Whenever Warner Bros. decides to make Justice League 2, the movie will struggle to be a true DC Extended Universe sequel because of Zack Snyder. The DCEU slate has extended into 2023 but there are plans for new movies to continue far beyond then. This includes everything from Wonder Woman 3 to Blue Beetle as the franchise continues to evolve. So far, these plans don't officially include Justice League 2, and that might be because the studios are struggling to figure out how to make it work as a true DCEU sequel.
The original plans for the DCEU changed substantially over the years, including scrapping plans for Justice League 2. This was the result of everything that happened with 2017's Justice League, such as Joss Whedon's reshoots, Snyder's exit, and the campaign to release the Snyder Cut. These events resulted in a theatrical cut of Justice League that is considered to be DCEU canon that most audiences didn't like. Meanwhile, the decision to put Zack Snyder's Justice League on HBO Max showed viewers a competing version of the film that WB has no intention of continuing and isn't part of the DCEU canon. With two different cuts of Justice League that each carry their own set of baggage, it is no wonder plans for a sequel aren't being rushed - especially based on how the shared universe has continued to evolve after Snyder's exit.
Justice League 2 will have to be more of a standalone film than a continuation of what came before it now. There's no real sense in building on what the theatrical cut of Justice League set up because so much has changed since then. Half of the founding members of the team are all but officially done with the DCEU, so the opportunities to build on team dynamics and storylines are already limited. The same goes for trying to pay off teases like the Hall of Justice. But Justice League 2 also can't reference what happened in Zack Snyder's Justice League since it contradicts DCEU movie events from other films. Even if did line up better with what has happened, connecting the sequel to Snyder's plans would bring an expectation that it would adapt his ideas for Justice League 2 & 3. That surely won't happen with the director thriving creatively at Netflix.
Justice League 2 Faces A Catastrophic Casting Problem
As mentioned, one of the big hurdles facing Justice League 2's attempts to be a true DCEU sequel is its cast. Ben Affleck's Batman is expected to make his final DCEU appearance in The Flash, and theories suggest the multiverse storyline will kill his Bruce Wayne. There's also a growing sense that Henry Cavill won't play Superman again, despite the actor's interest in doing just that. The DCEU has effectively moved past his version of the Man of Steel. It is also all but guaranteed that Ray Fisher's DCEU Cyborg won't be part of Justice League 2. He refuses to be part of any production that involves DC Films president Walter Hamada due to his experience on the Justice League reshoots. This leaves Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa's Aquaman, and Ezra Miller's Flash as the only potential holdovers.
All of this indicates that Justice League 2 will be more of a reboot than a real sequel when it does happen. There might be some of the original Justice League members among the cast, but it could otherwise mostly focus on a new group of DCEU heroes. The film's best chance to tie itself into the shared universe WB and DC are building is to have different properties properly tease what will bring the Justice League back together. That might be done without any real connections to the 2017 film, but at least then Justice League 2 can feel like a true sequel to the current DCEU landscape.
Justice League Doesn’t Need A Sequel, But A Batverse Could Work
While the prospects of a Justice League 2 seem like a minefield of potential issues, DC could effectively steer their cinematic universe in a compelling direction. After the success of Matt Reeves' The Batman starring Robert Pattinson, an extensive Batverse has emerged as a distinct possibility that could bring the studio better success than its fraught Justice League efforts. Reeves's 2022 film is set to get several spinoff series on HBO Max, and Pattinson himself will return in The Batman 2. Beyond this, Todd Phillips' controversial Joker film starring Joaquin Phoenix has been confirmed for a sequel, and Leslie Grace's Batgirl movie is slated to arrive in 2022. As of now, these disparate upcoming Batman movies and TV shows aren't explicitly connected, but this is precisely why the Batverse could be a great path forward for DC. Part of the MCU's early success was the strength of its loosely associated standalone properties, which Justice League's comparably rushed team-up failed to execute. By contrast, the Batverse has the opportunity to develop strong individual arcs more fully.
The DCEU Has Way More To Offer Than The Justice League
Further Justice League movies also seem unnecessary given how much other content the DCEU currently has to offer. Not only are properties like John Cena's Peacemaker show already forging their own paths, but all of DC's big upcoming film projects (DC League of Super-Pets, Black Adam, and Shazam! Fury of the Gods, to name a few), show plenty of promise despite having no ties to Snyder or Whedon's versions of Justice League. As with the Batman shared universe possibilities, these titles offer DC the opportunity to branch out in a new direction than in the past, which is exactly what's needed given all the controversy surrounding Justice League.
