Source: Warner Bros. / Warner Bros.
When James Gunn took over the DCEU over at Warner Bros., he immediately began to clean house much to the dismay of many DCEU fans and now we’re getting word that his upcoming version of the Justice League will feature a brand new cast which many felt was inevitable given the choices he’s been making.
In a new article in Variety which delves into just how toxic Jason Momoa was to Amber Heard on the set of Aquaman 2 (the hell you doing, Jason!?), it’s being reported that none of the OG Justice League members will be reprising their roles in future DCU films in any capacity. Whether it’s Henry Cavill’s beloved version of Superman or Gal Gadot’s impressive iteration of Wonder Woman, everyone is being shown the door to make room for newer, younger and fresher faces that can carry the franchise for the next decade and possibly beyond.
The final straw seems to be that the test screenings of Aquaman 2 kept on falling flat with studio executives, and that was all the push that Gunn and company needed to give the Justice League a complete overhaul.
Variety reports:
Still, the “Aquaman” sequel held promise considering that the character’s first outing earned $1.15 billion worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing DC movie ever. But sources say the sequel has endured challenges outside of the Heard saga and was testing in the 60s before being recut in the summer of 2022. Despite the overhaul, the film continued to test in the 60s, prompting a new cut. “The movie is like this echo of regimes,” says one insider. “It’s the last remnant of the Snyderverse, and no one really wants to take ownership of it.” Reshoots took place right up until this year’s WGA strike in May. The on-set source disputes the idea that “Aquaman 2” is troubled, noting that the film was on time, under budget and needed only about a week of reshoots.
Like “Flash,” “Aquaman” can’t shake its lame duck trappings, with the DC universe getting overhauled under new leadership, marking Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav’s top priority.
Reportedly, all the stars of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017) will not be resuming their roles. That means Momoa, Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot and Ezra Miller are all out. However, there is a possibility Momoa will portray DC character and anti-hero Lobo while Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller is still a go.
Looks like John Cena won this battle over Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson who’s Black Adam doesn’t seem like it’s going to survive James Gunn’s overhaul of the DCEU either.
Though we’ve already gotten reports on who James Gunn’s Superman will be for his DCEU, there’s still no word on who’ll be taking on the roles of Batman, Wonder Woman or Aquaman for his revamped Justice League squad. Should be an interesting to see who he goes with in the coming years.
What do y’all think of James Gunn completely recasting the Justice League? Sound off in the comments section below.
