10 Justice League Comics That Will Never Be Made Into Movies (& Why)

10 Justice League Comics That Will Never Be Made Into Movies (& Why)
on Apr 12, 2021

Now that the DCEU finally brought the Justice League to the big screen back in 2017 and now fan interest in the franchise has been revitalized thanks to the Snyder Cut, all hands are on deck to see how Warner Bros. decides to adapt everyone's super friends next. If the studio has any interest in moving forward with the Snyderverse (which seems unlikely, due to reports from the likes of We Got This Covered), they could continue this Future Evil Superman storyline that seems to borrow elements from the Injustice series. READ: Marvel: 10 Strangest Friendships In Scarlet Witch Comics Every superhero movie tends to borrow elements from at least a few key source materials, if not going all-out on a full-blown story adaptation. Warner Bros. has plenty of great Justice League stories to choose from for their next JLA movie, but there are some stories out there that aren't likely to get the big movie treatment.

The Nail Strays Too Far Away From Superman's Classic Origin

For those unfamiliar with the title, The Nail is a 1998 mini-series Elseworlds tale - or What If? story - that drastically changes Superman's story from being an alien boy adopted by Ma and Pa Kent to an alien boy adopted by Amish farmers who close him off from the rest of the world. This leads to a present-day Justice League without Superman and Wonder Woman as its leader. As much as die-hard Superman fans dread another origin story being depicted onscreen, they'd likely dread even more for that familiar origin story to be drastically altered into a modern movie canon.

Another Nail Has Weird Depictions Of Hell

Although the original series' sequel, Another Nail, merely exists to tie up loose ends from The Nail, the basic core plot of the story would make for a good live-action movie, as it focuses on Batman resigning from the League around the time Superman dons his tights for the first time and joins the team. However, outside of that core plot exists an essential sub-plot where Batman is literally dragged to Hell and fights a demonic Joker. It's a long story. Usually, superhero movies serve as family-friendly popcorn flicks, so it's rare - if ever - that movies send their heroes to Hell. Introducing depictions of Hell get into weird, dark existential crisis territory that's too deep for kids.

MCU & DCEU Will Never Team Up For JLA/Avengers

If this list was ranked by the most unlikely stories to be adapted to the big screen, the JLA/Avengers limited series would probably take the top spot. This story basically boils down to the Justice League and The Avengers being manipulated into fighting each other to save their own universes before eventually teaming up. It's a fun concept, but not one made for the movies. According to CNBC, the MCU has the most profitable movie franchise in Hollywood. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. is only now in the last few years trying to catch up via the DCEU. These movies are in direct competition with each other, so it's unlikely that the studios let bygones be bygones for the sake of collaboration anytime soon, if ever.

JLApe Would Be Too Kid-Friendly, Alienating Older Audiences

Judging by the title, this is easily the silliest story that will be mentioned. It's not hard to figure out from the title that the entire League (except Batman, despite what the cover art might suggest) gets turned into apes. Although more recent movies in the franchise's canon (excluding the currently questionable canon of Zack Snyder's Justice League) seem to take the franchise into a more lighthearted atmosphere, turning the JLA into animals in the spirit of The Shaggy Dog or MVP: Most Valuable Primate might be a step too deep into making Disney-esque movies for kids, opposed to the whole family.

Titans Of Tomorrow Torture People

This is actually something of a Teen Titans-Justice League hybrid story, showcasing an alternating reality where the Titans take up their mentors' mantles in the wake of their deaths. This means Conner Kent becomes the new Superman, Tim Drake the new Robin, Bart Allen the new Flash, etc. Except, this version of the League partakes in magic and even torture techniques to suppress the American populace in the quest for peace. The scary part is that in this universe, torturing people actually lead to their world being at peace without criminals for the most part. But as far as a live-action adaptation goes, since fans and critics bemoaned at the sight of Batman torturing criminals with a branded Bat symbol in Batman V Superman, Warner Bros. knows that fans won't take too kindly to torture from the whole JLA.

Destiny's Hand Would Either Anger Fans Or Be A Fakeout

Long pre-dating the concept behind Injustice, the Destiny's Hand as depicted by writer/penciler Dan Jurgens in Justice League #72, the Justice League have suddenly become tyrants who use brute force and kill without batting an eyelash. The idea of a tyrannical JLA is controversial enough to fans, but the controversy ensues to reveal that this reality isn't real and is merely a product as a part of his Dreamverse. Given the mass reaction to movies from critics critical of the It was all a dream, the studio should know their audience well enough to know most will see this as a cop-out ending.

Fans Would Hate Earth X Superman Becoming A Nazi Symbol

There are a lot of factors working against a big-screen adaptation of the Earth X universe, many of which are factors previously mentioned - tyrannical JLA characters, different Superman backstory, etc. But above all else, this one hails an extremely dark depiction of Nazi Germany where not only they win World War II, but Superman - whose space baby pod lands in Nazi Germany instead of the Kent Farm - is integral to that victory as he's raised to be Overman. Superman has become an integral part of classic Americana imagery thanks in large part to his movie depictions. Fans would hate for any mainstream movie material to stray away from that, especially by making him a Nazi. Remember the worldwide reaction to Captain America becoming a Hydra soldier? This would be a bigger controversy.

Futures End Is A Complicated Future

Zack Snyder's Justice League ended by showing audiences a glimpse of a post-apocalyptic future, but it's not too drastic enough to at least somewhat decipher what could have happened to lead to that dark timeline. The Future's End mini-series that befell The New 52 five years into its future was a little confusing and complicated enough to justify not including it into any movie canon. The best way to explain this mess is to say it depicts a world where Brother Eye uses technology to turn everyone in the world, including the JLA, into cyborg slaves. Batman in particular became a cyborg fused with a long-perceived dead Joker. Again, it all got really weird and confusing.

Formerly Known As The Justice League Is Too Much Of A B-Team

Formerly Known as the Justice League, despite being almost unrecognizable as a Justice League team, is actually a huge and popular hit among comic book readers, going on to win the 2004 Eisner Award for Best Comedy Series. However, if it reached the big screen, there is a risk that it may only cater to diehard comic book lovers. Without more recognizable heroes onboard like Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman, there is no one who mainstream, casual audiences can latch on to. Without at least a Trinity onboard, this League is bound to flop at the box office, and Warner Bros. isn't willing to take that risk.

Identity Crisis Is Way Too Dark

Early DCEU movies used to be heavily criticized for being too dark, so it seems more recent movies like Aquaman and Shazam try to rectify that with a lighter tone. Even if Warner Bros. does decide to go back to making darker pictures, Identity Crisis probably won't be on their possible adaptations list. This story's too dark, even for the DCEU. Bad things happen on a level that is far worse than anyone could ever imagine. This series' first issue, Identity Crisis #1, written by Brad Meltzer with art by Rags Morales, starts off with a hero's wife being killed and then the story turns into a murder mystery that reveals skeleton's out of every JLA member's closet. There's no way that Warner Bros. would agree to adapt this. Source:  cbr.com