With the impending release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League,
or more popularly known as Justice League The Snyder Cut, Warner Bros. hosted
an exhibit in Dallas, Texas showcasing Zack Snyder’s Justice League costume and
concepts as well as storyboards for Zack Snyder’s Justice League Parts 2 and 3.
With art provided by Jim Lee, lucky Dallas fans were in for a treat as they
have finally come to know Snyder’s original plans for his Justice League
Trilogy. Various sites have leaked the storyboard and this is what I was able to
piece together. Read on to find out.
It was said that Justice League part 2 (JL2) would not
directly follow the first movie as the DCEU would take a detour to highlight
solo adventures of Aquaman and maybe Cyborg and The Flash. So certain character
arcs might be picked up from the solo movies to add to JL2. In the story board
for part two, there are vague references of these solo adventures but are
written as part of JL2. The epic battle between the forces of Darkseid and the
League United (and other DC Heroes probably joining the fight also) will
encompass two films. Hence a Trilogy was planned.
This however does not mean that the story for Parts 2 and 3
will only be centered around Darkseid’s invasion. Lex Luthor (as seen in the
Joss Whedon theatrical cut’s mid credits scene) is also forming a team, a so
called Injustice League that would round up various villains that the Justice
Leaguers fought against in their solo adventures. These are namely Dr. Poison
(Wonder Woman 2017), Leonard Snart (The Flash movie), Ocean Master and Black
Manta (Aquaman 2018), and the Riddler (from Ben Affleck’s solo Batman movie).
JL2 will also be a very grounded and personal story for our heroes as we get to
see them do Super Heroic stuffs as a team and in solo capacity as they gain
experience to become better and stronger heroes.
JL2 would end with a cliffhanger, revealing Lex Luthor’s
motivation to form a “league of their own.” And that he actually works for Darskseid.
We are then taken to five years into the future where Darkseid has now ruled
Earth, fully realizing the Knightmare scene which originally appeared in Batman
V Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Pre-JUSTICE LEAGUE
PART 2 (and the respective arc of the Justice Leaguers)
Superman: The recently returned from the dead Superman (from
the Justice League Part 1 movie) will try to re-learn his humanity as Clark Kent
with Lois’ help. They start a family, helping Superman feel more human than
ever.
Wonder Woman: Diana will reconnect with his Amazon roots and
her mother, succeeding her as the Queen of the Amazons and forging a new era
for the Amazons as they reveal their existence to the outside world.
Aquaman: Arthur, with the help of Mera unites the Seven
Kingdoms of the sea, becoming the one true King while building a new alliance
between the sea dwellers and the surface dwellers.
The Flash: Barry frees himself from his tortured past,
setting his father free from prison with the help of Cyborg. He also learns to
master his time traveling abilities, learning to be able to be in two places at
once.
Cyborg: Evolves and fully realizes his potential to become a
modern day Digital Age God while also retaining his humanity.
Batman: Ultimately sacrifices his life for the rest of the
Justice Leaguers and new found friends (including the woman that he loves) and
leaves behind an enduring legacy.
JUSTICE LEAGUE 2 (2019)
At the end of Justice League Part One, the League is finally
UNITED. JL2 begins by featuring our
heroes acting in unison to save lives during a natural disaster. They work as a
team like a well-oiled machine, efficient and powerful, just merely weeks after
the events of Justice League Part One.
Though they save lives, political tension is still high because
government sees them as refugees, aliens, outcasts. The world is cautious with
their intentions.
After a day’s work of saving lives, the Justice League
regroups to the designated headquarters, the Batcave. Flash is in high spirits,
while Superman remains cold and a bit distant, most notably towards Batman.
Aquaman continues to face scepticism from both the people in the surface world
as well as his constituents in the sea because of his involvement in both
worlds. Wonder Woman tells Arthur that her people, the Amazons, also has given
up on the humans long ago, retreating to their own secluded Paradise Island. It is however clear though that while the
Justice League stands United, the world that their trying to save is not.
