DC debuted the trailer for Justice Society: World War II, the upcoming animated film starring comic's original superhero team. DC has a couple of animated features confirmed so far for 2021, the other being Batman: The Long Halloween. The most recent movies were Superman: Man of Tomorrow and Batman: Soul of the Dragon.
Despite being the original superhero team, the Justice Society of America hasn't been used all that much in media. However, in recent times, that's begun to change. The team is a major aspect of The CW's Stargirl. Black Adam will feature the team in their live-action cinematic debut. Before that, the group will headline their first-ever starring movie in Justice Society: World War II. The film was announced last year alongside Batman: The Long Halloween. The roster shown includes Wonder Woman, Hourman, Black Canary, Hawkman, Jay Garrick, and Steve Trevor. Some key members seem to be missing, such as Alan Scott and Wildcat, but it's overall a good representation of the roster. The voice cast was revealed last month.
The trailer for Justice Society: World War II is here (via IGN), teasing the team fighting for justice in the destructive war. In addition to showing the characters in action, the trailer reveals the modern-day Flash traveling back in time to meet up with the team. Check out the trailer below, along with the plot synopsis.
"Justice Society: World War II finds modern-day Barry Allen – prior to the formation of the Justice League – discovering he can run even faster than he imagined, and that milestone results in his first encounter with the Speed Force. The Flash is promptly launched into the midst of a raging battle – primarily between Nazis and a team of Golden Age DC Super Heroes known as The Justice Society of America. Led by Wonder Woman, the group includes Hourman, Black Canary, Hawkman, Steve Trevor and the Golden Age Flash, Jay Garrick. The Flash quickly volunteers to assist his fellow heroes in tipping the scales of war in their favor, while the team tries to figure out how to send him home. But it won’t be easy as complications and emotions run deep in this time-skipping World War II thriller."
The film appears to be an accurate representation of what the Justice Society is all about: the first metahumans banning together to fight for justice in the war. An unexpected central plot point is the modern Flash traveling back in time. This could lead to some interesting dialogue between Barry Allen and Jay Garrick. Interestingly, the final scene looks like the Justice Society could be appearing in the modern-day themselves.
In the Post-Crisis timeline in the comics, the Wonder Woman with the Justice Society was her mother, Queen Hippolyta. It will be interesting to see if that's the case in the animated film, but it's probably Diana since Steve Trevor is featured. Audiences may wonder it is in continuity with Superman: Man of Tomorrow, considering the two share an identical animation style. It will be an excellent setup for future stories if the team ends up in the modern-day. Either way, Justice Society: World War II looks like an impressive effort to bring the Golden Age superheroes to life. There's no definite date yet, but it will be released later in 2021.
Source: IGN