the fans have said.” That, ultimately, is why Warner Bros. summoned a crew of journalists and naysayers to report on a movie that has not yet released any official stills, is barely weeks into shooting, and won’t be out until next November. The message was clear, and the principals stuck closely to it: The creative team behind the DC Cinematic Universe has heard your complaints, and the grim fog that suffused Snyder’s last two superhero movies is about to lift.

Earlier in the day, Snyder’s wife and longtime producer, Deborah, held court on one of Justice League’s biggest stages, an iron foundry in Gotham that Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) has turned into a private hangar. "Listen, every film is a learning experience," she explained. "We hear what everyone has to say because we care what the fans say."

Near her was the Batmobile, which had been ripped open by Superman (Henry Cavill) in the last film, and the Flying Fox, a giant military aircraft in the middle of the room meant to hold Batman and other Justice League heroes like Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), the Flash (Ezra Miller), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher). With that imposing vehicular decor as a backdrop, Deborah promised a “totally different movie” than Batman v Superman.

“What’s really great is that where we were going is kind of what the audience was wanting, which is a good thing. We just had to take the characters from somewhere [dark] to bring them up to where they are now.” When it came to touting the new film’s tone, Deborah was Justice League’s most upbeat, on-message pitchwoman; even more so than her husband, she did her damnedest to sell us on the notion of a three-film arc that hit its darkest point in the previous movie but was always meant to swing upward. Still, she hinted at some growing pains along the way.

“If every film is a learning experience,” I asked her, “then what did you learn from Batman v Superman?”


She paused, and let a rueful smile slip out. “The main thing we learned, I think: People don’t like to see their heroes deconstructed.”

Justice League, then, is meant to give the fans what they’ve supposedly been clamoring for: more traditional depictions of these classic comic-book characters. Batman will do less cold-blooded murdering of criminals and more canon-honoring detective work. The Flash and Cyborg will provide a youthful, irreverent counterpoint to their more grizzled Justice League teammates. And Aquaman (Jason Momoa) will swim into the movie from the franchise’s most fantastical realm yet, an under-the-sea kingdom featuring characters like ocean queen Mera (Amber Heard) and axe-wielding chief adviser Vulko (Willem Dafoe).

The film also tells a much more expansive story than its predecessors, so much so that it opens with a universe-establishing “history lesson” meant to set the stage for sequels and spinoffs to come. In that prologue, ancient Amazonians, humans, and Atlanteans are entrusted by the god Zeus to guard three “Mother Boxes,” a set of microwave-sized cubes that hold enough cosmic power to potentially bring about an apocalypse. (Think of them as DC’s equivalent to the Infinity Stones frequently fought over in Marvel movies.) In the present day, without the defeated Superman and beset by winged parademons from another planet, Batman and his cohorts race to find the hidden Mother Boxes before battling the villainous alien Steppenwolf.

It is, make no mistake, a giant movie. The role of Steppenwolf hasn't yet been cast, but plenty of boldface names are already attached. Amy Adams will return as Lois Lane, J.K. Simmons has been added as the new Commissioner Gordon, and the filmmakers and concept art teased nearly a dozen cameos, including Robin Wright and Connie Nielsen from the upcoming Wonder Woman solo film, Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor, and the possible appearance of several side characters like the Flash’s love interest Iris West. As Aquaman might put it, this movie is stuffed to the gills.

“I love the characters, and maybe to a fault sometimes, I dork out on the hardcore aspects of the comic books,” said Snyder. Behind him as he spoke was a table strewn with Justice League weaponry, including enough swords, shields, and pitchforks to populate Snyder’s war film 300; earlier, we had seen a host of armored, ammo-laden vehicles including the Batmobile and the brand-new Nightcrawler, a spider-like vehicle with a flamethrower on top. Near Snyder, in a piece of concept art tacked to the wall, the Nightcrawler could be glimpsed incinerating an unlucky foe with its flame blast.

Snyder’s interest in hardcore-skewing comic-book violence has always been evident: His first three genre movies earned a hard R for mayhem,Man of Steel was criticized for its cavalier depiction of city-leveling apocalypse, and when Batman v Superman makes its way to home video with an extended director’s cut, that version will be R-rated, too. The question, then, is whether Snyder’s sensibility can truly be tweaked enough to suit a mainstream, four-quadrant audience turned off byBatman v Superman’s unrelenting grimness. The sets we saw were still dark and rubble-strewn, and most of the costumes on display treated their comic-book counterparts’ bright colors as only a faint suggestion. Wonder Woman’s suit was a rare exception to both the muted aesthetic and the visit’s positive-skewing message: At one point, costume designer Michael Wilkinson told us that the red in Wonder Woman’s costume had been enriched for this film because “We always talk about it as almost like centuries of congealed blood from her victims on her breastplate.” At that remark, a journalist next to me muttered, “Wow.”

