BREAK IT UP INTO TWO FILMS, MAKE SUPERMAN THE VILLAIN
Initially, WB planned two “Justice League” films, not unlike Marvel‘s upcoming duo of “Avengers” flicks, staring with next summer’s ‘Infinity War.’ The plan was to follow-up “Justice League” with a sequel in 2019, but as Warner Bros. started quickly shifting gears following the reception to “Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice” that idea was scrapped, and the story was slimmed down into a single, two-hour movie. It shows, and in hindsight, it might’ve been more beneficial to stick with their original plan and give the story more room to breathe.
“Justice League” could’ve benefitted by letting this movie build and establish the group, while the second film showed them in action. They could’ve further developed Superman’s subplot, making it the main conflict while Steppenwolf’s vengeance looms heavily over the follow-up.
But how would that work?
Serving as a richer follow-up to ‘Batman v Superman,’ “Justice League” showcases a world deprived of Superman. The loss of the hope he symbolized is heavily felt, and the world starts pitching back into darkness. The most grief-stricken by this immeasurable loss are Batman, Ma Kent (Diane Lane) and Lois Lane (Amy Adams). They all struggle to reconcile with Clark Kent’s absence. Lois Lane buries herself in her work, refusing to confront her feelings directly. Ma Kent tries to comfort her, but she has trouble connecting to Lois without her son. Batman, meanwhile, shuns everyone but Alfred. He sees no point connecting to anyone who’ll abandon him, directly or otherwise. But Wonder Woman is persistent. She knows they need to keep fighting, and she convinces Batman to make a league of superheroes, one who will stand in Superman’s place. It’s a slow process, but they find The Flash, Cyborg and Aquaman and convince them all — with varying degrees of difficulty — to join the Justice League. But even when banded together, they’re still threatened by Steppenwolf, who attacks Wonder Woman’s home and vows to bring the same destruction to the land of man. They have no choice but to bring Superman back to life.
It’s not easy, but they resurrect Superman. But something goes terribly wrong. Superman doesn’t align with them. Instead, in the process of being reborn, he turns evil. He fights the newfound Justice League but their first battle is brutal. He defeats them ruthlessly, and they don’t know how to stop him.
With everything against them, the gang seeks out Lois, knowing she’s the only one who can restore Superman to his former self. After another devastating battle between Superman and Justice League, all hope seems lost. But then Lois appears, connects with Superman and reorients his moral compass and brings him back to the hero we know. Superman is good again, but there’s no time to waste. They need to act quickly if they want to stop Steppenwolf, and that’s where we pick up next time.
The present outline of “Justice League” would more or less stay the same, but with more time to flesh things out and to develop the characters and their world, the audience would be more dramatically and emotionally connected. Admittedly, it’s a gamble if the first film underperformed like this one did, but there’s a good chance it’d do a lot better if it were, you know, a good film.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
Based on the box office for “Justice League,” I doubt WB is happy with the current status of the DCEU. This is a pivotal moment, financially and creatively for the franchise and studio, but there could still be a way forward.
The key right now is to not focus on the Justice League. Warner Bros. needs to earn the right to make another one of these films, and they need to do that by making the core components stronger. That means making good movies with Aquaman and The Flash. Bringing the magic back with “Wonder Woman 2.” Making “The Batman” an interesting standalone film, even if (or especially if) Affleck doesn’t return. Don’t try to over-connect them, just let them stand on their own.
It’s not worth trying to chase the same success as Marvel, and Warner Bros. should realize by now you can’t build a forest overnight. Instead, they need to make a good garden. Make it fertile, and ripe with potential. Make people genuinely excited about these characters. Only after all of this is done should WB consider making another “Justice League.”