JUSTICE LEAGUE Director Zack Snyder Explains Deathstroke's Role In The Movie And Teases The Joker

Justice League director Zack Snyder has revealed how Deathstroke factors into the "Snyder Cut," while also talking more about his decision to include Jared Leto's Joker in the movie. Read on for details...

By JoshWilding - Mar 01, 2021 06:03 AM EST

Filed Under: Justice League

Source: IGN

When Justice League was being shot the first time around, test footage of Deathstroke was shared ahead of the character's appearance in Ben Affleck's The Batman. A lot has changed since then, of course, but Joe Manganiello was always expected to play some sort of role in Justice League (we just don't know how much Joss Whedon changed his scene with Lex Luthor in reshoots).

Of course, we've since learned that Deathstroke will be part of the "Knightmare" scenes in the "Snyder Cut," and in an interview with IGN, Zack Snyder revealed more about Slade Wilson's role.

"When we find him, clearly he and Batman have struck some sort of a deal and they have a bit of a partnership," the filmmaker explains. "There's a bigger enemy, I guess. They're not locked in mortal combat. They're actually working together to try to figure out how to make this world work."

In the same interview, Snyder also talked more about why he brought back Jared Leto's Joker. The Clown Prince of Crime's return is, "all about just trying to fulfill the promise of having the Joker in this universe and not having [him and Batman] come together. [I] always wanted him to be in the Knightmare reality, and so it was a great opportunity. When I talked to Jared and he was interested in doing it, I just felt like, okay, this feels like a thing I can't pass up."

It's likely Batman, Deathstroke, and The Joker will all share the screen at some point, and that's undeniably exciting if you're a DC Comics fan (regardless of how you feel about the "Snyder Cut").

Zack Snyder's Justice League hits HBO Max on March 18th.

Click on the "Next" button below for a
breakdown of Tim Burton's Superman Lives!

10. This Ain't Your Momma's Clark Kent

The casting of Nic Cage alone is proof of this, but Superman Lives was to focus more on Clark Kent's status as an outsider in a world that's not his own.

However, with a Superman who didn't learn of his alien origins until long after he suited up as Metropolis's Man of Steel, Clark's backstory was vastly different to what comic fans know. Clark was also far from mild-mannered, and Cage planned to inject his trademark wackiness into the character.

One pre-Kevin Smith script had Superman struggling to deal with his dual identities, with the psychological toll on Clark of being two separate people leading him to a therapist's office.

They deserve credit for trying something new with Superman, but this could have gotten weird.

9. Fortress Of Solitude's Polar Bear Guards

There were lots of nutty ideas which made it into Superman Lives's different screenplays, and creating as many opportunities as possible for toys seemed high on the priority list.

One such example is the Fortress of Solitude being guarded by polar bears.

They weren't going to be outfitted in costumes - as far as we know - but the plan was for Brainiac to battle them at one point, something Kevin Smith has admitted left him perplexed. Producer Jon Peters insisted on the animals being added to the film as he felt this sequence lacked action.

Given the limits of VFX when this film was being made, the scene would have surely been a disaster.

8. Possible Batman Cameo

Long before Kevin Feige dreamed up the MCU, Warner Bros. had some vague ideas for a shared comic book world on screen.

Tim Burton directed Batman and Batman Returns, so it's no great surprise he planned to enlist Michael Keaton for an in or out of costume cameo as the Dark Knight in Superman Lives. No specifics were revealed about the scene, but such a crossover might have led to an early take on a Batman vs. Superman film.

Keaton and Cage sharing the scene as Bruce and Clark would have been hard not to be excited by, though this was only ever an early idea.

One idea was for Bruce to speak at Superman's funeral before Brainiac and Lex Luthor attacked.

7. Classic Comic Book Inspiration

Superman Lives was set to be crammed full of wacky, zany ideas, but it still took some cues from the comics it was based on.

The then recent Death of Superman storyline had been a huge seller for DC Comics, and something every iteration of this film's screenplay took inspiration. You might have figured this out from the mention of Superman's funeral, and it looked like Doomsday was to be responsible for his demise on screen as well.

Unleashed by Brainiac as part of the villain's plan to steal Superman's body, it might have worked, though a pre-Kevin Smith screenplay saw Doomsday kill Lois Lane as well.

In the course of this one film, Superman would have returned from the dead after his spirit returned to his body.

6. Jon Peters' Giant Spider Obsession

We've mentioned Jon Peters a couple of times, and the prolific producer had some crazy ideas for Superman.

