Justice League [film]
Entry updated 28 September 2026. Tagged: Film.
US film (2017). Warner Brothers. Directed by Zack Snyder and Joss Weldon (uncredited). Written by Snyder and Chris Terrio (story); Terrio and Weldon (screenplay); based on DC Comics characters. Cast includes Amy Adams, Ben Affleck, Billy Crudup, Henry Cavill, Ray Fisher, Gal Gadot, Amber Heard, Ciarán Hinds (voice), Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Connie Nielsen and J K Simmons. 128 minutes. Colour.
In ancient times, the Supervillain Steppenwolf (voice Hinds) attacked Earth using three "Mother Boxes", but was defeated by an alliance of Superheroes, gods, and other residents of Earth. But the death of Superman – seen in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) – has re-empowered the Boxes, bringing Steppenwolf back to Earth to regain the Boxes and finally conquer Earth. After obtaining one of them from Paradise Island, Wonder Woman (Gadot) alerts Batman (Affleck), and they recruit the Flash (Miller), Aquaman (Momoa) and Cyborg (Fisher), forming what will be known as the Justice League to defend Earth. After Steppenwolf gains the second Box, the superheroes decide to use the third Box, held by Cyborg's father, to bring Superman back to life. After being revived, he initially does not remember anything and battles against the superheroes until girlfriend Lois Lane (Adams) and his mother (Lane) bring him to his senses. In the meantime, Steppenwolf seizes the third Box, but the newly augmented team defeats him. A scene in the end credits shows Lex Luthor plotting to form his own league of Supervillains, preparing audiences for the sequel that never arrived.
The film departs from comic book tradition in emphasizing the superheroes' relationship with their parents, as there are appearances by Superman's mother, Cyborg's father (Stone), the Flash's father (Crudup), Wonder Woman's mother Queen Hippolyta (Nielsen), and Batman's surrogate father the butler Alfred (Irons). And Aquaman's mother is at least mentioned, though not seen. This makes the superheroes seem childlike, which perhaps enhances their appeal while also diminishing their stature. And reflecting Hollywood's insistence that audiences only care about the fates of particular people, not the human race, a sympathetic family with a cute daughter is introduced to be threatened by Steppenwolf, so that audiences can later be moved when the Flash saves them. In the end, the film sold a respectable number of tickets, but because it did not earn back the costs of making and marketing the film, it was deemed a failure, and plans for future Justice League films were cancelled.
Note: due to a personal tragedy, Snyder was unable to complete the film, so Weldon was recruited to re-edit it and add some new scenes. Displeased with the result, Snyder eventually prepared and released his own version, the four-hour Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021), which followed the same plot as the theatrical release but added much new material, including an appearance by the supervillain Darkseid, an extended prologue describing the original battle with Steppenwolf (seen only briefly in flashbacks in Weldon's version), and a conclusion that involves not only Luthor but the League receiving a visit from the Martian Manhunter offering his assistance in dealing with the anticipated return of Darkseid. [GW]
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