Warner Bros. began to develop a live-action Justice League film in 2007 withGeorge Miller set to direct, but the project was canceled due to production delays and budgetary concerns.Principal photography took place from April to October 2016. After Snyder stepped down from the film following the death of his daughter, Whedon was hired to oversee the remainder of post-production, including writing and directing additional scenes, as well as reshooting a large portion of the film, which changed many aspects of it; Snyder ultimately retained sole credit as director. With an estimated production budget of $300 million,Justice League is one of themost expensive films ever made.
Justice League premiered at theDolby Theatre inHollywood, Los Angeles on November 13, 2017, and was released in the United States four days later. The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics, and grossed $661.3 million worldwide against an assumedbreak-even point of $750 million. A director's cut, titledZack Snyder's Justice League, was released onHBO Max in 2021, following a fan campaign that advocated for Snyder's vision for the film.
Steppenwolf and his legions ofParademons attempt to take over the Earth using the combined energies of the threeMother Boxes. The attempt is foiled by a unified alliance including theOlympian Gods,Amazons,Atlanteans, humanity, and extraterrestrial beings.[c] The Mother Boxes are separated and hidden in different locations. Thousands of years later,Superman's death following the battle withDoomsday reactivates the Boxes, attracting Steppenwolf again to Earth. He aims to gather the Boxes to form "The Unity", which would instantly devastate Earth andterraform it into a copy of his homeworld.
Steppenwolf retrieves one Mother Box fromThemyscira, prompting QueenHippolyta to warn her daughterDiana. Diana joinsBruce Wayne in an attempt to unite othermetahumans to their cause: Wayne goes afterArthur Curry andBarry Allen, while Diana locatesVictor Stone. Bruce fails to persuade Arthur but finds Barry enthusiastic. Victor joins after his fatherSilas and otherS.T.A.R. Labs employees are kidnapped by Steppenwolf, who is seeking the Mother Box protected by humanity.
Steppenwolf attacks anAtlantean outpost to retrieve the next Mother Box, forcing Arthur into action. Victor retrieves the last Mother Box for the group, revealing that his father used it to rebuild Victor's body after an accident almost killed him. Knowing this information, Bruce decides to use the Mother Box to resurrect Superman, not only to help them fight off Steppenwolf's invasion but also to restore hope to humanity.
Clark Kent's body is exhumed and placed in the amniotic fluid of the genesis chamber in the Kryptonian scout ship, along with the Mother Box, successfully resurrecting him. However, his memories have not returned, and he attacks the group. Batman enacts his contingency plan:Lois Lane. Superman calms down and leaves with her to his family home inSmallville, where his memories come back. In the turmoil, the last Mother Box is left unguarded, allowing Steppenwolf to retrieve it. Without Superman to aid them, the five heroes travel to a village inRussia, where Steppenwolf's lair is located. They fight their way through the Parademons; just when all hope seems lost, Superman arrives and assists Victor in separating the Mother Boxes. The team defeats Steppenwolf, who is attacked by his own Parademons when they smell his fear.
After the battle, Bruce and Diana set up a base of operations for the team. Diana and Arthur resume their heroic duties; Barry acquires a job inCentral City's police department; Victor continues to enhance his abilities with his father in S.T.A.R. Labs; Superman resumes his life as reporter Clark Kent and protector of Earth. In apost-credits scene,Lex Luthor has escaped fromArkham Asylum and recruitsSlade Wilson to form a league of their own.
