In Zack Snyder’s planned sequels to The Flash, which will bring about a major continuity shift. Had Snyder’s plans been fulfilled, the DCEU would have a markedly different future, including the Batman and Flash films.
The Batman while The Flash’s film will feature Affleck’s final performance as the Caped Crusader, after which he’ll be replaced in the DCEU by Michael Keaton, reprising his role as Batman from the classic Tim Burton films.
Snyder’s DCEU plans are not lost, however, thanks to storyboards, social media posts, and interviews, revealing exciting plot and character details that would have made for an epic multi-film story. One particular plan involved Lex Luthor founding the Legion of Doom (something teased by Justice League’s theatrical version but not the director’s cut) and using them to weaken the Justice League, facilitating Darkseid’s conquest of Earth and the brainwashing of Superman. The Legion of Doom would have been populated by established DCEU villains, meaning that two particular criminals, The Riddler and Captain Cold, would need to debut in Ben Affleck’s Batman film and The Flash’s solo outing, indicating that the movies would have been quite different in Zack Snyder’s DCEU plan.
Zack Snyder's Planned Legion Of Doom Lineup
According to Zack Snyder’s storyboards for Justice League’s sequels, Lex Luthor would form a League of his own, the Legion of Doom, whose lineup would include villains from previous DCEU films. A villain from 2017’s Wonder Woman, Doctor Poison (a.k.a. Doctor Maru), would be one of Luthor’s first recruits, with the ruthless chemist artificially prolonging her life through cruel human experiments and being enticed to him by promises of revenge on Wonder Woman. She’d also help Luthor recruit Black Manta and Orm the Ocean Master from 2018’s Aquaman. In addition to these familiar supervillains, Luthor’s team would include Captain Cold and The Riddler, with both villains presumably debuting in previous DCEU solo films.
Snyder’s storyboards reveal that Lex Luthor’s team would weaken the Justice League, killing two of its and nearly killing another. Doctor Poison would unleash a new poison gas on Themyscira, killing all of the Amazons - including Wonder Woman - but dying in the process. Ocean Master and Black Manta would work together to kill Aquaman (in a departure from the Knightmare future shown in Justice League), while Captain Cold nearly kills The Flash with his upgraded weaponry, but ends up destroying Cyborg’s lower half instead. The Riddler, who was possibly Lex Luthor’s first recruit, does arguably the most damage by solving the Anti-Life Equation, providing Lex and Darkseid with their ultimate weapon but killing himself upon learning its secret. The Riddler and Captain Cold’s inclusion indicates that they’d have played roles in previous DCEU films.
How The Riddler Would've Changed Affleck's Batman Movie
Ben Affleck’s Batman film would have made major changes to the Dark Knight’s status quo. As teased by the end of Justice League, Deathstroke would have discovered Batman’s secret identity, thanks to Lex Luthor, and he’d use this knowledge to destroy his old enemy’s life. Affleck’s Batman movie would have reportedly included the death of a major ing character, such as Alfred or Commissioner Gordon, but it’d also introduce Carrie Kelley as the new Robin and set up Barbara Gordon for her eventual superhero career as Batgirl. Despite his loss, Batman wouldn’t kill Deathstroke, having learned from his mistakes in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
There’s no evidence that The Riddler would have appeared in Affleck’s Batman movie, but his inclusion in Snyder’s Legion of Doom plan indicates that he’d likely have debuted beforehand, and a solo Batman movie would have been an ideal place for this. Whether Deathstroke made Batman’s secret identity public knowledge or not, The Riddler - as an associate of Lex Luthor - would likely discover that his old enemy is Bruce Wayne, and he’d be an ideal ally to Deathstroke as he dismantles Wayne’s life. While Deathstroke is more than capable as a tactician, he’d benefit from Riddler’s intellectual prowess, which would possibly allow him to avoid being captured by the end of the film when Wilson is defeated by Batman.
Captain Cold Would've Meant A Very Different Flash Movie
Captain Cold’s inclusion in the Legion of Doom indicates that The Flash wouldn’t be an adaptation of Flashpoint, but rather a film devoted to Barry Allen growing into his new role as a superhero. Captain Cold is one of The Flash’s most famous nemeses in the comics, so he’d likely be the antagonist of The Flash’s first solo outing. The film would probably be smaller and more character-driven than the multiverse-spanning adventure that the 2023 film will be, and it could develop Barry Allen’s relationship with Iris West after the latter’s introduction in Justice League. Snyder’s storyboards state that Captain Cold would be broken out of prison by Lex Luthor and the Legion, with Cold blaming his technology for failing to stop The Flash in their previous encounter, offering a hint towards how Barry Allen would defeat his enemy in this alternate version of his solo film.
How Legion Of Doom Would've Been Defeated In Snyder's Justice League Sequels
Lex Luthor’s Legion of Doom, like the Knightmare future, is averted by The Flash traveling back in time and setting off a chain of events that allows the League to thwart Luthor and Darkseid’s plans. Lois Lane informs Superman of where Luthor’s allies will strike, allowing Superman to stop them one by one, saving Wonder Woman and Aquaman in addition to preventing Cyborg from being bisected. The defeated villains, including Lex Luthor, are presumably incarcerated by the time that the Justice League faces off against Darkseid and defeats the warlord. While these plot points, unfortunately, have almost no chance of becoming a reality, they still provide an entertaining glimpse of Zack Snyder’s Legion of Doom and the DCEU’s original solo films for Batman and The Flash after Zack Snyder’s Justice League.
