Justice League put out a new trailer that has set DC movie fans buzzing, and gotten the attention of the worldwide audience. And while we saw some pretty epic footage of the DC Extended Universe’s biggest superheroes (Batman, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Flash) fighting side-by-side, we didn’t get much of an extensive look at who (or what) they’ll be fighting.
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We know that the Justice League will be battling the forces of the dark planet Apokolips – specifically its general, Steppenwolf, and his Parademon forces. Steppenwolf will be created onscreen from a motion-capture performance by Game of Thrones actor Ciarán Hinds, and the actor recently opened up to reveal some new details about his character.
Speaking with Independent UK, Hinds described a version of Steppenwolf that DC Comics fans may (not) be familiar with: “He’s old, tired, still trying to get out of his own enslavement to Darkseid, [but] he has to keep on this line to try and take over worlds.“
In the comics, Steppenwolf is basically Darkseid’s loyal general; this DC Extended Universe version sounds a lot more like a modern ‘tragic villain’ archetype. On the one hand, it’s more dynamic than the mindless CGI monster that was Doomsday in Batman v Superman; on the other hand, an overly brooding Steppenwolf would be another let down for the hardcore DC Comics fanbase.
Of course, with any comic book adaptation, aesthetic is as important as performance. Hinds’ version of Steppenwolf is going to be created through motion-capture and CGI, but the actor revealed just how much of him we’ll actually see onscreen: “Basically they’re going to construct something, digitally, and then they will use my eyes and mouth.”
That description isn’t much to go on – though our friend BossLogic has already sketched something that seems like it could be quite close! Basically, Steppenwolf will be a big suit of armor with Ciarán Hinds’ face – leaving us with yet another potentially divisive DCEU adaptation.
In Justice League, 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.
Justice League is directed by Zack Snyder, from a screenplay by Chris Terrio, and features an ensemble cast that includes Ben Affleck (Batman), Henry Cavill (Superman), Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), Ezra Miller (The Flash), Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Ray Fisher (Cyborg), Ciarán Hinds (Steppenwolf), Amy Adams (Lois Lane), Diane Lane (Martha Kent), Jeremy Irons (Alfred Pennyworth), J.K. Simmons (Commissioner Gordon), Amber Heard (Mera), Kiersey Clemons (Iris West) and Jesse Eisenberg (Lex Luthor).
DC and Warner Bros. have a full slate ahead, with Teen Titans: The Judas Contract coming first on April 4, 2017. After that it’s time for Wonder Woman on June 2, 2017, followed by Justice League on November 17, 2017. The Batman is expected sometime in 2018, with The Flash debuting on March 23, 2018. Aquaman is set for October 5, 2018, and Nightwing’s solo feature is due sometime in 2019.
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