Ben Affleck asBruce Wayne / Batman: A wealthy socialite, and the owner ofWayne Enterprises. He dedicates himself to protectingGotham City from itscriminal underworld as a highly trained, maskedvigilante equipped with various tools and weapons. Affleck noted on how the film gave him an opportunity to reinvent Batman and portray a more classic take on the character. He described that in the film, audiences will see Batman as more heroic, and more of a leader. "Batman is by nature, [while] not necessarily anti-social, pretty private, pretty a loner," Affleck says. "And then in this movie he's thrust into the role of having to not only work with people, but bring them together and convince them to come in and try to ... somehow with Wonder Woman hold all that community effort together. That was a really interesting thing to play for me, and it also does take us to a more traditional role for Batman in the Justice League comics, and his role with the Justice League versus the sort of less typical version we saw in Batman v Superman, where he was blinded by rage and wanted to take on Superman."[10][11]
Jason Momoa asArthur Curry / Aquaman: Half-human and half Atlantean metahuman with superhuman strength and aquatic abilities. Momoa was cast as Aquaman in June 2014, and made a cameo appearance inBatman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.[13][14]
Ray Fisher asVictor Stone / Cyborg: A former college athlete who, after beingcybernetically reconstructed after a nearly fatal car accident, is turned into a techno-organic being enhanced by reactive, adaptivebiomimetic alien technology. His enhancements include the abilities of flight, variable weaponry andtechnopathy. Fisher portrays the character through the use ofmotion capture for the cybernetic portion of his body.[15] Fisher was cast as Cyborg in April 2014, and made a cameo inBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.[16]
Amy Adams asLois Lane: An undaunted and compassionate award-winning journalist for theDaily Planet and thelove interest for Kent.
Ciarán Hinds asSteppenwolf: An alien military officer fromApokolips who leads an army ofParademons and is searching for the threeMother Boxes held on Earth. The character is described as "old, tired" and trying to find a way to escape his role of servitude underDarkseid.[17] Hinds portrayed the villain through use ofmotion capture and received some advice in the process fromLiam Neeson, who had recently done similar work inA Monster Calls.[18] After the release of the film, Hinds was reportedly unhappy with the final cut of the film, which trimmed down the backstory and characterization of Steppenwolf.[citation needed]
Amber Heard asMera: A princess of Xebel who approaches Curry to discuss the nature of the Mother Boxes.[19]
We're going to make aJustice League movie, whether it's now or 10 years from now. But we're not going to do it and Warners is not going to do it until we know it's right.
—Producer Gregory Noveck, on whether Warner Bros. is going to do a Justice League film, 2008.[37]
In February 2007, it was announced thatWarner Bros. Pictures had hired husband-and-wife duo Michele andKieran Mulroney to write a script for aJustice League film.[38] The news came around the same time thatJoss Whedon's long-developedWonder Woman film was canceled,[39] as well asThe Flash, written and directed byDavid S. Goyer.[40] Reportedly titledJustice League: Mortal,[41] the script by Michele and Kieran Mulroney was submitted to Warner Bros. in June 2007, receiving positive feedback,[42] which prompted the studio to immediately fast track production in the hope of beginning filming before the2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike.[43] Warner Bros. was less willing to proceed with development of a sequel toSuperman Returns (2006), having been disappointed with its box office.Brandon Routh was not approached to reprise the role of Superman inJustice League: Mortal,[44] nor wasChristian Bale fromBatman Begins (2005).[45] Warner Bros. intended forJustice League: Mortal to be the start of a new film franchise, and to branch out into separate sequels and spin-offs.[46] Shortly after filmingThe Dark Knight (2008),[47] Bale stated in an interview that "It'd be better if it doesn't tread on the toes of what ourBatman series is doing," and felt it would make more sense for Warner Bros. to release the film afterThe Dark Knight Rises (2012).[45]Jason Reitman was the original choice to directJustice League, but he turned it down, as he considers himself an independent filmmaker and prefers to stay out of big budget superhero films.[48]George Miller signed to direct in September 2007,[43] withBarrie Osbourne producing[49] on a projected $220 million budget.[50]
However, the writers strike began that same month and placed the film on hold. Warner Bros. had to let theoptions lapse for the cast,[63] but development was fast tracked once more in February 2008 when the strike ended. Warner Bros. and Miller wanted to start filming immediately,[64] but production was pushed back three months.[46] Originally, the majority ofJustice League: Mortal was to be shot atFox Studios Australia in Sydney,[50] with other locations scouted nearby at local colleges,[49] andSydney Heads doubling forHappy Harbor.[41] TheAustralian Film Commission had a say with casting choices, giving way for George Miller to cast Gale, Palmer and Keays-Bryne, all Australian natives. The production crew was composed entirely of Australians, but theAustralian government denied Warner Bros. a 40 percent tax rebate as they felt they had not hired enough Australian actors.[50][65] Miller was frustrated, stating that "A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Australian film industry is being frittered away because of very lazy thinking. They're throwing away hundreds of millions of dollars of investment that the rest of the world is competing for and, much more significantly, highly skilled creative jobs."[66] Production offices were then moved toVancouver Film Studios in Canada. Filming was pushed back to July 2008, while Warner Bros. was still confident they could produce the film for a summer 2009 release.[67][68]