It’s clear, then, that the fundamental tension between Snyder’s darker inclinations and the studio’s mandate for a happier movie will provide more drama than even Steppenwolf could manage. At one point, when asked how the critical response to Batman v Superman is informingJustice League, Snyder hemmed and hawed for a moment, trying to find the words. “Listen,” he said at last, “if it’s about putting more fun in the movie or embracing some of what I think is in all the characters inherently, this sort of larger-than-life, big, fun stuff …”

He trailed off, digressed, and then returned to the subject with a defense of his heroes’ uncharacteristically grim countenances in the last film: “You really had to dig down on the darker parts of them to make them fight each other. I really do believe that with this movie, with Justice League, they’ve been freed of the responsibility to be in a place where they would fight each other. That’s liberating for us in making the movie, because now we have a single enemy with a single objective, and it’s really about uniting the team. That, to me, is a fun activity.”



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Shortly after lunch, we got to confer with Justice League's lead about the plan. In his bulky, muscled-up Batman suit, Ben Affleck strode toward us, his cowl off and hair mussed. “You guys must be the press,” he said. His eyes were wary and still coated in the black makeup he wears under the Batman helmet. “Christian never let anyone see him with the raccoon eyes,” Affleck joked. “I look like Iggy Pop or Lou Reed when I try to wipe it off.”

Our meeting took place on Leavesden’s Stage C, which was draped with so much green screen that if you had to look at it all day, you’d probably desaturate your movies, too. Affleck was between takes on a rooftop scene where, flanked by Wonder Woman and the Flash, he meets Commissioner Gordon to discuss a series of mysterious kidnappings. “How many of you are there?” Gordon asks Batman, eyeing his comrades. “Not enough,” Batman replies.

With Superman taken out of commission at the end of Batman v Superman (and though he’ll clearly return somehow, the Man of Steel was absent from the concept art we saw detailing Justice League’s first-half set pieces), it falls to Affleck’s hero to do the heavy lifting. In order to inspire fellow superheroes to come together and take up his cause, Batman has to become a more encouraging figure himself. “Definitely, in the last movie, Batman went to a very dark place,” Affleck acknowledged. “He’s no longer extreme in that way.”

“Superman’s death helps Batman regain his faith in humanity,” said Deborah Snyder. “Here’s this alien who just gave his life for us. It really changes who Batman is, and he also feels a responsibility to honor him, because he didn’t feel like he did it while they were living.” Affleck concurred: “He’s feeling like he wants to redeem himself and he’s wanting mankind to be redeemed. He’s wanting to make the world better.”

The actor under the bat-mask is invested in making the franchise better, too. Affleck took an executive producer credit on Justice League just as veteran DC Comics producer Charles Roven saw his role reduced, and it’s been rumored that Batfleck's heavily involved in rewrites. If done right, these movies could provide ballast to Affleck’s career by giving him a constant, high-profile job to return to, but in the wake of Batman v Superman’s less-than-stellar reception, Affleck earned just as much attention for grimacing through the film’s press tour. One viral videosoundtracked Affleck’s downcast look with “The Sound of Silence,” while countless tweets noted that Batman v Superman was somehow pulling in worse reviews than 2003’s Daredevil, Affleck’s notorious first foray as a superhero.

So, though Affleck took great pains to note that on Justice League, “We’re all here executing Zack’s vision,” he wasn’t without suggestions. “There’s definitely room for more humor,” he said, noting a key difference between the Snyder-helmed movies and Marvel’s quippy blockbusters. “These DC movies, by their nature, are still a little bit more gothic — or a little bit more mythic, rather, than some comic-book movies are. Batman v Superman was a heavy, dark movie that was really rooted in The Dark Knight Returns, a heavy, dark book. This is not that. This is a step forward and an evolution from that.”

Still, Affleck sought to downplay his increased role on the film. “Why I’m an executive producer,” he said, “is because I’m directing another one of the movies,” a stand-alone Batman film targeted for 2018. “There’s some cross-pollination of story and characters, and I don’t want to give any of that stuff away, but it just basically means that there might be things that happen in my Batman that are affected by [Justice League].” He admitted, though, that his solo film could be pushed back. “I don’t know that I would necessarily be able to make that date, because I don’t have a script that’s ready yet,” Affleck said. “My timetable is that I’m not gonna make the movie until there’s a script that I think is good, because I’ve been on the end of things when you make movies with scripts that aren’t good.” He grinned. “It doesn’t pan out.”

