The DCEU's Justice League was a movie mired in problems, but new concept art shows Zack Snyder's completely different idea for Steppenwolf's final battle on Earth.
No quite uniting the Seven, Snyder and Joss Whedon combined the efforts of the DCEU since 2013 and brought the infamous League of heroes to theaters for their first ever live-action outing. Instead of being a blockbuster affair that solidified the DCEU as big competition for its Marvel counterpart, Warner Bros. dropped the ball with one of the most divisive superhero movies in living memory. However, as Snyder's vision for the climax shows, it all could've been completely different.
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Shared by concept artist Christian Lorenz Scheurer, fans can see much more of Apokolips coming to Earth, rather than a simple flying flock of Parademons. Also, fitting with the dark aesthetic that Snyder's superhero movies have become known for, the designs are a far cry from the finished product. Remembering back to Justice League, the final act took the team to Russia as Steppenwolf attempted to terraform Earth into his home planet with the Mother Boxes. Instead of a gritty alien invasion, fans were instead treated to a dodgy CGI Steppenwolf and purple gloop chasing the Flash.
Looking back at the Apokolips flashback when Steppenwolf first game to Earth, it was much more fitting with Scheurer's designs instead of the rushed feeling the finale actually got. Snyder is also known for his poetic use of imagery through the movies, and some fans have spotted that the concept art looks like a homage to Japanese anime show Neon Genesis Evangelion. The director makes great use of religious symbolism, so seeing Steppenwolf flanked by what appears to be crucifixes certainly channels this vibe.
Featuring actual Apokolips buildings instead of some flowering plantlife, the concept art also gives a clearer explanation of the web shield protecting Steppenwolf's new home base. The League would've had to work together even harder to penetrate the fortress and rid the planet of the alien foe. Most importantly though, Snyder (at some point) aimed to give audiences a better a look at the Apokolips he envisioned. All in all, the concept art is much more intricate and in keeping with Bruce Wayne's "Knightmare" sequence from BvS.
Instead of setting the scene for the arrival of Darkseid, the Snyder-Whedon version of Justice League is left as a controversial addition to the DCEU that cast the entire future of the franchise into disarray, has been a major loss for Warner Bros., and cobbled together the two massively different styles of two directors. Sadly, we will never get to visit Snyder's take on Apokolips after his firing from the DCEU last year, leaving fans just as confused as Justice League's rushed and anticlimactic climax.
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Source: Christian Lorenz Scheurer
