In part 1 we started putting together our new DCEU Justice League team. We included in the mix The Flash (Ezra Miller), Supergirl (Sasha Calle), Green Lantern John Stewart (John Boyega), and Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell). In part 2 we’re going to round out our eight member Justice League team. I got an assist on this from our contributor and friend Kris Greet.

Hawkman (Aldis Hodge)

Aldis Hodge was cast as Hawkman in the upcoming Dwayne Johnson led Black Adam movie and talk about fantastic casting! I seriously can not wait to see him and the rest of the JSA fight (or team up?) with Black Adam. I hope that Hawkman survives the movie, and if he does he’d be a perfect fit for the new Justice League.

John Constantine (Matt Ryan)

While talking about being perfectly cast I need to mention Matt Ryan as John Constantine. He looks and sounds exactly how I always expected John Constantine would. He is ripped directly from the page. He was great in his own short lived show, and I was glad to see him return for the the CW and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. With the character gone from the series, he should be the magical anchor for the Justice League (or the go between for the League and for the Justice League Dark!). He can be the version we already met, or he could be an all new version of the character (thank you multiverse!). Just like JK Simmons as J Jonah Jameson in the Spider-Man movies, if you have the perfect person in the role, just keep using them!

The Atom Ryan Choi (Zheng Kai)

Okay, so this pick might cause a little controversy. Zheng Kai was cast and filmed scenes as Ryan Choi (pre becoming The Atom) for the 2017 Justice League, but was cut from the final movie. Then in ZSJL cut, his scenes were restored. I love the character of the Atom. Brandon Routh made a great Ray Palmer Atom (in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow), and Kai has the potential to excel as Ryan Choi. With the multiverse, it does not matter what cut he appeared or didn’t appear in. I think we can use this casting and look forward instead of looking back.

Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot)

I can not imagine a Justice League team without at least one of the big three. Gadot is returning for Wonder Woman 3, so why not also another JL movie? She is perfect in the role and would be the proper choice to lead the new team into battle.

Presenting our new imagined Justice League Unlimited:

In part 3 we will talk about potential villains for our new Justice League to face off against. What do you think about our overall team?

For the past year or so there have been rumors that the upcoming DCEU movie The Flash was going to reboot the movie universe (or multiverse) for future DC Comics movies. This seemed even more likely after both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton were cast as Batman (both reprising their past takes on the character). Now the rumors have fired up again, and this time with the added unconfirmed (no spoilers here) rumor that the rebooted universe may get its own Justice League.

Lets take a moment to look at who could be in this… Justice League Unlimited.

The Flash (Ezra Miller)

If The Flash will reshape the universe, they are putting a lot on Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen/Flash and he will need to be the glue to keep the new Justice League together. I can not imagine them moving forward in that way without him being a part of the new team.

Supergirl (Sasha Calle)

We have only seen her briefly in the trailer for The Flash, but can tell that she will be a key part of the movie (and future movies?). We have an excellent Superman on TV with Superman & Lois, so maybe having a different member of the Superman family as part of the DCEU’s Justice League makes sense. And there is where Sasha Calle’s version of Supergirl comes into play. From the suit design we can already tell that she is a version of the character we have not seen in live-action (a very different version than the Arrow-verse one). Someone on the team needs to have the “S”, so why not Supergirl?

Green Lantern John Stewart (John Boyega)

No, before you start any rumors, John Boyega has not been cast as John Stewart for the upcoming HBO Max series Green Lanterns Corps! But they should! We are now getting into the area of fan casting. Boyega is a fantastic actor and has the perfect balance of toughness and smarts that makes up John Stewart. I know that somewhere in the DC multiverse is Ryan Reynolds’ Hal Jordan waiting to light up his CGI suit, but if there is a Green Lantern as part of this new DCEU, I really hope that John Stewart is a part of it.

Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell)

There is no reason for the new DCEU not to pick and choose characters from past DC movies that deserve to be seen again. Jurnee Smollett-Bell’s Black Canary was a new take on a classic character that worked really well in the Birds of Prey movie and she’d be a welcome addition to a new Justice League. Like the Avengers, you need to balance the team with not only god-like powerful characters, but grounded heroes as well. With Smollett-Bell reprising the role in an upcoming HBO Max movie, it would make sense for her to crossover into the wider new DCEU.

