Standing on the dirty Gotham Police Station rooftop is Commissioner Gordon wearing a hat, tie, glasses and a long trench coat. He’s standing next to the Bat symbol and talking to Batman, Flash and Wonder Woman as smoke billows from nearby vents. As the camera slowly zooms in, I’m listening to the four of them talk about scientists disappearing. While it’s hard to figure out why they’re talking about missing scientists, it’s very much a comic book panel come to life with the way everyone is standing and framed to the camera. I’m smiling wide from ear to ear.
As I try and hear more of what they’re saying, all of a sudden Cyborg is walking across the rooftop towards our heroes saying that the head of S.T.A.R. Labs has been taken. As he gets closer he stands next to Wonder Woman and I watch as a huge smile appear on her face before turning back to the rest of the group. It seems like she’s extremely happy he’s joined them. I silently wonder if this is the first time all of these heroes have been together. As the group discusses the situation, they decide they’ll need to go somewhere to investigate. As Gordon continues to talk he turns and everyone is gone but the Flash. It’s like he didn’t get the memo that when Gordon turns to talk you need to quickly disappear. Flash says to Gordon, “Do they just do that?” Gordon says nothing as Flash speeds off. It’s funny to watch and I quickly realize theJustice Leaguemovie is going to be a lot more fun than I was expecting.
Let me take a few steps back. Just a few days ago I was watching this scene being filmed on a soundstage in London. I was invited, along with a number of other reporters, to the set ofZack Snyder’sJustice League. While most set visits are embargoed until very close to release, what’s amazing and unusual about myJustice Leaguevisit is how quickly they’re allowing me to talk about what I saw and learned on set. I don’t have to hold back about the new vehicles, the costumes, the action scenes, what the concept art revealed, or any other thing that was discussed on set. I can tell you everything right now.
And I think we all know the reason why: the reaction toBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justiceand what it meant to the DC Extended Universe.
While I absolutely lovedMan of Steeland think Zack Snyder did an amazing job with the material, like many of you, I had issues withBatman v Superman. However, while I enjoyed a number of parts, many people absolutely hated the film and the negative reaction led to lower-than-expected box office numbers and some dissatisfied fans. The fact is, Zack Snyder made a very dark film and it’s clear a not insignificant part of the audience wanted something else.
AfterBatman v Supermanwas released and the negative reactions hit, tons of rumors spread aboutJustice League. The film was in trouble. The script was being rewritten. You name it and someone was saying it. To help battle the rumors, WB invited reporters to set to reassure fans about the next installment. And while you might think what I’m about to say is not honest, I don’t lie when I write something. If I say it on Twitter I mean it. If I write something on Collider, it’s exactly how I feel. I never say anything, for anyone, ever, unless I mean it—and it’s gotten me in trouble many times. So trust me when I sayJustice Leaguelooks like a completely different movie thanMan of SteelandBatman v Superman. Sure the characters are the same. Yes Zack Snyder is still directing. And yes the look and feel of the world Snyder has created hasn’t changed….but what is being said by the characters and the way they’re reacting to situations is a complete 180. The easiest way to convey this change is I saw more people smiling on screen watchingJustice Leaguein one day than all ofBatman v Supermanin its entirety. And they weren’t smiling just to smile. They were doing it because of the dialogue and story. It seemed like the extreme darkness has been lifted from the universe and even though the characters are going to deal with very serious situations, there will be moments of levity and fun for the audience.
Towards the end of the day Snyder showed us an edited scene fromJustice Leaguewithout finished effects. The scene showed Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) arriving at his apartment only to find Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) sitting in his second favorite chair. Bruce is telling Barry that he knows he’s special but doesn’t know how and Barry is trying to deflect everything being said with humor and well-written dialogue. Finally, Bruce has had enough and throws a Batarang at Barry who proceeds to slow down time using his super speed and catches the weapon. As he examines the weapon it dawns on him that Bruce is Batman. As he enters real time Bruce says, “so you’re fast.” Barry then says “so you’re Batman?” Bruce explains he’s putting together a group to battle what’s coming. Before he’s even four seconds into his pitch as to why Barry should join him Barry says, “I’m in.” Bruce is shocked and proceeds to smile, extremely surprised at what just happened. Barry then tells him “I need friends. Can I keep this?” As the scene ended all the reporters in the room were laughing. Trust me when I say everything about the scene I just described couldn’t have been included inBatman v Superman. The scene was shot in a brightly lit room. Barry Allen was being played with fun and youthful energy by Ezra Miller (who looks so great as Flash). And Bruce Wayne had none of the cynicism and darkness that he did inBvS. Affleck was playing him with hope and an inner fire and a clear desire to protect the people and planet from whatever might be coming by surrounding himself with powerful people. I loved everything about this scene and it was a smart move for Snyder to show it 17 months before release, because if this is the type of movie he’s making, fans are going to be very happy.
Like I’ve done on many set visits, I’ve compiled a huge list of things to know aboutJustice Leagueand they’re all below. Obviously if you’re trying to stay spoiler free you might want to stop reading. However, no one on set gave up any of the big twists and turns and I don’t think we were shown anything from the third act of the film. And no, you won’t find out how Superman comes back from the dead because no one would tell us.
Ben Affleck said that the version of Batman inJustice Leagueis “a little bit more sardonic, humor, a little more irony. He’s on a little more man on a mission this time. As opposed to like he was so full of anger because of what happened at the Black Zero Event. That kind of character, that sort of rage that possessed him. And now he’s on a mission to get this group together.”
On one of the walls in the art room they showed pictures of the cast with who they were playing below their pics. This is usually done for the main actors. Listed on the wall was everyone you’d expectexceptJesse Eisenberg. I don’t know if it’s because they’re trying to keep his involvement a secret or if it’s because his role is more like a cameo. While walking around the war room we were able to see tons of pre-production artwork that was created at the end of last year and beginning of this year beforeBatman v Supermanwas released. Most of the artwork showed the vehicles and locations from part of theJustice Leaguemovie and almost all of it was missing Superman. The one piece of art that featured the iconic hero had him standing with Batman, The Flash, Cyborg, and Wonder Woman without a descriptive background. Meaning it could have been anywhere.
Some of the memorable artwork included:
Final ThoughtsWhile you may never be sure how a movie will ultimately turn out, I walked away fromJustice Leagueso much more excited about the film than when I stepped on set—whichmayhave something to do with the fact that I got to stand next to Ben Affleck in his Batman costume and ask him questions. While that was incredibly cool and something I’ll remember for a very long time, that’s not the main reason I’m excited. The levity and fun I saw in the scenes made me very optimistic, and I’m hopeful Snyder will find a way to mix his great action with a better story that allows the DC universe to not be so dark. Hopefully Snyder and the cast ofJustice Leaguewill be at Comic-Con and show you the Barry Allen/Bruce Wayne scene so you can also see what got me so excited. Fingers crossed. For much more of ourJustice Leagueset visit coverage, peruse the links below:
