The DCU may have already laid the path for Batman to form the Justice League through a potential villain-to-be in Superman. While the DCEU jumped to assemble the blue brand's biggest heroes quickly as it sought to catch up with the MCU, DC Studios boss James Gunn looks to be taking his time this time around. The studio has already lined up projects for key heroes such as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern, while Aquaman and Flash, unfortunately, seem to be on the sidelines for now after their last DCEU solo outings disappointed.
Superman planted the seeds for the Justice League to one day assemble in the DCU through the Justice Gang. The DC Studios original superhero team is owned by Maxwell Lord and features Guy Gardner/Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Mr. Terrific, and, by the end of Superman, Metamorpho. As the group has a Justice-centric name and is based out of the Hall of Justice, fans rightly assumed this team would one day become the Justice League - but there is a major obstacle in the way.
You see, Lord is a rather questionable figure in DC Comics, starting as well-meaning but arrogant in forming the Justice League International before eventually revealing a darker side and becoming a villain.
Lord starts as a morally ambiguous, corporate backer to the Justice League International, pursuing a unified global superhero team to protect Earth. But, in time, that all began to change as his behind-the-scenes manipulation was exposed and the LordTech boss turned against metahumans.
DC Studios introduced Maxwell Lord with a Superman cameo, played by James Gunn's brother and Guardians of the Galaxy actor Sean Gunn. He will soon be back on screens in August, thanks to Peacemaker Season 2 on HBO Max, as the Justice Gang will hold tryouts for new members, piquing Peacemaker's interest.
Here's How Batman Could Assemble the DCU's Justice League
Regardless of his seemingly good intentions in the DCU, at least at the moment, it's tough to imagine Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman signing up to work under Lord, meaning the DCU's Justice Gang may need to change hands.
The obvious path toward that comes from Bruce Wayne's deep, deep pockets, which make him the perfect candidate to buy the Hall of Justice and rebrand the existing team in the Justice League (an arguably more heroic-sounding name).
Just because the team would be shifting ownership, that doesn't necessarily mean Wayne would be looking to clean house, and could keep the existing Justice Gangsters around, especially as Hawkgirl is a founding Leaguer in the comics.
For this to come about, Lord would presumably need to undergo his dark turn first, prompting a face-off with characters such as Batman and Superman. Perhaps the Justice Gang founder could even be the Thanos-level villain that threatens the DCU in Chapter 1, likely with the help of other DC villains.
With Sean Gunn's DCU villain defeated, Batman may see the Justice Gang and their Hall of Justice as a foundation on which to build their own superhero team, thus introducing the Justice League and a successor.
While Superman may have the Justice League on fans' minds, don't expect the DCU's premier superhero team to assemble anytime soon. James Gunn and DC Studios still have plenty of legwork to do in introducing key characters first, which could place the inevitable Justice League reboot at least five years away.