In part 2 of “Who Should Be in a DCEU JLUnlimited?” we will explore more fan casting of characters we haven’t seen yet along with a few familiar faces (maybe even a TV character that should make the jump). Who do you want to see in a new Justice League?

If you haven’t seen Zack Snyder’s Justice League on HBO Max yet, I recommend turning around and checking it out! We touch one some spoilers from the epic 4 hour “Elseworlds” special. It is currently unknown if Zack Snyder will make anymore movies, TV shows, specials, or anything else having to do with the DCEU, but the Snyder cut opens the door to some great potential spinoffs. We’re not sharing some secret news or exclusive, we’re just looking at a few potential ways that we’d like to the the ZSJL universe continue. Again, spoilers to follow!

NIGHTMARE TIMELINE MINI SERIES

We saw a warning from the future in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice along with a brief vision Batman had of a “Nightmare” Earth. In Zack Snyder’s Justice League this idea was expanded big time. While connecting to the Mother Boxes, Cyborg got a warning that looks like the start of the “Nightmare”! A future where Darkseid has killed Aquaman, Wonder Woman, and Lois Lane, and has brainwashed a revived Superman. Later in the Epilogue, we see this world again with Batman leading a team of heroes and villains against Darkseid and the now evil Superman. I assume that future Zack Snyder Justice League movies would have expanded this concept further, but without those it would be great to see these ideas as an HBO Mini series or full blown series. Potentially we could even get to the point where Flash goes back in time to stop the future?

STAR LABS ANTHOLOGY SERIES

Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Zack Snyder’s Justice League all worked hard to establish STAR LABS as the go to scientists of the DCEU when the world has to deal with alien attacks and general superhero chaos. ZSJL introduced us to Dr. Ryan Choi, who in the comics took over the mantle of the Atom from Ray Palmer. With a STAR LABS centric anthology series on HBO Max, we could see Choi become the Atom (which could make for a fun episode or two). And since STAR LABS is always there when trouble happens, this could be a great way to expand the universe and introduce all sorts of new heroes and villains- while also showing us new adventures with established characters like Cyborg and (more spoilers!) Martian Manhunter without needing the actors to make multi-year commitments.

NEW GODS TV MOVIE OR MINI SERIES

For years there has been a movie based on the New Gods in development being overseen by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay. There has been mixed information whether it would be connected to the DCEU or its own thing. One of the key things the Snyder cut of Justice League did was to establish Darkseid, his followers, and Apokolips, setting up a great foundation for a New Gods movie. It would be pretty awesome to see DuVernay’s in development movie move from Warner Brothers to HBO Max and become either a mini series or TV movie that further tells the story of those who would rebel or fight back against Darkseid. I’d love to see Orion (the son of Darkseid), Big Barda, and Mister Miracle leading the series.

Did you watch yet? What spinoffs would you like to see from Zack Snyder’s Justice League?

Today’s #NewComicsSpotlight takes a look at six titles that stand out from the crowd. Check them out and let us know what is on your pull list!

DC COMICS

BATMAN/CATWOMAN #1
Official Description: At last, Tom King returns to the rocky, romantic saga of Batman and Catwoman with his Heroes in Crisis collaborator, superstar artist Clay Mann! Echoing plot points from King’s epic Batman run, this sweeping tale is told across three timelines: the past, when the Bat and the Cat first fell in love; the present, where their union is threatened by one of Batman’s lost loves; and the future, where the couple have a happy life and legacy-including their daughter Helena, the Batwoman. And as the story begins, after a long marriage, Bruce Wayne passes away-which frees Selina Kyle to settle an old score. At every stage of their relationship, Bruce and Selina have an unwelcome chaperone: The Joker! Oh, and that lost love of Bruce’s? It’s Andrea Beaumont-a.k.a. Phantasm. Just thought you’d want to know.
Writer: Tom King | Artist: Clay Mann

JUSTICE LEAGUE: ENDLESS WINTER #1
Official Description: “Endless Winter” chapter one! The crossover event of the season begins here! The Justice League encounters an extinction-level global storm brewing at the former site of the Fortress of Solitude. Enter the Frost King, a monster mad with power with an army at his command! What devastating mystery lies in his past? And how is he tied to Queen Hippolyta, Swamp Thing, Viking Prince, and their reluctant ally, Black Adam? Two timelines will reveal further clues and secrets throughout each chapter of this blockbuster tale!
Writers: Andy Lanning, Ron Marz | Artists: Howard Porter, Marco Santucci