The polar bears was one of them, but he also hoped to see the Man of Steel do battle with a giant spider. Peters was insistent that this fight happen in the final act, and comments from Kevin Smith have indicated that the producer was borderline obsessed with the concept.

Ultimately, Smith wrote the spider in as a "Thanagarian Snare Beast," but when Superman Lives didn't happen, Peters was left without his giant spider.

Luckily, he was able to squeeze a giant spider into his next film: Wild Wild West.

5. The Film's Baddies

Alongside Doomsday and Braniac, Lex Luthor was going to take aim at Superman in this extremely busy film. One draft saw the latter two merge to become a baddie known as "Luthiac" or "Lexiac."

Brainiac was responsible for the destruction of Krypton, but it wasn't until he merged with Luthor that he'd create Doomsday.

The ultimate plan of this hybrid baddie was to destroy Earth using nuclear warheads...and seduce Lois Lane. Superman would obviously return in time to save the day, and the idea of Brainiac and Lex becoming one seemed to disappear in each subsequent draft.

Things didn't get any less strange, though, because Brainiac was to gift Lex a space dog that Warner Bros. could make plenty of toys from.

4. Weird Casting

0-322771712333313242313112113a3312131213

Superman Lives never seemed to get far along enough to actually put a cast together, but Kevin Smith had some very specific ideas in mind when he delivered his draft to Tim Burton.

That included Ben Affleck as Superman, Linda Fiorentino as Lois Lane, Jack Nicholson as Lex Luthor, Famke Janssen as Mercy Graves, John Mahoney as Perry White, David Hyde Pierce as The Eradicator, Jason Lee as Brainiac, and Jason Mewes as Jimmy Olsen.

Some might call that a dream cast, but those at the studio had different ideas.

Kevin Spacey, Tim Allen, and Christopher Walken were all linked to Brainiac, with the latter said to be Tim Burton's top pick. Chris Rock as Jimmy Olsen and Courtney Cox as Lois Lane were two likely candidates at one stage as well.

3. Brianiac's Gay Robot Sidekick

0-322771712333313242313112113a33121312131

Kevin Smith invited Jon Peters to a screening of Chasing Amy, but never anticipated what that would lead to.

The producer loved "the Black guy" in the film, and decided Superman Lives needed a similar feel. "We need that voice, we need that character, somebody like him," Smith recalls Peters saying. "Can’t Brainiac have a sidekick? Give him a little robot sidekick, and give him that dude’s voice. That’s what this movie needs, just a gay R2-D2."

"L-Ron" shares all his scenes with Brainiac, and occasionally breaks the fourth wall to address the audience and make cracks about what it's like to work for a tyrannical intergalactic despot.

There were so many ideas and characters thrown into Superman Lives, how could it not have been a mess?

2. More Than One Super Suit

0-322771712333313242313112113a331213121312

Aside from the infamous photo of Nicolas Cage in his Superman costume, there's lots of concept art out there showing what this Man of Steel might have looked like on screen.

While Superman was going to be seen in something akin to his traditional costume, he'd have also donned a regenerative costume upon returning from the dead, as well as a darker, black suit fans of the comics would have likely appreciated a great deal.

The hero's robotic ally in the Fortress of Solitude would have even transformed into a metallic suit for the character to wear, leading to an insanely long list of toy-making possibilities.

As cool as those might have looked, it's likely because Jon Peters insisted on no cape, no flying, and not red and blue.

1. Why Superman Lives Didn't Happen

0-322771712333313242313112113a3312131213121

In case you haven't figured it out already, Superman Lives was a total clusterf***.

It had been through countless writers by the time Tim Burton came on board, and even though it was Smith who suggested the Batman filmmaker, the writer was promptly fired because Burton hated his script. His take was likely to differ again, though not a lot has been revealed about that beyond the odd snippet here and there.

Budget issues and behind-the-scenes politicking at Warner Bros. held Superman Lives back, and the project eventually crumbled, with Burton walking away (with $5 million thanks to a "pay or play" contract).

The studio would go on to try a number of different iterations, with Superman Returns the film that ultimately happened.

And it sucked.

Zack Snyder Says REBEL MOON - PART 2's Last Supper Scene Was Originally Conceived For JUSTICE LEAGUE Sequel

Recommended For You:

JUSTICE LEAGUE Director Zack Snyder Says He's "Pretty Excited" About James Gunn's DCU Plans

DISCLAIMER: ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and... [MORE]

ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Do you have what it takes to write for us?

Want to contribute?

74 Comments

1 2

bkmeijer2 - 3/1/2021, 6:33 AM

Even though I don't like this version of Joker, I do think Snyder is right for wanting to bring him and Batman together.