The Justice Leaguers goes back to their respective lives to
recuperate and mend old wounds, except for Batman who’s apparently dealing with
fresh wounds and retreats to his cave alone.
Bruce secretly reaches out to Lois, both of them still
searching to Lex Luthor’s whereabouts. There is palpable tension between the
both of them ever since Superman’s return. Their meeting ends after Lois tells
Bruce that Superman needs her more than ever. But Bruce suspects that Lois is
hiding something from him.
Lex Luthor recruiting
his own League
Meanwhile, deep in the Brazilian Jungle, Luthor finds Dr.
Poison (last seen in the first Wonder Woman movie) still alive, experimenting
on herself to prolong her life while testing new chemical weapons on hapless
human lab rats. Obsessed with her experiments, Dr. Poison has spent a sizeable
of her time collecting information and artifacts on Wonder Woman and the
Amazons. Now that Wonder Woman is fully
revealed to the world, Luthor encourages Dr. Poison to have her revenge on
Wonder Woman and the Amazons. Just the same as Luthor’s plan in having his
revenge on Superman and Batman. Dr. Poison accepts Luthor’s offer for a team
up. As Luthor smiles, he remarks “Then let it begin…”
At the Atacama Desert, Luthor (with Dr. Poison’s assistance)
breaks out Ocean Master and Black Manta from the desert prison (where they were
imprisoned at the end of Aquaman movie.)
In the outskirts of Central City, in Iron Heights
Penitentiary, Luthor breaks out Leonard Snart (where he was left in The Flash
movie) and offers Snart a chance to upgrade his weaponry and help take down the
Flash.
Intercut Lex and the villains with the Justice League return
to their lives
In Metropolis, Superman asks Lois when she was going to tell
him. "Tell you what, Clark?" Superman says he can hear the second
heartbeat — and that she shouldn't call him Clark. Clark is dead, and the world
believes that too. Superman mistakes Lois' hesitation for fear. "It won't
hurt you." he says.
At the Louvre in Paris, Wonder Woman and Menalippe (The
Amazon who came to warn Wonder Woman about Steppenwolf) discover there may be a
way to "remember" the path back to Themyscira. Wonder Woman must use
the Lasso on herself to unlock her mind. It's a dangerous process, but Wonder
Woman wanted to help Menalippe go home as well as to see her mother again, even
if she might reject her.
As Wonder Woman puts the Lasso on she’s suddenly overwhelmed
by visions! In the beginning, they were wonderful. For the first time in over a
century, Wonder Woman sees her home — soaring over the island — she sees the
Amazons and finally, her mother Hippolyta. But then her visions turned dark.
Wonder Woman sees herself turned into the God of War locked in a battle with Superman.
As she kills him, Wonder Woman cries out!
Menalippe frees Wonder Woman from the Lasso. Despite the
pain and confusion, Diana remembers the way home…
In a Central City courthouse, Barry is at a hearing. Thanks
to Cyborg, Iris, and a troop of lawyers from Wayne, the state has examined new
evidence that Barry (and Vic) have presented and agree to re-open Henry Allen's
case. Barry's elated.
Along an underwater continental shelf, Aquaman and Mera are
in a violent battle with the last of the 7 Kingdoms – The Unseen! It explodes
around tidal pools and active lava flows. Arthur has the 7th King on the
ground, his trident at his throat. The 7th King tells him to kill him. Arthur
says he wants an alliance, but the 7th King refuses. Arthur leaves, frustrated.
The Last Kingdom refuses to unite.
In the Batcave, Cyborg upgrades the cave — even providing a
female A.I. voice for Alfred, who has become a father figure of sorts. Looking
at the empty cave around them, Cyborg asks Alfred, "Why's he never
home?" Alfred solemnly replies, "Because then he'd have to face
himself."
