I don't consider myself a journalist. I don't run around looking for stories, I don't work at a newspaper or magazine, I'm no Clark Kent (I do wear glasses though). So doing something like this for a site like ComicBookMovie.com isn't really something that occurred to me.
Then... THEN... I saw an article about WB/DCs Justice League movie coming 2015 (or whenever the Man of Steel sequel hits, since according to rumour so far EVERYONE'S going to show up anyway). The article claimed that a JLA movie would need to be BIGGER than Avengers. That due to the number of powered heroes in the JLA, the effects budget would be bigger, that the villain would have to be a larger threat (than, you know, an entire alien army) that... Yeah, you get the point.
And that... annoyed me.
Now, I'm not a uber fan. I don't choose DC over Marvel. I do, however, like the characters. Some more than others. And I disagree that a Justice League movie is impossible to do right. It will merely take some effort. The right cast, the right crew, the right techniques. Not an impossible task, but you're basically asking for lightning to strike twice. The first 'strike' was 'The Avengers', which was, to be honest, a rare occurrence. Once in a blue moon, when the stars align perfectly, the right guy will be put in charge with a brilliant script, fantastic actors and excellent characters. That's what happened. Joss Whedon, Zak Penn, Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hiddleton and the rest of the gang behind Avengers were gathered together to make a movie that, previously, many would claim was impossible. Was it Shakespeare? Heck no. But it was good. It was enjoyed by many. And that post credit scene with Thanos? Ya, I kinda freaked (and had to correct a kid sitting behind me when he said I was... er... someone else. Can't remember who).
So, what does Justice League need to be successful? Well, first of all, the right people behind it. You need to find someone, like Joss Whedon with Marvel, who knows the characters and knows how they need to be written, how they deserve to be treated. Someone who can write them, their personalties in a way that, while translating onto the screen well, is still true to the characters being portrayed. A lot of people complained about Man of Steel and how Superman was portrayed. While not brilliant, it did basically place Clark in a bind, where his first real public appearance was against being of theoretically equal strength and greater skill in battle. It was also his first major battle, and against someone who saw humanity as about as important as an ant colony. I believe he did the best he could, and remember several time where it seemed he was trying to move the battle into orbit, only to be cut off by Zod. I may be misremembering that, though. The point is, while not a perfect representation, there was still a core of Superman. He still tried to do the right thing, even before he put on the suit. Lois followed stories of a man who went from place to place, saving people and doing the right thing. After the Kryptonians arrived, he accepted that it was his time to stand up and be counted. These are the things that, I believe, make Superman. That's what needs to be done: while a very different depiction of the Man of Steel, it was still, at his core, the same Superman who stands and protects when no one else can. As long as the characters have that core of their personality – Superman the Protector, Batman the Vigilante, Wonder Woman the Warrior – then the characters in my opinion are done right.
Next you need the actors, the people that will bring the Justice League to life. On that respect, I'm taking a 'wait-and-see' approach. I'm not going to try and guess who would be best (though in my opinion, Affleck is not a horrible choice. I liked his portrayal of Daredevil, even if the movie itself wasn't exactly a shining beacon of awesomeness) but there are a couple of things they will need to do, otherwise there will be a few... issues. First of all, match the characters as best you can. Don't choose a straight up and down 'Skinny Minnie' for Wonder Woman. Diana has a tall, statuesque figure, a commanding presence, curvaceous and yet strong. She is, for all intents of purposes, a living piece of Ancient Greek artwork and her actress should be someone who resembles that. Secondly, acting shops. Make sure the people that are chosen are capable of fully portraying emotion, keeping up with the action, making us believe they ARE the Justice League. This is probably THE most important thing.
Thirdly, the team. The Big Three, of course, will appear, but that leaves question: how many members? Who will it be? Go The Avengers route and make adjustments, stick with the original seven members, go JLA: Year One and cut it down to five? Not sure what my preference would be. However, whatever it is, WB needs to keep in mind: they're trying to buil a franchise. Characters need to be memorable and/or recogniseable and, above all else, well written.
Finally, the script. Since WB are not giving everyone their own movie, this will be the first time we meet any of the Justice League save Batman, Superman and whoever else appears in World's Finest. As such, the write will need to: a) introduce us to each member of the team in a way that tells us who they are and where they came from without dragging down the movie. b) gives each member the time to shine (while not a major part of The Avengers, even Hawkeye was able to strut his archery stuff), show off what they can do. This will probably end up being the final battle, but I wouldn't be against smaller battles capable of showing their skills throughout the movie. c) The Villain. Now I'm of the mind this DOESN'T have to be someone big like Darkseid or something similar. In the same breath, however, it can't be JUST Lex Luthor. You need either a team of villains or an alien invasion. The problem with an alien invasion is that people will accuse you of copying The Avengers. The problem with a team of villains? That's more characters you need to give time to, introduce, etc (are you seeing the problem with rushing here, WB?). So, what would the answer be?
In my mind, the place to look to is JLA: Year One, from Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn. This was a 12 issue maxi series written to explain some of the continuity errors created by the 1985 'Crisis on Infinite Earths'. The core of the series was a conspiracy that was rooted in the League's origins and culminated in the Appellaxian invasion of Earth from the arrival of 7 aliens, 6 of which was defeated by the League, the seventh hiding away and bringing thousands of warriors to conquer Earth only to be met by the League and heroes of the time. Obviously, adjustments will need to be made: a greater puppet master, perhaps, or a connection to a League member, perhaps chasing after the Green Lantern. But, like with The Avengers using Loki, who inadvertently caused the team to form in the comics, WB should try to incorporate the original threat that formed the League. The other option is, of course, Starro the conqueror, but I really don't know how well a giant mind controlling starfish is going to translate in live action.
So, anyway. That's my rundown on what I think needs to be kept in mind for JLA. Notice I didn't make too many predictinos or mark out certain people/characters? I'm not a professional, I'm not a film critic, I'm not an expert. I'm just putting my thoughts down on paper. Can a JLA movie be successful? A hundred times yes, but WB/DC needs to take it seriously, they need to put the right people in the right positino and, above all else, they need to make the effort! Make it a JLA movie and not a 'DCs answer to The Avengers'. Otherwise this movie will flop harder than a concrete pancake, and I don't know if the lesser known characters will ever recover...