With production delays continuing, and the success ofThe Dark Knight in July 2008,[69] Warner Bros. decided to focus on the development of individual films featuring the main heroes, allowing directorChristopher Nolan to separately complete hisThe Dark Knight trilogy withThe Dark Knight Rises in 2012. Warner Bros. relaunched development for a soloGreen Lantern film, released in 2011 as a critical and financial disappointment. Meanwhile, film adaptations forThe Flash andWonder Woman continued to languish in development, while filming for a Superman reboot commenced in 2011 withMan of Steel (2013), produced by Nolan and written byBatman screenwriter David S. Goyer. In October 2012, following its legal victory overJoe Shuster's estate for the rights to Superman, Warner Bros. announced that it planned to move ahead with the Justice League film.[70] Shortly after filming onMan of Steel was complete, Warner Bros hiredWill Beall to write the script for a newJustice League film.[71] Warner Bros. president Jeff Robinov explained thatMan of Steel would be "setting the tone for what the movies are going to be like going forward. In that, it's definitely a first step."[72] The film included references to the existence of other superheroes in theDC Universe,[73] and set the tone for a shared fictional universe of DC Comics characters on film.[74] Goyer stated that should Green Lantern appear in a future installment, it would be a rebooted version of the character, unconnected to the 2011 film.[75]
With the release ofMan of Steel in June 2013, Goyer was hired to write a sequel, as well as a newJustice League, with the Beall draft being scrapped.[76] The sequel,Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), not only had a new Batman sharing the same universe as Superman but helped set up theJustice League film by introducing other superpowered DC heroes through in-universe footage cameos and teasing an impending doom through cryptic and ominous dreams and warnings. Though the universe ofMan of Steel was separate from that of Nolan'sThe Dark Knight trilogy, he was still involved as an executive producer on bothBatman v Superman and theJustice League film.[77] In April 2014, it was announced thatMan of Steel andBatman v Superman directorZack Snyder would also direct Goyer'sJustice League script.[78] Warner Bros. was reportedly courtingChris Terrio to rewriteJustice League the following July, after having been impressed with his rewrite ofBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.[79] On October 15, 2014, Warner Bros. announced the film would be released in two parts, withPart One being released on November 17, 2017, andPart Two on June 14, 2019. Snyder was set to direct both films.[80] In early July 2015, EW revealed that the script forJustice League Part One had been completed by Terrio.[81] Zack Snyder stated that the film would be inspired by theNew Gods comic series byJack Kirby.[82] AlthoughJustice League was initially announced as a two-part film, with the second part set for release two years after the first, Snyder stated in June 2016 that they would be two distinct, separate films and notone film split into two parts, both being stand-alone stories.[83][84]
Principal photography began on April 11, 2016, with shooting taking place atWarner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, as well as various locations aroundLondon andScotland. Additional filming took place inChicago, Illinois;Los Angeles; andDjúpavík, in theWestfjords[85] ofIceland.[86][87] Snyder's longtime cinematographerLarry Fong was replaced byFabian Wagner due to scheduling conflicts.[87]Ben Affleck served as executive producer.[88] In May 2016, it was revealed thatGeoff Johns and Jon Berg would produce theJustice League films, and would also be in charge of theDC Extended Universe (DCEU), after the largely negative critical reception ofBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.[89] The same month, Irons stated that theJustice League storyline would be more linear and simple, compared to the theatrical version ofBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.[90] Johns confirmed on June 3, 2016, that the title of the film isJustice League,[91] and later stated that the film would be "hopeful and optimistic" in comparison to previous DCEU films.[92]
Justice League had a troubled production. During filming, it was reported that the rewrites by Geoff Johns caused issues with Chris Terrio and Warner Bros. executives. Warner Bros. was unsatisfied with how the film was shaping up under Snyder due to the negative feedback that the theatrical version ofBatman v Superman received. It was reported that Warner Bros. held a footage summit for writers that include Whedon,Wonder Woman screenwriterAllan Heinberg,Seth Grahame-Smith, andAndrea Berloff. This caused numerous rewrites asJustice League was filming.[93][94][95] Filming wrapped in October 2016.[96][97][98]
Joss Whedon took over the post-production ofJustice League after Snyder stepped down.