Batman and Lois on the Hunt for Lex Luthor
Batman moves deep into the Canadian wilderness, doing
second, following up on a lead that Lex may have been sighted in one of the
remote towns. He fights his way through a secret location only to discover not
Lex Luthor hiding out — but the Riddler! Awake for days — maybe weeks — Riddler
has a long unkempt beard, his fingers dirty, his rantings written across the
walls of his cabin. He looks at Batman, a man possessed, "Luthor asked the
question — I had to know the answer!"
Lois is also on Luthor's trail. She located Dr. Maru's lair
in the Brazilian jungle. Lois writes everything in a journal, keeping it
off-line and private. She grows pale as she realizes who Maru is… and what Lex
might be up to — He's forming a team of his own.
Back in the Canadian wilderness, Batman faces off against
the Riddler. He tells Bruce about how Lex came to him for information. Lex
presented the Anti-Life Equation, the riddle of life itself— and the Riddler
solved it! He knows what it can do. And once it's unlocked, Lex will make life
meaningless. The Riddler raises a gun but points it at his own head. "Time
to solve the last riddle…" Blamm! Batman's shocked as Riddler kills
himself.
The Justice League members unite with their families
Wonder Woman and Menalippe arrive in Themyscira. Diana's
unsure what her mother's reaction will be… but a tearful and overjoyed
Hippolyta embraces her. The Queen declares there will be a celebration unlike
any other in Amazon history — her daughter is home!
In the oceans, Aquaman and Mera bring the final kingdom of
the seven — The Unseen — into their alliance. For the first time since Atlantis
sank, it is once again united!
In Central City, for the first time since he was a kid there
is no wall of glass between Barry and his father. Henry Allen is released from
prison, exonerated. Barry's about to tell his father who he is.
In Metropolis, Lois returns to Superman, tells him she will
accept Clark is gone, but she has to go, still on the trail of Lex.
In Gotham, Batman returns from the wilderness, shaken by the
Riddler's proclamation.
INTERCUT WITH Lois discovering from General Swanwick that
Lex has the three mother boxes "oh no…"
Lex activates his plan
At the Three Rivers, helicopters survey the area — Lex is on
the scene, his team elsewhere but in contact with him Lex activates the boxes,
his true plan — to destroy the Justice League and take this secret power called the Anti-Life Equation for his own. It will give him power over all living
life. The Anti-Life Equation glows as Lex turns on the boxes— Cyborg
"blinks," feeling a horrible emptiness as the influx of data stops for
the first time since he first went online.
And a boom tube erupts in front of Lex, surprising him!
Emerging from the portal, Desaad— the horrific, sadistic servant of his master
— Darkseid, who emerges behind him. Darkseid then takes the power of the Anti-Life
Equation for himself!
Superman vs. Darkseid
In the Batcave, Superman, Batman, and Lois regroup. They
learn of Darkseid's arrival. Superman tells Batman that this is a fight among
the gods. "She's my world," he tells Bruce, "Protect her."
Superman flies off to confront Darkseid—
After Superman leaves, Bruce and Lois argue — Bruce knows
she's pregnant. Lois ends the argument by telling Bruce, "You're not the
father." She tries to tell Bruce about what she's discovered with what Lex
is planning, but he won't listen —
At the Three Rivers, taking in Darkseid's arrival Lex tells
Darkseid that Darkseid has the power to kill Superman. Darkseid moves forward,
acknowledging Lex. He says to Lex, "I don't want him dead, I want Superman
to submit." "The girl," says Lex. She's the key to breaking his
spirit.
Superman arrives and a battle with Darkseid Erupts!
But Darkseid booms to Lois with the Batcave collapsing around
her and Batman at his arrival. Bruce looks down at Darkseid and Lois from
behind the glass wall above. As Darkseid stares at Lois, Bruce is overwhelmed.
What can he do?
Superman flies at incredible speed to get to Gotham. He arrives
just in time to see Darkseid unleashing his Omega Beams from his eyes — turning
Lois into ash!
