Gerard Johnstone shares new plot details about his Justice League Dark movie and expresses an interest in returning to the scrapped project in the future of James Gunn's DC Universe. DC has attempted to make a Justice League Dark project many times, with Guillermo del Toro and JJ Abrams each signing on for different iterations at one point. Johnstone, who recently directed the smash hit M3GAN, was also in the process of penning the script before the disappointing box office performances of Justice League and Suicide Squad caused DC to scrap the movie.
In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant promoting the home release of M3GAN, Johnstone revealed details about his Justice League Dark script. He explains why the project was scrapped and provides intriguing plot details that paint Zantana as the movie's main protagonist, as well as his hopes to speak with Gunn about the scrapped movie having a future in the DC Universe. See what Johnstone exclusively shared below:
It was just a tough time for DC...I was told that they don't want to spend money on another new movie with a bunch of characters no one's heard of, and I understand that. It was a shame.
But I really was just halfway through the script writing process with that one. So Deadman, Swamp Thing, Constantine, Zatanna. I felt like Zatanna was actually the main character, and there was a lot of the conversations and jostling I had with the guys, because they were like, "Constantine's the main character." I was like, "No, Constantine's kind of the coolest character. But Zatanna is really the main character." Because she's discovering her magical powers for the first time. But it was fun, man. The characters all went to hell to get Zatanna's dad.
I would love to sit down with James Gunn and talk about it, for sure.
Why Justice League Dark Is The Perfect Addition To James Gunn's DCU
The Justice League Dark is a team of supernatural heroes who tackle the more magical threats outside the traditional Justice League's wheelhouse. The team seems like a perfect fit for Gunn's DC Universe, with the dark origins of each hero, the relative obscurity of some of the members, and the interesting team dynamic. Gunn has even teased plans for one of the more prominent members with a mysterious Twitter post featuring Deadman.
Additionally, Gunn announced a Swamp Thing movie as part of the DC Universe's Chapter One: Gods and Monsters line-up, which could be the perfect set-up for a Justice League Dark project down the line. Johnstone's script featured Swamp Thing, and the new movie could set the tone while exploring the origins of the titular character. Gunn could take the opportunity to flesh out a number of team members before bringing their stories together in a Justice League Dark movie.
With monsters at the forefront of the DC Universe's first chapter, it seems like a team of heroes specifically built to face off against the more mystical and monstrous threats is a natural direction for the DC Universe. Johnstone's Justice League Dark script seems tailor-made for the new DCU, with the screenwriter looking to Gunn's own famous superhero movie, Guardians of the Galaxy, as a guide for the team dynamic. Johnstone has demonstrated an impressive ability to thread the needle between humor and horror with M3GAN, and his passion for this story makes him a perfect candidate to potentially helm such an important corner of the DCU.