In May 2017, Snyder stepped down from directorial duties onJustice League to cope with his daughter Autumn's suicide, and Whedon assumed his position to oversee post-production and complete the film.[99] That July, it was announced the film was undergoing two months of reshoots in London and Los Angeles, with Warner Bros. putting about $25 million into them, more than the typical $6–10 million additional filming costs,[100] which brought the budget of the film up to $300 million.[7] The reshoots coincided with Cavill's schedule forParamount Pictures'Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018), for which he had grown a mustache which became a source of conflict forJustice League. DirectorChristopher McQuarrie, unwilling to let Cavill shave unless compensated, requested $3 million from theJustice League production to cover the costs of digitally re-adding Cavill's facial hair back forFallout until it regrew. Paramount executives eventually intervened and refused permission altogether, necessitating the mustache to be digitally removed forJustice League.[101]
Whedon received a screenwriting credit on the film alongsideChris Terrio,[102] while Snyder received sole director's credit.[1] ProducerCharles Roven said in an interview that the film was shot originally by eighty to eighty-five percent.[103] Conversely, Snyder estimates that only a fourth of his material was used in the theatrical version based on what he has been told of the theatrical cut, as he has not watched it.[2] Cinematographer Fabian Wagner estimates that only 10% of the original footage shot by him and Snyder was used in the final cut.[104] Whedon's rewrites were around 80 pages, further confirming that the theatrical cut was mostly his work.[105]
Warner Bros. CEOKevin Tsujihara mandated the film to be under two hours.[7][106][107] In consequence, the final cut runs for that exact time.[108] The company also did not opt to delay the film's release despite the fact that there had been numerous problems in post-production, so that the executives would receive their cash bonuses before the company's merger withAT&T.[109][110] In February 2018, it was reported that Snyder was fired from directorial duties fromJustice League, after his cut was deemed "unwatchable" according to Collider's Matt Goldberg. "I'd heard similar things from separate sources over the last year as well, I also heard that Snyder's rough-cut of the movie was 'unwatchable' (a word that jumped out at me because it's rare you hear two separate sources use exactly the same adjective). Of course, even if that's true, there's obviously more to the story since rough cuts can be fixed up with reshoots, rewrites, etc.," Goldberg wrote.[111][112] According to DC Comics publisher, comic book artistJim Lee, Snyder was not fired. Speaking at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo, Lee stated "that [Snyder] was not fired at all and that he stepped down from the production due to a family matter", as far as he knew.[113] In July 2020, Ray Fisher claimed that Whedon's on-set treatment of the film's cast and crew was "gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable".[114]Justice League andBatman v Superman writer Chris Terrio called the theatrical cut an act of vandalism, and attempted unsuccessfully to get his name removed from the film.[115]
In March 2016,Hans Zimmer, who co-composed the score forMan of Steel andBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, stated that he had officially retired from the "superhero business",[116] though he would later scoreX-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019) andWonder Woman 1984 (2020).Junkie XL, who wrote and composed the soundtrack ofBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice with Zimmer, was originally scoring the film,[117] but was replaced byDanny Elfman the following year in June.[118] Elfman had previously composed scores for the filmsBatman (1989) andBatman Returns (1992), and the theme music forBatman: The Animated Series and the 1990 TV series,The Flash. Elfman used theBatman theme music from the 1989 film.John Williams's "Superman March" was used during "a dark, twisted moment" in the film[119][120] where a resurrected Superman fights the Justice League and later during the climax where Superman arrives to defeat Steppenwolf. The film features a cover ofLeonard Cohen's "Everybody Knows" performed bySigrid, "Icky Thump" performed bythe White Stripes, and a cover ofthe Beatles' "Come Together" performed byGary Clark Jr. and Junkie XL.[121]WaterTower Music released the soundtrack album digitally on November 10 the same year, with a release of the physical format on December 8.[122]
