A DC Universe theory links the formation of the new Justice League with the upcoming Superman: Legacy and The Authority movies. Following the announcement that James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Studios would create a new DC Universe starting with a Superman reboot, part of the DC Universe’s Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters was revealed. Consisting of live-action movies, live-action shows, and animated series, the initial DC Universe slate is promising a new take on the franchise, with several characters that were not in the DCEU now set to make their debut. Still, one major DC property was lacking from the initial slate – the Justice League.
So far, there has only been one theatrical Justice League movie, 2017’s Justice League. Zack Snyder’s version of Justice League, the Snyder Cut, was released in 2021 as a four-hour cut that set up at least two Justice League sequels, although those plans were not given a continuation. With the DC Universe being rebooted, DC will have another shot at launching a series of Justice League movies that, if properly done, could rival the Avengers franchise. However, going by the initial DC Universe slate, it may take a while before the new Justice League is formed. Regardless, the new Justice League might be set up in Superman: Legacy and The Authority.
Superman & The Authority Could Meet In The New DC Universe
Superman: Legacy and The Authority are among the first movies announced for DC Studios’ new DC Universe. Though a Superman movie seemed like an obvious choice for a DC Universe reboot, an Authority movie was surely not at the top of the list of projects most might have imagined James Gunn’s DC Studios would announce. Still, the fact that The Authority, who originate from the WildStorm comics, was picked to be part of the DCU’s first chapter suggests that they will play a significant role in this new universe. The Authority will be the first comic-to-screen adaptation of the titular group, considering both animation and live-action.
Given how the Authority steamed from WildStorm comics, interactions between DC’s main timeline heroes and the unusual team of antiheroes were more the exception than the norm. It was only after the New 52 reboot that DC ended other imprints and incorporated characters like the Authority’s members into its main universe. Even still, both the post-Flashpoint DC reboot New 52 and DC Rebirth tried to reimagine the Authority and its members, which makes sense given that the Prime DC universe already had its Authority equivalent – the Elite. Led by Manchester Black, DC’s version of Jenny Spark, the Elite is often depicted as a Superman villain group.
Theory: The Authority Inspires Superman To Create The Justice League
With the new DC Universe adapting the Authority, it is unlikely that the Elite ever appears. Still, the idea of a team of superheroes whose morals are completely different from Superman’s can work perfectly fine in an Authority and Superman crossover. One possibility is that The Authority is introduced in Superman: Legacy, either as supporting characters or as the Superman reboot’s main villain. Rather than the usual Superman villains such as Lex Luthor and General Zod, Superman: Legacy could draw from stories like Superman vs. The Elite or Superman and The Authority and have the Man of Steel face a group that believes themselves to be the heroes.
There are plenty of ways for the Authority and Superman to interact in the new DC Universe. One possibility is that The Authority are legacy superheroes in this timeline, a group that has been active for a few years or that was once Earth’s main protectors, similar to the Justice Society. Another possibility is that The Authority comes from another universe, which would be an interesting callback to the fact that they were not originally DC characters. Either way, Superman could be faced with a team of heroes who operate completely differently from him, setting up a personal confrontation between the DC Universe’s Superman and the Authority.
Regardless of the potential clash between Superman and the Authority, the latter could serve as an inspiration for Superman to create his superhero team. Clark Kent could realize that a team of heroes is necessary, though he would not try to mimic the Authority given their ruthless methods. Still, facing a superhero team from the past or another universe could be the first step for Superman to eventually form the Justice League. While that would be quite a different Justice League origin story, it would fit into a DC Universe in which Superman and the Authority might interact right from the start.
Superman Creating The Justice League Can Set The DCU Apart From The DCEU
Having Superman create the Justice League in the new DC Universe would help set this new franchise from the previous one. In the DCEU, it was thanks to Batman and Wonder Woman that the Justice League was formed following Superman’s death in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The death of Superman opened Batman’s eyes to his failures, leading the caped crusader to try to fix his mistakes by continuing Superman’s mission of protecting Earth. Wonder Woman, who by then had walked away from mankind, was the first hero that Batman invited for an alliance, with the duo later recruiting Flash, Cyborg, and Aquaman.
Superman’s role in Justice League was quite limited, as bringing Clark Kent back was part of the Justice League’s first mission. Even in Zack Snyder’s four-hour cut of Justice League, Superman did not have that much screen time and only joined the Justice League for the final battle against Steppenwolf. Though Superman was supposed to be at the center of Snyder’s Justice League arc, the formation of the Justice League was only inspired by the Man of Steel. The opposite could now happen in the new DC Universe, with the Authority inspiring Superman to put together a team of heroes.
Why James Gunn’s New DC Universe Needs The Justice League
No Justice League project has been announced so far for James Gunn’s DC Universe. Considering that rushing into a Justice League movie was one of the studios’ biggest mistakes regarding the original DCEU, it makes sense for the new DC Universe to take its time before introducing the Justice League. That said, as the DCEU’s recent years have proved, a DC shared universe cannot work without an established Justice League in the long term. The DC Universe’s Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters is promising an interconnected universe in which all releases will be part of a larger story, something that only works if all the movies and shows converge somewhere.
The Justice League should be the height of any DC Universe, as all the heroes and their respective storylines can converge into an epic, larger-than-life crossover event. As a comparison, while the Marvel Cinematic Universe built its foundation with solo movies like Iron Man and Thor, it was only after The Avengers that the franchise became a box office juggernaut. The absence of a DC Universe Justice League project announcement should not be worrying, though, as not even the full slate for Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters has been revealed yet. It is also possible that a Justice League movie only happens after the DC Universe’s first chapter, possibly long after Superman: Legacy.
