Zack Snyder Reveals Plot Details for Unmade Justice League Sequels
A glimpse into the director’s vision for Justice League 2 and Justice League 3 has emerged, detailing a grim future and a global alliance against Darkseid.
Director Zack Snyder recently shared previously unseen storyboard panels and behind-the-scenes photos from his work on the DC Extended Universe via Instagram, offering fans a tantalizing look at what could have been for Justice League 2 and Justice League 3. The images, posted on Thursday, include glimpses of the planned storyline and feature the core cast of the superhero team.
The storyboard begins with a chilling scene: “Back at the Batcave, Batman watches in horror as Darkseid takes full control of Superman. Superman turns on Batman, and he barely escapes!” This sets the stage for a narrative where the Man of Steel becomes a formidable threat under the influence of the New God.
The stakes escalate further as the story continues, with a dramatic confrontation between Lex Luthor and a corrupted Superman. According to the storyboard, “Lex believes he’s won, but comes face-to-face with Superman. He looks at Lex with burning red eyes and lights him on fire. As Lex screams, the world goes red.” This visceral image underscores the immense power and danger posed by Darkseid’s control.
A significant portion of the revealed storyline jumps forward five years, revisiting the dystopian Knightmare sequence previously explored in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Snyder’s 2021 cut of Justice League. The storyboard paints a bleak picture of a world conquered by Darkseid: “Sand dunes. Smoldering solar pits… Once, this was Gotham. Now, like the rest of Earth, it belongs to Darkseid.”
The narrative then focuses on a desperate resistance led by a battle-hardened Batman. “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,” the storyboard details. Batman’s grim determination is captured in his final line: “We need to get inside before night. He’s coming…”
However, the story doesn’t end in despair. The storyboard outlines a global uprising against Darkseid’s invasion. “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,” the narrative continues.
The world unites to fight back, inspired by Superman’s example. “Led and inspired by Superman, the countries of the world come together: armies, air forces, navies,” the storyboard reveals. Wonder Woman and her mother lead the Amazons from Themyscira to join the war effort, while Aquaman brokers an alliance with the seven underwater kingdoms, recognizing the surface world as an eighth kingdom deserving of protection. “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!”
These storyboard details, initially reported by Abdul Azim Naushad on SuperHeroHype, offer a compelling glimpse into Snyder’s ambitious vision for the future of the DCEU, a vision that ultimately remained unrealized. The shared images serve as a poignant reminder of the paths not taken and the potential stories left untold.