But while Affleck comes to a leadership role naturally, his Justice Leaguecharacter has more trouble. As we saw in Batman v Superman, this version of the Dark Knight keeps to the shadows, confiding in no one but his loyal butler, Alfred (Jeremy Irons). “That’s the interesting thing about this Batman,” said Affleck. “On the one hand, he’s the ultimate loner, and on the other hand, he’s tasked with putting together a group. Is the guy who basically broods in a cave all day really the best person to put together a team of superheroes? He doesn’t have huge success initially. He’s got to figure out how to play well with others, and he barely knows how to play well with Alfred.”

One of those new recruits may prove to be Justice League’s secret weapon. Twenty-three-year-old Ezra Miller has heretofore been best known for indie films like We Need to Talk About Kevin and The Stanford Prison Experiment; a famously free spirit, he talks casually about his bisexuality, eschews deodorant, and once waltzed into a film festival party wearing a fur coat and no shirt underneath. As the Flash in Justice League, he has been shorn of the long hair and scraggly goatee that he usually favors, but crucially, Snyder encouraged him to keep his live-wire charm.

The rooftop scene we watched them film was hardly a barnstormer, filled as it was with dutiful exposition and actor-thwarting lines like, “The demons must have caught the scent of the Mother Box,” but in every take Miller improvised freely, adding so much sorely needed humor to the proceedings that Snyder kept expanding his role. Before one take, Miller did a little jig that spurred a sustained, scene-ruining giggle fit from Gal Gadot; in another, when Ray Fisher’s Cyborg appeared to join the Justice League, Miller reacted with such outsized enthusiasm that Fisher broke up, too. “This is going great, guys,” snarked J.K. Simmons, the only actor to remain stone-faced. “Ay yai yai,” said Gadot, trying to collect herself.

“There’s a quality to what Ezra does that is young and fun and full of life, that’s excited about what they’re doing, that’s so in contrast to who Batman is,” said Affleck. “What does Batman do around a guy who’s really excited and positive all the time? It’s not his natural state of being.”

It may not be Snyder’s, either, but Miller’s attitude should prove a boon to his cinematic universe. The Flash will get his own Rick Famuyiwa-directed movie in 2018, though it’s not as stand-alone as it might appear, since it’s rumored to involve a team-up with Fisher’s character, Cyborg. Asked if he had any additional intel, Miller just shook his head and laughed: “We cannot confirm or deny anything regarding any people named silly names like the ones you just said.”

He doesn't really need to. In an optimistic stockholders’ conference call and a more official Comic-Con follow-up, Warner Bros. set release dates for a passel of planned DC adaptations, including Wonder Woman next summer, Aquaman in 2018, and Cyborg and Green Lantern films set for 2020. Still, the plan seems mutable, based on how well Justice Leaguedoes: Though the movie was initially announced as a two-parter, Deborah Snyder assiduously disabused us of that notion. “We were only ever planning and we are only doing Justice League,” she said. “Just Justice League. One movie.” Not two parts? “No.”

When asked if he planned to return for a Justice League sequel, her husband wasn’t quite as Shermanesque. “I think we still have a release date,” he told me. Then, as another of Snyder's critics leapt in to ask a question, he muttered an addendum almost under his breath: “As far as I know."
 
DjMorpheus

DjMorpheus

Rising Star
BGOL Investor
ThaBurgerPimp said:
Sure is..unless they say he going to be"Co-Executive Producer" of the next JL movie(if there is one) :rolleyes:



..in other words its their version of the Tony Stark meets Peter Parker scene from from CA:Civil War :rolleyes2:
Click to expand...

same thing I thought when I read it. They just copied the whole vibe and feel of Stark/Parker scene in Cap America.
 
Mattapan02126

Mattapan02126

Support BGOL
Registered
These dudes better impress me with Suicide Squad and Wonderwoman for me to even think about seeing a Zack Snyder directed Justice League film.
 
superfusion

superfusion

Rising Star
BGOL Investor
They are trying too hard to be just like Marvel, even the storyline sounds like the Avengers going after the infinity stones, instead its gonna be about finding those Motherboxes. I have no faith in Snyder or DC right now, they should stop trying to catch up to Marvel and get rid of Snyder and his wife.
 
Mello Mello

Mello Mello

Ballz of Adamantium
BGOL Investor
This shit about to be teen titans.

They really need to slow down.

Stop chasing after Marvel and just go at their own pace. :smh:
 
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