Hoping the Knightmare reality is similar to Injustice and/or Flashpoint, that saw some interesting alliances too. Wonder if it's just Deathstroke standing there, or actually doing something though.

Feralwookiee - 3/1/2021, 6:35 AM

@bkmeijer - I'd bet my left nut all the added cameos about 1-2 minutes max, the characters stand around and look kewl, get 1 or 2 lines of dialogue, and that's it.

bkmeijer2 - 3/1/2021, 6:47 AM

@Feralwookiee - my expectation as well. I'm hoping I'm proven wrong, but I think it's a lot of looking cool without have impact on the plot whatsoever in this movie

Chasekeane - 3/1/2021, 6:34 AM

Next up: Zack Snyder does a full read through of Justice League explaining every strange bizarre decision he made during filming on Vero.

Chasekeane - 3/1/2021, 6:35 AM

@Chasekeane - It would actually be shorter than Justice League, every decision comes down to 'I just thought F it that would be weird.'

lordSTALE - 3/1/2021, 7:14 AM

@Chasekeane - No he thought it would be cool or edgy, but then he never thought any of those things through properly

GhostDog - 3/1/2021, 6:34 AM

Harley in the Knightmare reality

TheMapleSyrup - 3/1/2021, 6:35 AM

I'm sure the nightmare stuff will be cool. I'm sure the writing will be silly, but I'm still excited to see the bonkers

KWilly - 3/1/2021, 6:38 AM

It's just hilarious that this is gonna be a 4 hour movie. Pretty much shows Snyder has a a whole lot to say and show, and doesn't have a cap on it.

VileBlood - 3/1/2021, 6:42 AM

How many cameos are going to be in The Jesus League?

1 2

Related Headlines

Netflix

Zack Snyder Shares First Official Look At His TWILIGHT OF THE GODS Animated Series

MarkCassidy

8 hours ago

Justice League (Animated)

CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS - PART 2 Spoilers: Batman Beyond Disappoints But Stage Is Set For Epic PART 3

JoshWilding

2 days ago

Justice League

Zack Snyder Says REBEL MOON - PART 2's "Last Supper" Scene Was Originally Conceived For JUSTICE LEAGUE Sequel

MarkCassidy

3 days ago

Related Headlines

Netflix

Zack Snyder Shares First Official Look At His TWILIGHT OF THE GODS Animated Series

MarkCassidy

8 hours ago

Justice League (Animated)

CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS - PART 2 Spoilers: Batman Beyond Disappoints But Stage Is Set For Epic PART 3

JoshWilding

2 days ago

Justice League

Zack Snyder Says REBEL MOON - PART 2's "Last Supper" Scene Was Originally Conceived For JUSTICE LEAGUE Sequel

MarkCassidy

3 days ago

Justice League

JUSTICE LEAGUE Director Zack Snyder Says He's "Pretty Excited" About James Gunn's DCU Plans

JoshWilding

Apr 18, 2024 06:04 AM

Justice League

JUSTICE LEAGUE Director Zack Snyder Open To Making Animated Sequels; Believes Some DC Fans Are "Brainwashed"

JoshWilding

Apr 11, 2024 01:04 PM

Justice League

Loki

LOKI Star Tom Hiddleston Reveals His First Marvel Contract Had Him Down For The Role Of Loki...Or Thor!

JoshWilding

39 mins ago

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES Teaser Reveals What's Next For The Awesome Foursome

JoshWilding

44 mins ago

Latest Headlines

Black Widow

BLACK WIDOW Star Scarlett Johansson's Mystery Marvel Producing Project Is Reportedly A Disney+ TV Series

JoshWilding

9 mins ago

Loki

LOKI Star Tom Hiddleston Reveals His First Marvel Contract Had Him Down For The Role Of Loki...Or Thor!

JoshWilding

39 mins ago

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES Teaser Reveals What's Next For The Awesome Foursome

JoshWilding

44 mins ago

Marvel Comics

UNCANNY X-MEN: New Marvel Comics Series Will See Rogue Lead A New Team Of Mutants In New Orleans

JoshWilding

1 hour ago

Thunderbolts

THUNDERBOLTS* Star Olga Kurylenko Teases Her Return As Taskmaster With New BTS Photo

JoshWilding

1 hour ago

X-Men '97

X-MEN '97: Fans Spot Clues In Previous Episodes Teasing [SPOILER]'s Debut In "Bright Eyes"