Superman was intentionally left out on all earlyJustice League marketing materials, including trailers, clips, and posters, which actor Cavill commented as "ridiculous". Despite his character being hidden from promotional materials, Cavill still joined the rest of the cast on the film's press tour.[123][124] Clark Kent was revealed in a final trailer before the release of the film, but edited in a way that writers felt Lois Lane was dreaming about Clark.[125][126] Sponsorship and marketing partners of the film includedAT&T,[127]Gillette,[128]Mercedes-Benz,[129] andTCL.[130]
The film was released ondigital download on February 13, 2018, and was released onBlu-ray Disc,Blu-ray 3D,4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray, and DVD on March 13, 2018, in various international markets.[132] The Blu-ray features two deleted scenes titledReturn of Superman.[133] It is also notable for having no director commentary from either Snyder or Whedon.[134] As of August 20, 2021[update], it has made $30.4 million in DVD sales and $41.5 million inBlu-ray sales, totaling an estimated $71.9 million in domestic video sales according toThe Numbers.[135]
Justice League grossed $229 million in the United States and Canada and $432.3 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $661.3 million.[136] It had a worldwide opening of $278.8 million.[137][138] Up against an estimatedbreak-even point of as much as $750 million,[139]Deadline Hollywood reported that the film lost the studio around $60 million.[140] Due to the film losing the studio money, the movie was deemed a "box office bomb" or "flop".[141]
In the United States and Canada, industry tracking initially forecast the film debuting to $110–120 million from 4,051 theaters (including 400 IMAX screens).[142] It made $13 million from Thursday night previews, up from the $11 million made byWonder Woman the previous June.[143] However, after making $38.5 million on its first day (including Thursday previews), weekend projections were lowered to $95 million. It ended up debuting to $93.8 million, down 45% fromBatman v Superman's opening of $166 million, and being the first film of the DCEU to open under $100 million.Deadline attributed the low figure to lukewarm audience reaction to the film and most of its predecessors, as well as poor critical reception, and film review aggregation websiteRotten Tomatoes not posting their aggregated score until the day before release, causing speculation and doubt from filmgoers.[144] In its second weekend, the film dropped 56% to $41.1 million, finishing second at the box office, behind newcomerCoco.[145] It was the second-best second weekend hold of the DCEU, behindWonder Woman's 43%, but the lowest overall gross.[146] In its third week it again finished second behindCoco, grossing $16.7 million.[147] It made $9.7 million in its fourth week and $4.3 million in its fifth, finishing a respective second and fifth at the box office.[148][149] In 2018,Forbes compared the drastic incohesive shift from Snyder's darker filmsMan of Steel andBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice to the lighterJustice League (co-written by Whedon), to the similarly drastic and incohesive change in tone experienced from the older 1989 and 1992 Tim Burton's Batman films to the direct light-hearted sequels directed by Schumacher, although noting the former shift in tone was better received than the one inJustice League, affecting box office, due to going against the expectations of Snyder fans in its attempt to reach a higher demographic, while alienating its own established core audience.[150]
In other territories, the film was projected to debut to $215–235 million for a worldwide opening of $325–355 million.[151] It made $8.5 million on its first day from nine countries, including South Korea, France, and Brazil.[143] It ended up having a $185 million international debut from 65 countries, including $57.1 million from China, $9.8 million from the United Kingdom, $9.6 million from Mexico, and $8.8 million from South Korea. The film broke a record in the Philippines with a debut of $1.12M (PHP 57.3M), making it the biggest industry opening day for a film in 2017 and eventually becoming the7th-most successful film of all time.[152] In Brazil, the film opened to $14.2 million, the biggest opening in the country's history.[137] Outside North America, the film's largest markets were China ($106 million), Brazil ($41 million), Mexico ($24.8 million), and United Kingdom ($24 million).[153]
