Set Visit: Everything you need to know about Zack Snyder’s Justice League

Last Updated on July 31, 2021

To say the reaction to BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE was controversial would be an understatement. While a solid worldwide hit, many DCEU fans were upset about the grim tone, and what was perceived as an overstuffed franchise kickstarter. While most seemed to agree that many aspects of the new casting were spot-on, including Ben Affleck as Batman and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor was very divisive, and many laid the blame for the film’s failings directly at director Zack Snyder’s feet.

I thought then, and I do now, that fans were way too harsh on Snyder, who gave his own, dark take on the material that simply didn’t mesh with the kind of movie fans wanted. While I’ll admit it had problems, I quite enjoyed the film (read my review) and when, out-of-the-blue I was invited to visit the set of the JUSTICE LEAGUE in London, England, I was psyched beyond belief. In fact, after a quick half-day in London filled with an English Breakfast and a couple of pints, I spent my first evening in London tossing and turning in my hotel bed, both excited and nervous about my upcoming set visit.

Warner Bros and Snyder have to be given credit for the fact that many of the journalists invited to the set were ones that had been openly critical of BvS. Clearly, the mission here was to make it clear that while no one involved feels the need to apologize for BvS, the fan criticisms have been heard and JUSTICE LEAGUE, while still without a doubt Zack Snyder’s vision, is going to be a significantly different kind of film than BvS, specifically a lighter one.

Of course, Snyder and company had a whole lot of things to tell us about the film, but considering the release date isn’t until November 17th, 2017, most of the info we got related to the first two acts of the film. Without further ado, here are the main takeaways from the entire set visit, essentially your one-stop shop for everything we learned.  For the full, in-depth interviews, click HERE and HERE.

– It is no longer referred to as a two part film. Zack Snyder’s Justice League is simply that: Justice League, a complete, standalone film.

– Expect a lighter tone than BVS, which was focused on being more akin to Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, a much darker tale to begin with. Justice League is expected to be more of a fun, ensemble superhero piece that focuses on the building of the team and uniting to fight a common threat.

– Justice League will have a heavy Jack Kirby influence, with the story revolving around the puruit of the three motherboxes, one from Earth, one from Atlantis, and one from The Amazonians.

– The film takes places months after BVS, with Bruce heavily affected by Superman’s death and seeking to honor his sacrifice in building the Justice League. Rather than being a Batman on the edge, he is now a Batman full of hope, hinged entirely on created a team that can unite and fight common threats, while redeeming mankind, having learned his lessons in BVS.

– A large part of the film focuses on Bruce assembling the team, with Superman’s return reserved for later in the film. About his comeback, Snyder was mum, although when I asked how his hair would be, Snyder joking said it might be “a little longer” which is significant if you remember the “Death of Superman” comics.

– Amy Adams is back as Lois Lane.

– In terms of villains, Steppenwolf is one of the key villains, although not necessarily the only one. The influence and presence of Darkseid is very much alive, with the parademons we saw in BVS once again appearing here. The role of Steppenwolf is expected to be cast soon. In addition, although not confirmed, it’s implied that Lex will have something to do with this story as well. How big or how little is unknown.

– Ben Affleck confirmed that he is, in fact, directing a solo Batman film, but won’t begin production until the script is right, which he is currently working to get to that point.

– The purpose of Affleck serving as Executive Producer on Justice League is primarily to have some oversight on the Batman character as he will be directing the solo outing. This gives Affleck the ability to help steer the character and make sure everything stays in line with his next onscreen adventure. 

– Batman’s suit will see some improvements from BVS, including armor plates underneath the costume to protect his vitals, seeing as he is the most vulnerable of the cast in terms of superpowers. In addition, we’ll see a new and improved version of his armored suit from BVS used at the end of Justice League.

– Bruce Wayne will build a Waynetech carrier called The Flying Fox for the Justice League to utilize. In addition, Batman will have a new vehicle called The Nightcrawler, which was designed by his father, Thomas Wayne, and plays a large role in an underground tunnel battle.

– Willem Dafoe’s role has been revealed as Vulko, a mentor character to Jason Momoa’s Aquaman. He's described as being from another generation thaa Aquaman with his costume being more courtly and elaborate, including silvery, washed out colors and a lot of gil elements around the neck, with the idea being that Atlantean culture was once above water and that their skin has adapted to breathing underwater.

– Amber  Heard's character, Mera, is a warrior and a sorceress, and is described as the costume designer's favorite, with her costume having a type of chaimail blended with the skin. There's a very elaborate fitting process with these Atlantian characters in order to make the costumes comfortable and work with the choreography of the fights, as they fit really close to their bodies, like scales.

– JK Simmons’ Commissioner Gordon has the classic Jim Gordon look. Simmons is wearing a hairpiece, moustache, and glasses. 

– Ezra Miller’s Flash will feature heavily in the film and will provide much of the comic relief to the proceedings. His initial costume will be pieced together from spacesuit material, held together by electrified wire. He will rock a streamlined costume by the end of the film, designed by Waynetech.

– Ray Fisher’s Cyborg costume will be all CGI, while the rest of the team’s costumes will be all practical.

– Junkie XL will be back to score the film, although it’s unclear if collaborator Hans Zimmer will be involved. However, Zimmer’s themes will still be used regardless if he returns or not.

– As far as the Man of Steel himself is concerned, when (and if) we do see him, Zack Snyder stated that his hair would be "…perfect – a little longer I guess – that’s what the myths are," which could relate to the Return of Superman storyline.

– And the official logo for the film can be seen below!

And there you have it! However, there’s a whole lot more info available, so make sure to check out our interviews with Ben Affleck & Zack Snyder, as well as more from the producers and production team below!

INTERVIEWS WITH BEN AFFLECK AND ZACK SNYDER ON BATMAN AND JUSTICE LEAGUE!

INTERVIEWS WITH PRODUCERS CHARLES ROVEN, DEBORAH SNYDER, AND JUSTICE LEAGUE COSTUME DESIGNERS!