Four Ways to Make a Good Justice League Movie

by Howie Decker @HowardTheDeck on April 17, 2013

in Lists

Plot a course and stick with it

One of the biggest hangups with determining how to proceed with a Justice League movie is Superman. Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel is just hanging out there, and at this point you get the feeling Warner Bros. wishes it could fast forward to summer 2013. By then they will know if this version of Superman is Justice League-worthy, or if he needs to go the way of Green Lantern and be rebooted already.

Whether they choose a definitive course of action before or after the Man of Steel release, they need to stick with it. If they decide to cast Henry Cavill as Superman in a Justice League movie, then what happened in Man of Steel needs to have happened in the Justice League movie. None of this same-character-different-universe garbage that confuses and alienates casual fans.

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Classick September 18, 2012 at 2:08 pm

The League!

Great step-by-step list for DC. Unfortunately, Step 4 is what they’ve been stuck on for years, but I can only imagine that the morning that Marvel’s Avengers released, exactly at 2:05 a.m., DC had an emergency meeting centered around how to get their shit together for a Justice League film. They should feel ashamed that they held all the various character rights under one roof for so long and did nothing to tie them all together.

Speaking of diversity, I’m all for non-Daily Show John Stewart carrying the Green Lantern mantle. And if they’re gonna include Cyborg or Firestorm, I’d be OK with that too, but please PLEASE retcon Black Vulcan from the Super Friends and let’s just call him Vulcan?

Maybe they should just do a Legion of Doom movie, sort of a Justice League prequel? Yeah, that’s the ticket!

Howie Decker September 18, 2012 at 2:38 pm

Classick- it’s funny you say that. Googs and I spent over an hour last week trying to figure out how they could do a Legion of Doom movie and have that lead to a JL pic. We decided that in the end they would basically win, and with the Earth in turmoil, that would signal the formation of the Justice League. By then. we’d know if the CAvill Superman worked or not, and go from there. We though the protagonist of a LOD pic would have to be a heroic human like Steve Trevor or someone who tries to battle the LOD but just can’t get it done without Super-help.

Brian Morin September 18, 2012 at 5:32 pm

The bad guys winning in the end with a shimmer of hope for good? It’s such an under-used plot twist, that works almost every time (Empire stands out to me sat the best example.) I would love to see DC run with it. Let’s just hope Man of Steel is decent. It doesn’t have to be great, just better than Superman Returns and Green Lantern (Shouldn’t be too hard)

Shawn Smith-Ford September 18, 2012 at 5:30 pm

thanks for the kind mention, and this was brilliantly put together- when ydo you start work at Warner Brothers?

Howie Decker September 19, 2012 at 9:22 am

They’d never hire me, I’m a terrible interview. I reek of Reduced Fat Cheez-Its and desperation. Thanks for reading!

More0_0Than September 19, 2012 at 8:01 am

I think you are on to something with the LoD, they make the heroes who they are. While I am more of a Marvel guy you have to give DC props on the depth of their rogues galleries and the LoD is the best of the worst.

Using John Stewart would be fine but I’m not sure that taking the “we have a ____!” approach to market the film will do it any favors unless it’s good.

Waiting for Superman is probably necessary, but DC has already missed the boat here, if they rush in now it is an Avengers ripoff, if they wait it’s an Avengers ripoff. Their best bet at this point is to make it the best film they can and hope that it can outlast the comparison.

Fogs September 19, 2012 at 9:57 am

I agree with ’em all except “Wait”. They’ve waited long enough. Plus, production time will still put this thing 3 years out at the earliest. So if they wait any longer, the superhero craze may very well have sputtered and died. These things happen.

There’s some other things too… but it should probably be taken for granted that they get a good script and a good director.

Ronnie January 15, 2013 at 10:19 am

I really like your point about DC’s villains. Make them a focal point, set yourself apart from Marvel in that way. Because honestly, both Iron Man’s movie villains sucked, no good Hulk villain (besides Ross, and that’s a different kind of conflict) and besides striking gold with Loki they haven’t had a great villain presence yet.

BM Punk April 17, 2013 at 10:17 pm

I like the John Stewart call and I REALLY like the villains idea

Hawkam May 15, 2013 at 12:26 pm

It’s simple , keep going with snyders supes , mean while prepare a atlantians vs amazonians war movie where aquaman and ww meet .
Reboot batman , in batman 2 let him meet the flash who has just gained his powers and being put in the right path by bats .
Follow the secret origins path where john stewart who’s a new green lantern and ex marin torn between lantern duty and cadimus influence over the white house , while mars is being attacked and one surviver finds refuge in earth (man hunter) !!
There i solved all tge riddles for u WB !

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