Superman cries out, his soul shatters. Grief-stricken, he
moves to tear Darkseid apart, but Darkseid gazes at him, the power of the
Anti-Life coursing through his veins —Superman stops, his mind is infected by
Darkseid. Bruce watches it all in horror. Superman grabs his head in pain, eyes
burning…
The Justice League under attack
Before Lois is able to warn everyone, Lex signals his team
to attack!
On Themyscira, Dr. Maru unleashes a chemical gas that covers
the island — and kills the Amazons, even Diana, who dies in her mother's arms.
Maru dies herself with a sick and twisted smile on her face.
In Atlantis, Orm and Black Manta attack the coronation —
killing Arthur, with Mera barely surviving herself, suffering a cut across her face.
In Central City, Snart attacks Flash with his amped up
weapons, courtesy of Luthor. Cyborg is blown apart saving Barry, losing his
lower half.
Back at the Batcave, Batman watches in horror as Darkseid
takes full control of Superman. Superman turns on Batman and he barely escapes!
Lex believes he's won, then comes face-to-face with Superman. Superman looks at Lex with burning red eyes — and lights him on fire.
As Lex screams, The world goes red and — cut to:
Five Years Later
Sand dunes. Smoldering solar pits. Gothic spires rising from
the desert. Once, this was Gotham. Now, like the rest of Earth, it belongs to
Darkseid.
Coming over the dune, post-apocalyptic Batman (as seen in
BvS), with a ragtag army of rebels – the surviving members of the Justice
League walk over the rise of a dune to see the dilapidated Wayne Manor. Batman
leads them. Flash drags what's left of Cyborg behind him. Bruce looks up to the
sky, grimly, "We need to get inside before night. He's coming…"
-END -
JUSTICE LEAGUE 3 (2020)
Green Lantern comes to a Post-Darkseid Earth
We open by introducing Green Lantern to the Justice League
film universe. He's inside his ship crashing to Earth, desperately trying to
make contact with someone —anyone. But there's no response, only static.
The ship crashes hard. Disoriented, Lantern hears someone
outside, opening the door. A silhouette figure peers in — it's Batman.
Opening on the five years later Earth seen at the end of
Justice League 2, Parademons conveyer onto the ship, Batman defends Lantern.
Then an unexpected ally assists Batman — Deadshot, firing at the parademons —
in this post-Darkseid world, Deadshot is teamed-up with the Dark Knight.
Then they're joined by The Flash
Batman barks at Flash to stay out of the fight, Barry's too
important to the mission to risk getting hurt. Flash saves Batman, cocky — but
is soon overwhelmed by Parademons. Flash is almost killed, but Lantern saves
him – the iconic friendship between the two beginning.
Lantern looks across the Earth, analyzing it with his ring.
He explains to them who he is and who the Green Lantern Corps is… or was — how
he came here looking for his partner from Earth, who's missing and presumed
dead, like most of the Lanterns. Darkseid's army is paving their way across the
universe. In the sky, the Big Dipper constellation is missing two stars. Batman
says that all the stars will go out because of what's happening on Earth.
The sun is setting. Batman says they need to move…
The Justice League Regroup
Batman, Deadshot, Flash, and Lantern return to the League's
hidden base camp under Wayne Manor. Mera joins them, walking to the camp —
across the desert— with Arthur's trident slung across her shoulders carrying
two buckets of water. Mera remarks she's had to venture further outside of camp
to locate drinkable water.
Bruce explains his operation to Lantern – they are planning
on a move that will end Darkseid's rain on Earth. Lantern doesn't think they
have a shot — he wants to repair his ship and try to find any surviving
members of the Corps. Lantern wonders what this Justice League could do to stop
Darkseid…
The Last Supper of the Justice League
We reveal a Post-Darkseid Cyborg, now half a man — able to plug
into machinery, hanging in the Batcave, working on a massive technology — a
Cosmic Treadmill — that will help the Flash jump back in time. To what end,
Lantern asks.
Cyborg tells Lantern the specifics of how time travel works.
