As far as directors’ filmographies go, George Miller may have one the most varied line-ups possible. The director responsible for four Mad Max pics, two Happy Feet movies, and a couple of Babe outings almost added Justice League Mortal to his roster in 2007, but it was nixed deep into pre-production.
A script had been finalized, casting had commenced and sets were being built, but Warner Bros. mysteriously and unceremoniously canceled what would’ve been the first live-action Justice League movie right before filming began. Only now, over a decade since its demise, is production art finally leaking out to the public, including our best look yet at DJ Cotrona’s Superman suit.
As first revealed by Skull101ify on Instagram, the unused designs by Weta Workshop depict a Man of Steel costume much different than what we’ve ever seen on the big screen, and you can check it out for yourself down below.
Sure, Cotrona sports the classic hair curl, but the soft, spandex-like material is much more akin to the Adam West’s Batsuit than the Kryptonian armor Henry Cavill’s donned in the DCEU. The cape and S-Shield are one complete piece, connected by a chest plate that stretches from shoulder to shoulder, and lastly, the usually bright red trunks and boots have been recolored blue, making the entire suit look like a giant onesie.
It’s not necessarily a bad look, but these pictures lack a certain cinematic quality that we’re used to seeing in many modern superhero blockbusters. Who knows how it would’ve played out on the big screen though, as Mad Max: Fury Road proved George Miller is one of the most visually interesting filmmakers working today.
Justice League Mortal would’ve featured a cast of up-and-comers, including Armie Hammer as Batman, Adam Brody as The Flash, Megan Gale as Wonder Woman and Common as the Green Lantern, teaming up to stop Jay Baruchel’s Maxwell Lord. It’s a shame that the film never came to fruition and its concept art is now our only look at what could have been.