JoshWilding

1 hour ago

Hot Headlines

141 comments

RUMOR: Marvel Studios Interested In NOPE Star Keke Palmer For A Major MCU Role

MarkCassidy

3 hours ago EST

133 comments

MAN OF STEEL Director Zack Snyder Says Superman Would Be "Fake" If He Hadn't Killed General Zod

JoshWilding

2 days ago EST

108 comments

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE's Post-Credits Scene Said To Be "Mind-Blowing"

MarkCassidy

23 hours ago EST

84 comments

THE LITTLE MERMAID Is Given An R-Rated Makeover In First Trailer For MSR's Adaptation

MarkCassidy

5 hours ago EST

82 comments

More Sci-Fi & Fantasy ►

TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES Teaser Trailer Hypes Up Return Of Heroes In A Half Shell

More Cartoons & Animated ►

FALLOUT Star Ella Purnell Reveals What She Wants To Explore With Lucy In Season 2

More Anime & Manga ►

First Look At Michael B. Jordan On The Set Of Ryan Coogler's Untitled Jim Crow-Era VAMPIRE Movie

More Horror ►

MONKEY MAN Exclusive Interview With Mask Designer Eddie Yang; Dev Patel Film Now Available On Digital HD

More Action Movies & TV ►

Jon Moxley Addresses Fan Speculation He Was Supposed To Return At WRESTLEMANIA: I Was Asleep

More Pro Wrestling ►

REBEL MOON 2 Is Netflix's No. 1 Movie Worldwide Despite Abysmal Rotten Tomatoes Critics AND Audience Scores

More Sci-Fi & Fantasy ►

More Cartoons & Animated ►

More Anime & Manga ►

More Horror ►

More Action Movies & TV ►

More Pro Wrestling ►

JUSTICE LEAGUE Director Zack Snyder Explains Deathstroke's Role In The Movie And Teases The Joker

Justice League director Zack Snyder has revealed how Deathstroke factors into the "Snyder Cut," while also talking more about his decision to include Jared Leto's Joker in the movie. Read on for details...

10. This Ain't Your Momma's Clark Kent

9. Fortress Of Solitude's Polar Bear Guards

8. Possible Batman Cameo

7. Classic Comic Book Inspiration

6. Jon Peters' Giant Spider Obsession

5. The Film's Baddies

4. Weird Casting

3. Brianiac's Gay Robot Sidekick

2. More Than One Super Suit

1. Why Superman Lives Didn't Happen

Zack Snyder Says REBEL MOON - PART 2's "Last Supper" Scene Was Originally Conceived For JUSTICE LEAGUE Sequel

JUSTICE LEAGUE Director Zack Snyder Says He's "Pretty Excited" About James Gunn's DCU Plans

Zack Snyder Shares First Official Look At His TWILIGHT OF THE GODS Animated Series

CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS - PART 2 Spoilers: Batman Beyond Disappoints But Stage Is Set For Epic PART 3

Zack Snyder Says REBEL MOON - PART 2's "Last Supper" Scene Was Originally Conceived For JUSTICE LEAGUE Sequel

Zack Snyder Shares First Official Look At His TWILIGHT OF THE GODS Animated Series

CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS - PART 2 Spoilers: Batman Beyond Disappoints But Stage Is Set For Epic PART 3

Zack Snyder Says REBEL MOON - PART 2's "Last Supper" Scene Was Originally Conceived For JUSTICE LEAGUE Sequel

JUSTICE LEAGUE Director Zack Snyder Says He's "Pretty Excited" About James Gunn's DCU Plans

JUSTICE LEAGUE Director Zack Snyder Open To Making Animated Sequels; Believes Some DC Fans Are "Brainwashed"

Henry Cavill Jokes (We Think) That His JUSTICE LEAGUE Mustache "Nearly Ruined My Career"

Popular Headlines

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: Rumored New Details About [SPOILER], [SPOILER], And [SPOILER]'s Roles Revealed

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE's Post-Credits Scene Said To Be "Mind-Blowing"

THE LITTLE MERMAID Is Given An R-Rated Makeover In First Trailer For MSR's Adaptation

Sam Raimi On AVENGERS: SECRET WARS Rumors And Potential SPIDER-MAN 4 Story

X-MEN '97 "Bright Eyes" Recap: An Unexpected New Villain Revealed As [SPOILER] Makes Shock Return

BLACK WIDOW Star Scarlett Johansson's Mystery Marvel Producing Project Is Reportedly A Disney+ TV Series

LOKI Star Tom Hiddleston Reveals His First Marvel Contract Had Him Down For The Role Of Loki...Or Thor!

TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES Teaser Reveals What's Next For The Awesome Foursome

BLACK WIDOW Star Scarlett Johansson's Mystery Marvel Producing Project Is Reportedly A Disney+ TV Series

LOKI Star Tom Hiddleston Reveals His First Marvel Contract Had Him Down For The Role Of Loki...Or Thor!

TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES Teaser Reveals What's Next For The Awesome Foursome

UNCANNY X-MEN: New Marvel Comics Series Will See Rogue Lead A New Team Of Mutants In New Orleans

THUNDERBOLTS* Star Olga Kurylenko Teases Her Return As Taskmaster With New BTS Photo

X-MEN '97: Fans Spot Clues In Previous Episodes Teasing [SPOILER]'s Debut In "Bright Eyes"

Hot Headlines

RUMOR: Marvel Studios Interested In NOPE Star Keke Palmer For A Major MCU Role

MAN OF STEEL Director Zack Snyder Says Superman Would Be "Fake" If He Hadn't Killed General Zod

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE's Post-Credits Scene Said To Be "Mind-Blowing"

THE LITTLE MERMAID Is Given An R-Rated Makeover In First Trailer For MSR's Adaptation

SHE-HULK: ATTORNEY AT LAW Guest-Star Megan Thee Stallion Sued For Workplace Harassment

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

REBEL MOON 2 Is Netflix's No. 1 Movie Worldwide Despite Abysmal Rotten Tomatoes Critics AND Audience Scores

STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE Star Explains How Vernestra Rwoh Will Differ From Books; New Still Released

REBEL MOON Director Zack Snyder Shares First Official Look At TWILIGHT OF THE GODS Animated Series

THE LITTLE MERMAID: Ariel Gets An R-Rated Makeover In First Trailer For New Live-Action Adaptation

STAR WARS: TALES OF THE EMPIRE Clip Sees General Grievous Attack Dathomir's Nightsisters

DUNE: PART TWO Honest Trailer Isn't Afraid To Point Out The Flaws In Denis Villeneuve's Sci-Fi Masterpiece

Cartoons & Animated Features

TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES Teaser Trailer Hypes Up Return Of Heroes In A Half Shell

X-MEN '97: Beau DeMayo Hints At Possible Appearances From BLACK PANTHER And SPIDER-MAN

X-MEN '97 Hinted At The Show's Big Bad As Early As The Second Episode - SPOILERS

THE SIMPSONS Just Killed A Character Who Has Been Part Of The Series Since Its First Episode

X-MEN '97: Marvel Studios Commemorates A Fallen Hero With Stunning New Artwork - SPOILERS

TWILIGHT OF THE GODS Director Zack Snyder Shares First Look At His Animated Norse Mythology Series

Gaming

FALLOUT Star Ella Purnell Reveals What She Wants To Explore With Lucy In Season 2

New DESTINY 2: THE FINAL SHAPE Trailer Takes Us Into The Pale Heart Of The Traveler

GTA 5 Voice Actor Reveals Plans For "Agent Trevor" DLC Before Rockstar Apparently Scrapped It

TALES OF THE SHIRE: A LORD OF THE RINGS GAME Official Announcement Trailer Released

FALLOUT Series Showrunners Strongly Hint Season 2 Will Take Us To An Iconic Location From The Games

Billie Eilish Headlines FORTNITE FESTIVAL Season 3

Anime & Manga

Netflix's ONE PIECE Season 2 Finally Gets A Release Window

UniVersus Reveals New MY HERO ACADEMIA: GIRL POWER Set

New Trailer For GAROUDEN: THE WAY OF THE LONE WOLF Released Ahead Of Netflix Debut

Netflix's ONE PIECE Finds New Showrunner In PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS' Joe Tracz

DRAGON BALL SUPER Interval Special Announced By Jump While Manga Remains On Indefinite Hiatus

New Teaser And Key Art For Live-Action TRILLION GAME Movie

Horror

First Look At Michael B. Jordan On The Set Of Ryan Coogler's Untitled Jim Crow-Era VAMPIRE Movie

THEM: THE SCARE Exclusive Interview With Star Deborah Ayorinde On The Bone-Chilling New Season

THEM: THE SCARE Exclusive Interview With Singer/Actor Luke James On His Terrifying New Character

THE LITTLE MERMAID Attacks In First Trailer For New R-Rated Live-Action Adaptation

28 YEARS LATER: Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson & Ralph Fiennes Officially Join Cast

WEDNESDAY Season 2 Adds WESTWORLD Star Thandiwe Newton In Mysterious Role

Action Movies & TV