MARVEL COMICS

KING IN BLACK #1
Official Description: DARKNESS REIGNS! After a campaign across the galaxy, Knull’s death march arrives to Earth and, worse yet, he hasn’t come alone! With an army of hundreds of thousands of symbiote dragons at his command, the King in Black is a force unlike any Earth’s heroes have ever faced. EDDIE BROCK, A.K.A. VENOM has seen firsthand the chaos that even one of Knull’s symbiotic monsters can wreak – will he survive an encounter with the God of the Abyss himself? From Donny Cates, Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer, Frank Martin and VC’s Clayton Cowles comes the definitive chapter in their two-year-long VENOM saga that changed everything you thought you knew about symbiotes!
Writer: Donny Cates | Artist: Ryan Stegman

X-FACTOR #5
Official Description: The events of X OF SWORDS have put the resurrection protocols in jeopardy! As the Five deals with the fallout, X-Factor investigates those affected by the tragedy…
Writer: Leah Williams | Artist: David Baldeon

BOOM! STUDIOS

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #20
Official Description: It’s Faith, Buffy and Willow versus Xander – not everyone is making it out alive. No Buffy fan will want to miss the shocking conclusion! Meanwhile, Wesley Wyndam-Price has arrived in Sunnydale with his own secret mission.
Writer: Jordie Bellaire | Artist: Ramon Bachs

MEGA MAN FULLY CHARGED #4
Official Description: Skull Man and his army of Robot Masters have invaded Silicon City – but Mega Man and his mysterious new ally aren’t going down without a fight! But Mega Man doesn’t realize he’s playing right into the hands of an enemy he never expected!
Writer: AJ Marchisello | Artist: Stefano Simeone

What titles are you excited about? Will Batman/Catwoman live up to the buzz that has been building for it the past few years?

Warner Brothers have released more than 50 images from Justice League, check them out here. The DC Comics characters all team up for the first time in theaters on November 17, 2017.

Official Description: 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.

As exciting as it is to have these characters on screen together, the costumes feel off and while overall the vibe is lighter in tone, the movie is still so dark. The lack of Superman in the trailer is understandable, but it makes the team and movie feel so incomplete. Without Superman it is not the Justice League. One of Batman v Superman‘s biggest mistakes is now hurting any anticipation I want to have for the team up.

The movie hits theaters on November 17, 2017.

A lot of interesting news in comics lately, here are a few tidbits.

This surprised me, but is actually (maybe) a fantastic idea. Mary Jane Watson, Spiderman’s long time love and (sorta) ex-wife is joining the supporting cast of Invincible Iron Man with issue 4. Will this be a long time addition or is it more of a stunt? How will this affect Mary Jane’s role in Spiderman?

Although, with MJ being sidelined the last few years in Spiderman, this is actually a great idea for keeping her in a larger role in the Marvel universe (of course I’d totally be down for an MJ ongoing in the current Marvel Comics universe). Will she be working for Stark, friends, or a potential love interest (I could do without the latter)? The issue hits stands in December and we will discovery the direction they take with MJ. Ironically, if MJ and Tony become love interests, it was Tony’s actions that ultimately led to the end of Spiderman/MJ marriage and the rewriting of the Marvel Universe’s history (long story, see: Civil War)

December will not be nearly as friendly to DC Comic titles as five ongoing will be coming to an end by the end of the month. According to Comic Book Resources, these titles include Lobo (pictured left), Doomed, The Omega Men, Gotham By Midnight, and Justice League United.

Doomed is expected to conclude with issue #6 in November, with the rest meeting their end in December. Neither Doomed nor The Omega Men even reached 10 issues, such a short amount of time to find its footing and an audience. Years ago, these ongoings would have had a much better shot. Could these characters be retooled (or in Lobo’s case, maybe bringing him back to his pre-New 52 style and roots)? There is still a lot of potential for these characters and I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of them.

I’m not sure how I missed this announcement, but Joss Whedon will be writing a new comic series for Dark Horse Comics, The Twist. Of course Dark Horse is the home of Buffy, Angel, and Serenity comics.

Whedon described the series to EW, stating “It’s a Victorian thriller about a meek chambermaid who is fed to a dark horror — but instead of dying, she returns, with knowledge, power, and rage she can neither deny nor control.” The character will launch in a 6 issue mini series, with unlimited potential for future material. Buffy meets steampunk? I’m totally down for that.