2) The Replacement Of Darkseid
Even for hardcore fans of DC Comics, Justice League’s villain, Steppenwolf, is not the most recognizable character. Sure, he played a large role in Jack Kirby’s New Gods storylines, but in the catalogue of great DC supervillains, he’s relatively small potatoes. In Justice League, however, he serves as the main foe for the newly formed team, even if he’s just really a fill-in for the Justice League: Origin villain, Darkseid.
While it’s true that Darkseid could still appear in later DCEU films, his absence was surely felt in the recent blockbuster. When he appears in Origin, he not only overwhelms the group with his sheer power, but he also forces them to grow as individuals and as a team. In fact, even with the combined forces of all seven Leaguers, they only managed to repel him and don’t even come close to beating him.
In Justice League, Steppenwolf was easily bested by Superman and almost totally defeated by the heroes. While this moment was definitely a victory for them, it almost diminishes the challenge they faced in the first place and felt like a watered downed version of the source material.
