If you’re an avid reader of comics like me, then you may have been disappointed by Darkseid’s exclusion from the Justice League movie. Yes, I know Zack Snyder’s original plan was for Steppenwolf to pave the way for the true Lord of Apokolips, but massive reshoots done by the studio retooled the story so that he became a standalone villain. And though I understand that from a filmmaking perspective, I’m frustrated by the reality of not seeing a followup featuring Darkseid himself.
We experienced a windfall of sorts though when The New Gods became the billionth DC film to be “announced” by Warner Bros. earlier this year, thus causing us to expect for Darkseid to appear alongside others like Mr. Miracle, Big Barda and Orion. But when you factor in how there’s been no official news regarding the picture since March, well, then that’s when you make the decision not to hold your breath.
As it happens, however, director Ava DuVernay offered us all a glimmer of hope this week by unexpectedly posting some artwork on Twitter, likely letting us know that the project is still alive at the studio. Seen below, Highfather is flanked by some of the aforementioned characters created by Jack “The King” Kirby.
Make no mistake, I’m rooting for DuVernay like you wouldn’t believe – if not for the selfish purpose of seeing Darkseid on the silver screen alone – but I’m not taking this as confirmation that cameras are about to begin rolling. In order to inspire more belief, we’re going to need to see some serious traction be made before long.
If you think I’m being overly pessimistic, I’ll ask you to recall David Ayer teasing Black Mask for Gotham City Sirens in similar fashion – and look how that turned out. Granted, the character is popping up in Birds of Prey, but that’s a different situation entirely.
That aside, let’s hope the studio is willing to give DuVernay and The New Gods a chance in the very near future. Rest assured, it won’t be your typical superhero flick, so there’s much potential for what can be accomplished.
