After years of promise, this year's Justice League will finally unite DC's finest heroes on the big screen. We've already seen Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman (who is absent from the recent trailer but will still have a big presence) together in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and they're going to be joined by former Quicktime stars The Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg to take down the forces of Steppenwolf.
That's an impressive selection of heroes, although the obvious odd-one-out is Cyborg; compared to the other heroes who were all created in the Golden Age of Comics and have been icons for the better part of a century, Vic Stone was created in the 1980s and only became a Justice League member with the New 52 DC Comics brand-wide reboot in 2011. That's not to say he's not worthy of the big screen treatment, but he is one of the less well-known characters all the same. Although that's not to say his part in the movie will reflect that.
Speaking to USA Today about the dynamic between the various actors, director Zack Snyder honed in on Cyborg star Ray Fisher, revealing how important his role in the story is:
"They’re each such awesome personalities in the movie. You have Jason stomping around as this inked hairy man, just this mythic figure. And you’ve got Ezra, who’s full of life and hilarious and all over the place and amazing — a really fun and also poignant Flash. And Ray’s story is in a lot of the ways the heart of the movie. Ray’s story is in a lot of the ways the heart of the movie."
It's fair to say that the three newly introduced-to-the-DCEU heroes are the breakout stars of the recent trailer, so it's good to hear how well the actors have embodied their roles. Of course, the most interesting part of Snyder's statement is how Cyborg is the heart of the movie.
We've not seen much of the team's half-man, half-machine member - there was a glimpse at his creation in Dawn of Justice and the new footage hint that Vic's father and the Mother Box that created him will be a key driving force - but Snyder's comments suggest that, along with the usual conflict inherent in bringing iconic heroes together, we're going to see Cyborg go on his own emotional journey. Based on the trailer shot of him trying to cover his mechanical appearance, it may be to do with Stone afraid of his robotic look - he's the hero with the most normal background, so needs to find his place. This has been a common use of the character since he became part of the JLA, with everything from comics to Lego cartoons playing with his sense of belonging.
If they go with this arc, then it would really hammer home to audiences that Cyborg is set to be a big part of the DCEU going forward; while not much has been heard about his slated 2020 movie, he is (or, given the script rewrite, was) set to have a cameo in The Flash. Although he's not the most well-known, he may just be Justice League's breakout star.
Source: USA Today
