Steppenwolf Arrives
After some world-building clips that show that everyone is still reeling from Superman’s death, Batman and Wonder Woman talk about “the age of heroes” coming again. “It has to,” Bruce says. “We don’t have any more time…” Why’s that, Bats? Could it be because some big alien nasty is about to land on Earth?
Why yes, actually, it is. We then cut to Diana’s homeland of Themyscira, where Queen Hippolyta and the Amazons are gathered around a Mother Box. A tube of light – you could say – booms into existence and leaves behind a hulking, antlered figure. Though he isn’t named, fans will know this to be our first proper glimpse at the film’s main villain, General Steppenwolf (Ciaran Hinds).
The reveal of the character is handled really well here. It’s exciting enough that we get a brief look at him, but the trailer cleverly doesn’t show us his face. It looks like DC have learned their lesson after spoiling Doomsday in the trailers for Batman V Superman.Â
“No Lanterns. No Kryptonian.”
As if that wasn’t enough, the evil alien from Apokolips then delivers an ominous speech that, just as so many supervillains have done before, promises that he’ll take over the Earth.
“You can’t protect these people,” he warns the League, through his heavily-modulated voice. “No Lanterns. No Kryptonian. This world will fall. Like all the others.”
This speech brilliantly packs a lot into just a few lines. For casual viewers watching the trailer, this gets across what sort of threat the League will be facing in this movie: some kind of alien warlord who has subjugated many other worlds before coming to our planet. For hardcore fans, though, there are some welcome references here.
Obviously, “Kryptonian” refers to Superman, but this is actually the first ever reference to Green Lanterns in the DCEU! Many rumours have stated that we’ll see at least one of the Emerald Knights in the movie, and we’re starting to think that will indeed be the case.
It also touches on the fact that the League are true underdogs, as their abilities – while great – don’t exactly make it even odds against an entire alien invasion.
