Fans finally have confirmation of the origins of James Gunn's new Justice League team making their debut in the upcoming Superman movie. Gunn's rebooted DC universe is ready to hit the big screen for the first time on the back of David Corenswet as the Blue Brand's iconic Man of Steel, but he will not be the only comic book hero popping up in the new movie. Isabela Merced's Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner, and Echo Kellum's Mister Terrific will also appear, making up a super-powered squad known as the Justice Gang.
After months of speculation and plenty of online jokes at their name's expense, the curtain has been pulled back on how Superman's new Justice League team got their Justice Gang name. While the Justice League proper will not appear in the upcoming film, a new take on the team will be in the form of the Justice Gang, a corporate-backed version of the iconic comic book outfit.
An official tie-in novel released as a part of Superman's extensive promotional campaign revealed that the Justice Gang name, which the film's new Justice League goes by, was, in fact, Guy Gardner's idea.
As spotted by fans on Reddit, in the official character description for Nathan Fillion's bumbling Green Lantern in Superman, Welcome to Metropolis junior prequel novel, it mentions, "Guy wants to name the new team he is in 'The Justice Gang' but has not convinced his fellow members:"
"Green Lantern, also known as Guy Gardner, gets his power from the glowing green ring on his finger. With the ring, he can project energy and create anything he images. He's part of a team of metahumans committed to fighting crime and protecting the citizens of Metropolis from danger. Guy wants to name the new team he is in 'The Justice Gang' but has not convinced his fellow members."
The idea that Guy Gardner wants to name the team himself comes up again in the official description of the Justice Gang itself. Their character bio reads, "Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific, and Green Lantern make up The Justice Gang! Even though the name is still to be confirmed:"
"Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific, and Green Lantern make up The Justice Gang! Even though the name is still to be confirmed, these heroes know that working as a team makes them a greater force for good than working independantly."
This information likely means the new Justice League team (aka the Justice Squad) will not be named that forever; it is merely something the overly confident, bowl-cut-sporting Guy Gardner came up with and is trying to get his fellow teammates on board.
In Superman, the Justice Gang is brought together by Sean Gunn's Maxwell Lord, an evil businessman with a long history at DC Comics (read more about Maxwell Lord's Superman role here). This essentially makes the team a corporate-sponsored superhero team, working with the interests of their multi-billionaire financier as well as their own selfless, crime-fighting pursuits.
The Justice Gang will debut alongside David Corenswet's Superman in James Gunn's upcoming Superman, which will hit theaters on Friday, July 11. The film's superhero team is also joined by Rachel Brosnahan's Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor, and Anthony Carrigan's Metamorpho as DC Comics mainstays ready for their DCU debut.
Why Superman's Justice Gang Could Be Critical to the DCU
Some fans may look at Superman's quote/unquote new Justice League team and scoff, knowing what the Justice League turns into in the comics. This is a team that is usually headlined by Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, not Mister Terrific, Guy Gardner, and Hawkgirl.
The introduction of the Justice Gang could lead to the formation of the Justice League proper at some point in James Gunn's DCU.
Every franchise has to start somewhere, and Gunn is taking the approach of throwing fans in mid-story in an already established superhero world, where the idea of a metahuman is nothing out of the ordinary.
So, if superheroes already exist in this universe, why would a couple of them not have thought to team up—especially if a billionaire businessman like Maxwell Lord was willing to foot the bill?
And that is where the Justice Gang likely comes into the Superman picture. However, it is interesting that they are not 100% settled on the Justice Gang name.
The team has already been teased to pop up elsewhere in the DCU (specifically in Peacemaker), so we know that they will at least continue together after the events of Superman, but what if this is all setting up the official formation of a new Justice League team proper?
It might not happen in Superman itself, but from these little hints of dissent within their ranks (like the idea that Mister Terrific and Hawkgirl are not convinced of Guy Gardner's name for the team), maybe their tenure together will not be a particularly lengthy one.
Perhaps this will lead to a full-on break-up amongst the Justice Gang, leaving a void for someone like David Corenswet's Superman, the boys from the Lanterns TV series, and whoever Gunn and team cast to be Batman in The Brave and the Bold to form the first iteration of the DCU's official Justice League.
