Well, it turns out Zack Snyder's original Justice League movie may have included DC's famous Anti-Life Equation. The reveal shouldn't come as a shock to any DC fans following the latest developments in the ongoing saga of the Snyder Cut of Justice League. The film that hit theaters was a far cry from what fans expected from Snyder, and the months since have seen more and more details surface. Including the revelation that Zack Snyder planned to introduced Darkseid to the DC Movie Universe.
With the big bad villain of Apokolips originally included as the mastermind of Justice League's villain Steppenwolf, it's only right his secret weapon should have appeared, as well. But even if the story beat wound up erased from the final cut (like Darkseid himself), the Anti-Life Equation may still remain as a Justice League Easter Egg - even if it was planned to be much, much more.
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It may come as a surprise to moviegoers that even fans of Darkseid (or those making DC's announced New Gods Movie) would have a hard time actually explaining what the Anti-Life Equation IS. Its function is clear enough: if acquired and wielded by Darkseid (or anyone else) it would act as the antithesis to the force of life and free will, granting total control over a subservient universe. But in the pages of DC Comics, it's been portrayed as a literal mathematical equation, a weapon, or a living entity, depending on the story.
Now we have one theory suggesting Zack Snyder and his team chose a new depiction in the Justice League movie: the massive, sprawling, burning symbols scorched into the surface of the Earth by Steppenwolf in the movie's opening battle.
The theory was raised by David Peña on the Vero True Social app, suggesting that the symbols marking the plain of Justice League's ancient battle prologue weren't random or just for added flair. Before long, Zack Snyder addressed the question. Not by refuting the claim, but by instructing fans to "do the math." From there, it's a small leap to link the strange symbols to the strange equation (especially since they are seemingly harming the planet).
If the Anti-Life Equation is what's being alluded to here, then it stands to reason that it was being set up with Darkseid for Snyder's Justice League 2. After all, the Anti-Life Equation is part of the reason Darkseid takes interest in Earth at all, with the human race possessing some of, if not the entire secret to unlocking its true power in the comics. This new theory reiterates the fact that Snyder had BIG plans for Darkseid in his follow-up to Justice League. With the Lord of Apokolips's top general defeated by Earth's united heroes, Darkseid would have no choice but to, in the words of a certain cosmic Marvel villain, "do it himself."
The "it" being leading an invasion of Earth... that would also open the door for other DC heroes. Since Darkseid, Apokolips, and the infamous Anti-Life Equation are all on the radar of DC's space-based heroes and defenders, there would be no better way to introduce a Green Lantern, or even Lanterns to the DC movie universe. Of course, that was before Warner Bros. parted ways with Zack Snyder and his vision, and entrusted director Joss Whedon to deliver a shorter, lighter Justice League.
One that did little to set up the next wave of DC films, let alone a direct sequel. And it may have taken the first film version of the anti-Life Equation with it.
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Source: Vero