Justice League

Produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Films, RatPac-Dune Entertainment, Atlas Entertainment, and Cruel and Unusual Films, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is the fifth installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU).

Directed by Zack Snyder and written by Chris Terrio and Joss Whedon, the film features an ensemble cast including Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen, and J.

K. Simmons.

In the film, following the events of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) Batman and Wonder Woman recruit The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg after the death of Superman to save the world from the catastrophic threat of Steppenwolf and his army of Parademons.

Warner Bros. began to develop a live-action Justice League film in 2007 with George Miller set to direct, but the project was canceled due to production delays and budgetary concerns. Principal photography took place from April to October 2016.

After Snyder stepped down from the film following the death of his daughter, Whedon was hired to oversee the remainder of post-production, including writing and directing additional scenes, as well as reshooting a large portion of the film, which changed many aspects of it; Snyder ultimately retained sole credit as director.

With an estimated production budget of $300 million, Justice League is one of the most expensive films ever made. Justice League premiered in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on November 13, 2017, and was released in the United States four days later.

The film grossed $661.3 million worldwide against an assumed break-even point of $750 million, becoming a box office bomb and losing Warner Bros. an estimated $60 million.

It received mixed reviews from critics, with criticism aimed towards the plot, pacing, generic villain, direction, cinematography, and computer-generated imagery, while its humor and disjointed tone were met with polarized responses, although the action sequences and performances were praised.

Whedon’s major involvement during post-production also received harsh criticism especially from the cast, particularly Gadot and Fisher.

A director’s cut, titled Zack Snyder’s Justice League, was released on HBO Max in March 2021, after fans had been advocating for Snyder’s original version of the film since the film’s theatrical release.

The attempt is foiled by a unified alliance including the Olympian Gods, Amazons, Atlanteans, humanity, and extraterrestrial beings. The Mother Boxes are separated and hidden in different locations.

Thousands of years later, humanity is still in mourning two years after the death of Superman, which triggered the Mother Boxes’ reactivation and Steppenwolf’s return to Earth.

Steppenwolf aims to gather the boxes to form “The Unity”, which will destroy Earth’s ecology and terraform it in the image of Steppenwolf’s homeworld.

Steppenwolf retrieves one Mother Box from Themyscira, prompting Queen Hippolyta to warn her daughter Diana.

Diana joins Bruce Wayne in an attempt to unite other metahumans to their cause: Wayne goes after Arthur Curry and Barry Allen, while Diana locates Victor Stone. Wayne fails to persuade Curry but finds Allen enthusiastic.

Stone joins after his father Silas and other S.T.A.R. Labs employees are kidnapped by Steppenwolf, who is seeking the Mother Box protected by humanity.

Steppenwolf attacks an Atlantean outpost to retrieve the next Mother Box, forcing Curry into action. Stone retrieves the last Mother Box for the group, revealing that his father used it to rebuild Stone’s body after an accident almost killed him.

Knowing this information, Wayne decides to use the Mother Box to resurrect Superman, not only to help them fight off Steppenwolf’s invasion but also to restore hope to humanity.

Clark Kent’s body is exhumed and placed in the amniotic fluid of the genesis chamber in the Kryptonian scout ship, along with the Mother Box, successfully resurrecting him. However, his memories have not returned, and he attacks the group.

Batman enacts his contingency plan: Lois Lane. Superman calms down and leaves with her to his family home in Smallville, where his memories come back. In the turmoil, the last Mother Box is left unguarded, allowing Steppenwolf to retrieve it.

Without Superman to aid them, the five heroes travel to a village in Russia, where Steppenwolf’s lair is located.

They fight their way through the Parademons; just when all hope seems lost, Superman arrives and assists Stone in separating the Mother Boxes. The team defeats Steppenwolf, who is attacked by his own Parademons when they smell his fear.

After the battle, Bruce and Diana set up a base of operations for the team. Diana and Arthur resume their heroic duties; Barry acquires a job in Central City’s police department; Victor continues to enhance his abilities with his father in S.T.A.R.

Labs; Superman resumes his life as reporter Clark Kent and protector of Earth. In a post-credits scene, Lex Luthor has escaped from Arkham Asylum and recruits Slade Wilson to form a league of their own.