It's very uncontrollable. And even if they can get Flash to travel back, they
can only try this once a year — so that the Earth will be in the very same spot
and the Flash doesn't jump into solid bedrock. Flash shrugs, "or
space."
In order to operate it they need to steal a Motherbox from
Darkseid's army — and they know where one is. But once they power this machine
up, they'll get "his" attention. Lantern asks who. Mera answers, a
Darkseid-controlled Superman. Even Lantern has heard of the Kryptonian, worried
that he's under the control of Darkseid. He heard his spirit was unbreakable.
Deadshot goes on — across the world, beyond parademons,
nearly the entire population has fallen to the Anti-Life Equation, their minds
being completely controlled by Darkseid. Deadshot says he remembers when his
daughter was taken. It haunts him. Worse than death.
They need to move soon, the planet alignment is tomorrow
night — where Earth will be in the same place as it was when Bruce first saw Flash
in the Batcave. If they don't jump then, they won't have another opportunity
for an entire year.
The plan is that Barry will warn Batman — so that they can
be prepared. But the Flash will only have 10-15 seconds before he's taken
apart. So what can he say in that amount of time to Bruce? They all agree it's
simple, "You have to stop Lex."— if Lex is stopped, Darkseid will
never come here, and Lex will never slaughter the Justice League.
Afterwards, Bruce pulls Barry aside. Bruce tells him that it
won't work. He was trying to stop Lex already. Flash has to say something else.
Bruce says that this is his fault…
In a rare moment of vulnerability, Bruce admits "She
was Superman's world. I believe I broke that connection."
Bruce whispers in Barry's ear… and Flash's eyes go wide.
Flash can't help but say, "No way." Bruce responds, "Tell me
that. It will change everything…"
The Mission
The mission starts at dawn. In a Fury Road-inspired Batmobile, the Justice League —Batman, Green Lantern, Deadshot and Mera — break
into the stronghold, a cathedral swarming with Anti-Life controlled people
(Darkseid's soldiers). Human priests kneel at the Motherbox.
Batman says that as soon as they get the Motherbox, Superman will
be aware of them.
Back at the Batcave, Cyborg and the Flash are preparing for
Flash's jump. Cyborg makes it clear that the Flash won't have much time — he
needs to deliver the message before he crumbles into nothingness. But if Barry
succeeds, it won't matter. None of this will have ever happened.
Batman and the others steal the Motherbox, then make a dead
run back to the cave as the Flash and Cyborg prepare for Barry's jump with Superman in pursuit!
Superman arrives and faces off against the Justice League.
From a tower, Deadshot fires a Kryptonite bullet at
Superman's back — but Superman dodges it. Batman asks Deadshot over his comm,
"What happened?" Deadshot tells Batman this better work — this better
save my daughter. Superman flies through the tower, killing Deadshot.
Mera tries to remove the water from Superman. He crushes
her.
Green Lantern fires his ring at Superman, but he sends his
corrupted heat vision into the ring — until the ring explodes, taking Lantern's
arm with it.
Cyborg does what he can against Superman as Flash prepares
to jump. Just after Cyborg activates the machine, Superman tosses him to the Parademons — they tear him apart.
Then finally, it's Batman facing off against Superman — the
Flash runs hard on the machine, seconds away from the jump.
Batman is armed with the kryptonite spear — but Superman
impales Batman with it. As these two heroes struggle — the Flash races as fast
as he can, exploding through time — just before Superman reaches him.
The Flash races back in time...
Flash is pulled through time
Then we're with Bruce and Lois as they first argue in
Justice League 2. "You're not the father." Lois storms out of the
Batcave when —
The Flash arrives, landing in the Justice League 2 moment.
He tells Bruce what we didn't hear before — what Bruce whispered in Flash's ear
— "Lois lied to you. You're the father." After delivering his
message, the Flash vanishes from existence!
Lois comes down, trying to reconnect with Bruce, who is
still reeling from the information. Again Lois is insisting he listens to her —
this time he does. She tells him Lex has a plan to take out the Justice League.
