Justice League 2: Zack Snyder Confirms Knightmare Premise of Planned Sequel

By Tom Drew Updated:
Knightmare Batman Justice League 2

With Zack Snyder's Justice League finally seeing the light of day , many avid DC fans have wondered about the director's hypothetical plans for a sequel. #RestoreTheSnyderVerse has replaced the original campaign to release the Snyder Cut, with many fans still hoping that Snyder can continue his vision for the DC universe.

IGN's Fan Fest recently revealed that the HBO Max cut of Justice League will end on a "massive cliffhanger," potentially setting up a sequel. New footage that will presumably feature in the film also debuted at the event, showing an impressive CG sequence that displays the six heroes of the Justice League emblazoned on the sides of a Mother Box.

The episodic nature of the original plan for Justice League is being retained in some form, with the director confirming some of the titles of the film's chapters .

Zack Snyder has now shed some light regarding what he would do with a sequel, in addition to revealing how his new cut for HBO Max would lead into a Justice League 2...

JUSTICE LEAGUE 2'S KNIGHTMARE PREMISE

During IGN's Fan Fest , Zack Snyder discussed his ideas for a Justice League 2, saying his sequel would be set in Batman's post-apocalyptic Knightmare version of the future seen in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

The director also confirmed that Darkseid was very much intended to be a "sequel bad guy," though he reassured fans that " he definitely is in full effect [in The Snyder Cut]. He's running the show. He's there. I don't want to, again, spoil it but, yeah, he's definitely there."

DARKSEID INVASIONS AND HOPELESS FUTURES

Zack Snyder has continued to build up his Knightmare version of the future in Batman v Superman and, now, Justice League, so it makes sense that this would be the direction for a sequel to the Snyder Cut. Darkseid would be the natural progression for a villain, but completely decimating the landscape of the world is a bold choice for a setting. With little of the Earth left to save, it would be interesting to see how Snyder would push this post-apocalyptic concept further.

If this is truly where the director would intend to make a sequel, this could indeed mark a tragic end for the Justice League in Snyder's new version. The theatrical cut ended in the DC heroes triumphing over evil, but a Knightmare premise would require a Darkseid invasion to occur. Perhaps Zack Snyder will double down on his dark and gritty tone by having the World's Finest lose to Steppenwolf and the forces of Apokolips.

This may even indicate that the Knightmare sequence seen in trailers with Batman and Joker may not be a premonition at all. There is a good chance that this could actually be the cliffhanger ending that Zack Snyder is teasing, which would lead into a potential sequel fully set in the Knightmare landscape.

Maybe if Zack Snyder's Justice League proves to be a success upon its March 18, 2021 release, Warner Bros. will reassess the possibility of a Zack Snyder-led sequel.

- About The Author: Tom Drew
Tom Drew is the Executive Editor at The Direct. Tom writes for The Direct's Marvel, Star Wars, and DC branches while specializing in all things movies, from blockbuster to indie darlings.