The hiring of James Gunn as one of the CEOs of DC Studios has ended up changing Warner Bros. Discovery’s plans for Justice League 2. Since 2017, the DC Universe (formerly known as the DCEU) hasn’t had the Justice League together on the big screen despite other franchises in the universe going forward. While Zack Snyder’s Justice League cut ended up getting released on HBO Max, that iteration of the film is not considered canon to the larger DCU. Instead, the Snyder Cut was retroactively established to exist in its own continuity.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the hiring of Gunn has shaken up the studio’s plans for Justice League 2. Per a new report by the trade, Warner Bros. Pictures’ Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy wanted at least one more installment with the established Justice League actors. However, that was prior to Gunn and Safran beginning to work on their 10-year plan for the DCU, which is currently in flux. Neither Gunn, Safran, nor anyone from the studio have commented on the story.
What Justice League 2 Could’ve Looked Like
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So far, it’s unclear who would have written or directed Justice League 2, as there was no creative team mentioned in the initial report. At this point, since the studio still consider Joss Whedon’s Justice League to be canon for the DCU, they would have had to work off of that installment and everything that has followed since 2017. Even though Whedon’s cut has been regarded as canon for several years, that was part of the old Warner Bros. regime, as DC Studios may very well want to distance themselves from the 2017 box office and critical bomb. What is easier to guess, however, is who would have likely been part of the line-up for Justice League 2.
With Henry Cavill having recently returned to the DCU as Superman, it’s more than likely that he would have been one of the headlining heroes. Other characters that would probably be part of it too were Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa’s Aquaman, and whoever stands as Batman after the events of The Flash movie. In terms of Barry Allen himself, it’s unclear whether Ezra Miller would have continued to portray The Flash in the movies following their multiple legal controversies in 2022. Justice League 2 may have also been the film where Zachary Levi’s Shazam finally comes into the fold, and perhaps even featured the return of Ray Fisher’s Cyborg, now that Walter Hamada and the old regime have departed the studio.
Can Justice League 2 Still Happen?
Even though the launch of DC Studios has put everything in flux, it’s not impossible for Justice League 2 to happen down the line. If Safran and Gunn are not rebooting the entire franchise, it’s possible their DCU plan for the next decade will simply start with a brand new slate of films featuring the same Justice League actors that will lead up to the next team-up installment. However, if Gunn and Safran end up scrapping the current DCU and starting with a fresh new continuity, it makes Justice League 2‘s chances look slimmer than ever.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter