Warning - This article contains spoilers for Zack Snyder’s Justice League.
The Snyder Cut has finally arrived on HBO Max , giving fans four hours of Justice League goodness.
The new version of the film brings about many changes, including additional backstory for Cyborg , updates to the score, and a more prominent role for the villainous Darkseid .
One of the major additions to Zack Snyder's Justice League is the arrival of the Martian Manhunter, who has been a known quantity for quite some time. The alien superhero, also known as J'onn J'onnz, has been continuously teased by Snyder even before the announcement of the new version of Justice League.
Actor Harry Lennix previously confirmed that he had shot new footage for the film , though it was unclear how involved his new scene(s) would be.
With the film out in the wild, the Martian Manhunter is indeed part of the Snyder Cut, but he shows his face a couple more times than fans may expect...
THE MARTHA MANHUNTER REARS HIS HEAD
Martian Manhunter appears in an extended scene from the theatrical version of Justice League featuring Martha Kent and Lois Lane, the development of which has been telegraphed for a while.
After having an emotional discussion with Lois about their loss of Clark, Martha leaves the apartment before transforming into the Martian Manhunter. The extraterrestrial then morphs into General Calvin Swanwick, revealing that J'onn J'onnz has been officially been around on Earth since Man of Steel.
THE JUSTICE LEAGUE FINDS ITS SEVENTH MEMBER
Martian Manhunter also appears in an additional scene to close out the Snyder Cut.
After Bruce Wayne awakes from another Knightmare premonition, the billionaire playboy goes outside to investigate a peculiar noise. Upon exiting, Bruce is visited by none other than J'onn J'onnz, who floats down to greet the Dark Knight.
Clearly confused and wondering if he is still dreaming, Bruce asks the alien if he can help with anything. J'onn is quick to inform the perplexed human on why he has decided to visit him.
"I'm sure you know Darkseid is not finished with Earth. The Anti-Life Equation is here somewhere. We have to find it before he does. There's a war coming. And I'm here to help."
Still trying to grapple with the Martian's presence, Bruce follows up by asking who J'onn is. The newcomer does not answer his question straight away, but does note that he "realized [he has] a stake in this world and it's time [he] started fighting for it." Bruce welcomes J'onn's offer to help.
J'onn J'onnz mentions that he never expected the forces of Earth to unite as one and that Bruce alone is responsible for this happening. The alien hero tells the non-caped crusader that his "mother and father would be proud."
Before the extraterrestrial departs, he imparts Bruce with some knowledge about his name: the Martian Manhunter.
WHO IS MARTIAN MANHUNTER?
The Martian Manhunter is finally part of the wider DCEU, marking the seventh member of the Justice League.
Martian Manhunter often rounds out the main cast of the League in the cartoons and comics, being the only member to not have a direct link to Earth. Similar to Kal-El, J'onn J'onnz is the last of his planet, with the Martian race being completely wiped out. The character possesses an interesting powerset, including super-strength, flight, superhuman vision, and shapeshifting among others.
With there being "room for more" on the team, Martian Manhunter should make a fine addition to the League's growing roster.
J'onn J'onnz' transformation into General Swanwick reveals that the alien has been around ever since the DCEU's inception. So why did he choose not to help in the various catastrophes that have befallen Earth? Zod's invasion and the destruction from Doomsday seemed like prime opportunities for the Martian to help out.
J'onnz' sentiments at the end of the Snyder Cut seem to somewhat explain this by saying that he has "a stake in this world." This seems to reference his tragic past, being the last son of Mars. This could imply that Martian Manhunter has a similar origin in Justice League to his comic book roots, having lost his family. It seems that Jonn felt hopeless, before realizing that he does in fact have the capacity to make a difference on his new home.
MARTIAN MANHUNTER'S FUTURE IN THE DCEU
A Snyder Cut sequel is unlikely, but not impossible. Snyder planned to set his Justice League 2 in a Knightmare-like setting , so perhaps Martian Manhunter could help in trying to prevent this dark future from ever occurring. The character's extraterrestrial origins could indicate that more time would be spent in space for a Justice League sequel, at least to explore Martian Manhunter's past on Mars.
The addition of Martian Manhunter to the League could also indicate even more members in a sequel. The Justice League has an expansive roster of heroes, including Green Arrow, Black Canary, Atom, Hawkgirl, Doctor Fate, Zatanna, and more. Perhaps J'onn would be the first of many more to come in a potential Justice League follow-up.
Whether J'onn J'onnz appears in another DCEU project or not, it is exciting to finally see the character come to life in a full-fledged feature role.
Zack Snyder's Justice League is available to stream now on HBO Max.
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