In news that should be a surprise to nobody, Warner Bros. has officially confirmed that the Justice League will be the studio's next sequel after Batman vs. Superman and that director Zack Snyder will return once again to direct.

To catch up with rival Marvel, Warner Bros. has been pushing forward rapidly on development of its own shared series of films. The studio kicked things off with a reboot of the Superman franchise, Man of Steel. Next, they sent fans everywhere into a tizzy when they cast Ben Affleck as Batman in Batman vs. Superman.

Since then, they've been hard at work casting the rest of the famous super group. Gal Gadot won the high-profile role of Wonder Woman, Ray Fisher just joined the cast as Cyborg, and Jason Momoa could be just about anyone (from a hero like Aquaman to a villain like Darkseid).

The Wall Street Journal was the first to publish the confirmation, noting that the script is still in development and that the movie likely won't come out before 2018, two years after Batman vs. Superman.

Zack Snyder with Henry Cavill on set of 'Man of Steel'

While Zack Snyder has tried to downplay the competition between Marvel and DC, arguing that good superhero movies are "infectious" and audiences will want to see both, it will still be interesting to see whether Warner Bros. can replicate Marvel's success.

Given that Marvel released five movies before The Avengers, introducing all of its main characters either in solo films or in supporting roles, one had to wonder whether audiences will be prepared for a big Justice League movie after only two films.

Is Warner Bros. selling some of its most important characters short, especially Wonder Woman, by having them first appear in minor roles instead of getting their own movie? Some fans would argue that many of DC's superheroes are iconic enough to jump right into a team-up movie.

What do you think, Screen Rant readers? Are you happy Warners finally announced the Justice League movie? Are you satisfied with Zack Snyder directing once again? Let us know in the comments.

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Batman vs. Superman hits theaters May 6th, 2016. Justice League currently has no release date. As always, check back to Screen Rant for more details as Warner Bros. solidifies its plans for what could end up being one of the biggest movies of the decade.

Source: WSJ