Justice League received mixed to negative reviews, with praise for the cast and the direction, but it was compared unfavorably to Marvel and received criticism for the character of Steppenwolf.[157][155][156][158] On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 39% of 411 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.3/10. The website's consensus reads: "Justice League leaps over a number of DC movies, but its single bound isn't enough to shed the murky aesthetic, thin characters, and chaotic action that continue to dog the franchise."[159]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 45 out of 100, based on 52 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[160] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, and those byPostTrak gave the film an 85% overall positive score (average 4 out of 5 stars) and a 69% "definite recommend".[144]
Richard Roeper of theChicago Sun-Times gave the film 3.5 out of 4 stars, praising the cast, especially Gadot, and saying "It's a putting-the-band-together origins movie, executed with great fun and energy."[161]Owen Gleiberman ofVariety gave the film a positive review, which conceived the film and described it was not "messy or bombastic", and light, clean, and simple.[4]Bilge Ebiri of theVillage Voice similarly gave it a positive review, and said the action scenes of the film went "start and stop and then start again, [and] then go in different directions." Ebiri also describes the film had a "few moments into the Big Climactic Face-Off," but the "rhythms actually lend the film a pleasant unpredictability."[162] Writing forRolling Stone,Peter Travers gave the film 2.5 out of 4 stars, praising the cast but criticizing the action sequences and writing, saying: "The scenes of the League members together, bickering and bonding, spike the film with humor and genuine feeling, creating a rooting interest in the audience. Without it, the film would crumble."[163] Conversely,Todd McCarthy ofThe Hollywood Reporter, while praising Gadot and Miller, called the film visually ugly and boring, saying, "Fatigue, repetition and a laborious approach to exposition are the keynotes of this affair, which is also notable for how Ben Affleck, donning the bat suit for the second time, looks like he'd rather be almost anywhere else but here."[154]
Writing forThe Washington Post, Alyssa Rosenberg also returned with a negative review, and described the film was a "symbol of just how entrenched superhero movies have become in the Hollywood ecosystem, it's also a potent illustration that success hasn't necessarily artistically elevated the genre." Rosenberg felt the film was nearly identical to lots of superhero films that "have come before", and featured some of "the ugliest, most pointless special effects."[164]James Berardinelli gave it 2 out of 4 stars, said that the film and DC Films "came late to the party", asMarvel Studios planned theirCinematic Universe, which they were "sometimes criticized for overthinking and overplanning," and compared toThe Avengers (2012), which has its "formula worked", andThe Avengers was "a popcorn bliss [and] a superhero nirvana".[165] Writing for theFilm Ireland Magazine, Ellen Murray found the characters interesting, but their setting unworthy, said that "there is something undeniably thrilling in seeing these iconic characters work together on the big screen."[166]
Wonder Woman (2017) directorPatty Jenkins particularly dislikedJustice League because the film itself seemed to contradict her film, as both she and Zack Snyder worked together to keep continuity between their films, in details like not changing Wonder Woman's costume, but Joss Whedon reshot the film to the point the characters were not being portrayed as previously shown in past films.[167]
The divisive reaction towards the theatrical cut of the film, with Zack Snyder leaving directorial duties and the final cut of the film in the hands of Joss Whedon, has led to an argument comparing the situation to the one experienced by the filmSuperman II (1980). BothJustice League andSuperman II feature a director who was replaced, for different reasons, before completion of a film, which led to a second director coming in and making substantial changes to the tone of each film. Although the reasoning behind each director's departure differs,Richard Donner was able to completehisSuperman II cut in 2006. In the belief that Snyder had shot enough material for a finished film, a campaign for a "Snyder Cut" was started to allow Snyder to receive a similar treatment to that given to Donner. Arguments were made that Snyder's vision would be more cohesive to the previous films than the actual theatrical cut, which Snyder has refused to see. Warner Bros. initially remained silent regarding any intention of making a "Snyder Cut".[176]