Working together they discover his attack plans against the League.
Suddenly, Darkseid's boom tube opens, water pouring into the
cave again. Darkseid looks at Lois. Bruce looking down from above behind the
glass again —
But this time Bruce goes into action—
Smashing through the glass, throwing himself in front of
Darkseid's omega beams as he moves Lois out of the way — he's struck by them,
crying out — but he survives!
Superman arrives in time to see Batman injured. He flies into
a rage, but instead of being broken — he's empowered, angry. Superman puts
Darkseid on his heels and Darkseid is forced to retreat!
Lois tells Superman he has to warn the others. Lex has a
plan.
With information from Lois on Lex's "Injustice
League", Superman saves the League —stopping Maru from releasing the gas
on Themyscira, Orm and Black Manta from killing Aquaman and Len from taking out
Cyborg.
Meanwhile, Bruce reveals to Lois that although he's alive —
he was hit. There's a darkness growing across his body. He's in pain. But they
need to keep fighting. He tells Lois as he boards the Batplane, "I
could've had a life outside of the cave with you."
Bruce leaves as across the world —
Earth unites against Darkseid
Darkseid's full scale invasion begins —and it's too much for
the Justice League to handle on their own — but they won't have to. Led and
inspired by Superman, the countries of the world come together: Armies, Air
Forces, Navies. Wonder Woman and her mother lead the Amazons off Themyscira to
join the war!
In the oceans, Aquaman pleads to the Seven Kingdoms,
declaring there is an eighth —The Surface World — and they must be allies, not
enemies. The Seven Kingdoms rise to join the Amazons and the Surface!
The Entire world becomes a Justice League
In a "Lord of the Rings"- like finale, the history
of the three armies that first battled Darkseid echoes itself today: The world
of Men, The Amazons and the Atlantean.
As the battle continues, Green Lantern joins the fight along
with the alien Green Lantern Corps.
It's the entire DC Universe together for the very first time
— on a scale unlike any what's ever been seen — battling to save the world
together.
During the battle, Hippolyta dies saving her daughter, proud
of what's she's done.
The Flash is able to move so quickly, he masters his powers
— existing in two places at once. Unstoppable, he takes out an entire army
himself.
Cyborg is able to overpower the Motherboxes, taking control
of them and triggering a chain reaction that destroys them, weakening Darkseid.
It's ultimately a dying Batman who sacrifices himself to
save the League and the world — destroying Darkseid!
In the Aftermath
Diana becomes the new Queen of the Amazons, leading them to
rejoin the outside world to restore and inspire peace.
With the Amazons at her side, Diana negotiates peace between
the countries of the world, unlike anything in history.
Arthur is recognized by the kingdoms as a True King that has
helped unite the world, the skepticism over his human heritage not only gone
but replaced with admiration.
Cyborg evolves, becoming a god of the Digital Age — and able
to transform himself to look human again!
Lois mourns Bruce's death. Superman looks closer, realizing
that Lois is carrying Bruce's child. Lois admits it, but he already knows.
Maybe he always did, he says. He saw what he needed to. But he doesn't shy
away. Instead, he embraces Lois — and her unborn child. He has a reason to be
Clark again…
20 Years Later
Twenty years later, after a memorial commemorating the
Batman's sacrifice, commissioner Barbara Gordon asks Lois, "What are you
going to tell him?" — referring to telling Lois' son the truth about his
father. For the first time in decades, crime is returning to Gotham — and it
needs the Batman again. (Various Justice League members like Martian Manhunter
present.) Lois takes her son to the Batcave and reveals the truth — that his
father was Bruce Wayne/Batman…
In Gotham, rising from the shadows and out into the
moonlight, we meet the ALL-NEW BATMAN!
END
P.S. I've taken the liberty to paraphrase and edit some words for brevity.
No, Robert Pattinson's Batman is not the intended son of Batman and Lois.
Text was taken from Bleeding Cool which can be accessed here in its entirety.