In March 2019, Snyder confirmed his original cut existed, and stated that it was up to Warner Bros. to release it.[177] In November, an insider claimed that Warner Bros. was unlikely to release Snyder's version ofJustice League in theaters, calling it a "pipe dream".[178] In December, Snyder posted a photo in hisVero account, which showed boxes with tapes labeled "Z.S. J.L Director's cut", and with the caption "Is it real? Does it exist? Of course it does."[179] Snyder officially confirmed in May 2020 that his cut ofJustice League will be released forHBO Max service in 2021.[180] The cut cost $70+ million to complete the special effects, musical score, and editing.[181][182] Some of the film's original cast, including Affleck, Fisher, and Miller (remotely), returned to help complete the project,[183] which also included limited additional filming.Jared Leto,Amy Adams, andJ. K. Simmons appeared in the cut asthe Joker, Lois Lane, andJames Gordon, respectively.[184] As a result of the new cut, the original theatrical cut is referred to by fans as the "Whedon Cut"[185] or "Josstice League",[186] referring to the film's replacement director Joss Whedon.[187] Despite being far better received than the theatrical version, Snyder stated that his cut would not be made canon to the DCEU, with Warner Bros. still considering the 2017 cut to be the official version.[188]
A sequel was originally scheduled to be released in June 2019[80] but was subsequently delayed to accommodate the release forThe Batman (2022).[189] By March 2017, producer Charles Roven said that Zack Snyder would direct the film[190] and in October J. K. Simmons stated that the studio was working on the script of the sequel, alongsideThe Batman.[191] Shortly after the release ofJustice League, Henry Cavill said that he was under contract with Warner Bros. to play Superman for one more film.[192] In December, it was revealed that there were "no immediate plans" for Zack Snyder to direct any future DC films, being relegated to an executive producer position instead. This came after a reshuffling of film production staff at Warner Bros. due to the film's mixed critical reception and disappointing financial performance.[193] By 2019, Warner Bros. had prioritized solo films over the project.
In 2019, after previously declining an offer to direct the first film,[194]Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins noted she was open to directing aJustice League sequel.[195][196][197]
Though Snyder's cut ofJustice League has been described byDC Films executives as "a storytelling cul-de-sac" with no sequels planned,[198][199] Snyder stated that he would be willing to return to direct the sequels if the studio offered him the chance.[200] In January 2021,Ray Fisher (who had a fallout with Joss Whedon, Geoff Johns, Jon Berg and former DC Films presidentWalter Hamada) stated that he would only be willing to reprise his role as Cyborg in a future DCEU film ifJustice League Part Two were to be made by Snyder.[201] However, shortly after the "Snyder Cut" was released, Warner Bros CEOAnn Sarnoff said in March that there were no current plans in place for Snyder to return as a director/writer for future DCEU films suggesting a direct sequel to his version ofJustice League remained unlikely.[202] Later in August, DC Films producerCharles Roven stated that aJustice League sequel was still possible, though it would be several years away.[203] A sequel was once again under consideration while De Luca and Abdy were in charge of DC Films (later renamed DC Studios), beforeJames Gunn andPeter Safran took over in 2022.[204] In October 2023,Variety reported that no actors from Zack Snyder's DCEU films would reprise their roles in theDC Universe (DCU).[205]
In a July 2025Wall Street Journal article, it was reported that Gunn and Safran eventually planned to make a new Justice League film set in the DCU.[206]
^abSnyder was the director during principal photography, but was replaced byJoss Whedon during post-production. Snyder retained directorial credit for the finished film,[1] though reports have indicated Whedon reshot a majority of the film.[2]
^abOn home media releases, the RatPac Entertainment logo was replaced with theAccess Entertainment logo (RatPac's current owner), following the rape and sexual harassment allegations against RatPac's CEO,Brett Ratner.[5]
^Murray, Ellen (November 22, 2017)."Review: Justice League".filmireland.net.Archived from the original on September 13, 2018. RetrievedSeptember 13, 2018.
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