JUSTICE LEAGUE - 5 Theories For How New Director Joss Whedon Could Change The Ending

Rumours are swirling that Joss Whedon has removed Zack Snyder's planned cliffhanger ending for Justice League so we take a look at the five most likely replacements he could be planning for the movie...

By JoshWilding - Aug 16, 2017 08:08 AM EST

Filed Under: Justice League

Last week, we learned that Joss Whedon is planning on changing Justice League's ending (along with most of the movie if reports of "extensive" reshoots are accurate). There have been rumours for years that Zack Snyder's plan to wrap things up with Darkseid arriving on Earth but for any number of reasons, plans have changed, and so too has this movie. So, what does that mean for its final scene?

That's a question you may think won't be answered until November but we've compiled the five most likely explanations for how Whedon plans on changing Justice League's final act. Some will have a greater impact on the DC Extended Universe than others but they all have the potential to be bigger - and possibly even better - than what we were originally supposed to get at the end of the movie...

5. Flashpoint

One of the most shocking announcements to come out of this year's Comic-Con was the fact that the Flash's upcoming movie will be titled Flashpoint. There's already been talk of it being something along the lines of Captain America: Civil War in that it's essentially going to be a Justice League movie with Barry Allen as the lead, so there's a very good chance that Justice League will set the stage for that.

Bear in mind that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice featured a very confusing time-travel sequence which saw the Scarlet Speedster travel back to deliver a message to Bruce Wayne, a sign perhaps that it's been the plan to adapt Flashpoint from the start. Either way, if Joss Whedon can make sense of that, I fully expect Justice League to lay the groundwork for this story perhaps by having something so cataclysmic happen that the Flash needs to travel back and ends up resetting the timeline as a result (thereby wiping out most of the DC Extended Universe and giving Warner Bros. the chance to basically start from scratch).

Rumour has it that Zack Snyder's original plan was to end Justice League with Darkseid arriving on Earth, a twist that would have set up the events of the sequel and it's a story which goes some way in explaining why Warner Bros. originally announced "Part 1" and "Part 2" movies. However, with Whedon now removing that to make this a less open ended adventure for the iconic DC Comics heroes, could that mean this fan-favourite villain is going to be cut altogether? I don't think so.

After all, we know the studio is going to want to take a wait and see approach to Justice League but the door needs to be left open for a follow-up in some form and there's no better next villain for the team than Darkseid. Perhaps when Steppenwolf fails, the Mother Boxes will be used to cut the connection between Earth and Apokolips but that's something sure to leave Darkseid even more anxious to take over our planet and lays the groundwork for him to make a return of some sort so he can get revenge on Superman and company.

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3. Bruce Wayne Hangs Up The Cape And Cowl

Just when it seemed like we could finally be sure about Ben Affleck taking on the lead role in The Batman, his brother (jokingly?) turns around and says that he has no plans on returning as the Caped Crusader there. Throw in a very believable story from The Hollywood Reporter about plans to phase out this iteration of the Dark Knight and there's a lot of doubt in the air about what comes next for Batman. So, what if Justice League is now going to be used as the beginning of the end for Affleck's tenure?

Joss Whedon could find a number of ways for Bruce Wayne to give up being Batman, whether it's Flashpoint, an injury, or even death. Who knows, plans could be in place to quietly introduce Nightwing here in order for him to take over the mantle but whether or not Matt Reeves has any interest in telling a Dick Grayson as Batman story is hard to say. It's even possible that after assembling the League, witnessing Superman's return, and saving the Earth that Bruce simply decides to retire!

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2. The Heroes Go Their Separate Ways

With Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Warner Bros. expected a $1 billion hit. That isn't what they ended up with and while Wonder Woman has no doubt bolstered the studio's confidence, it's clear that they're handing these DC Comics adaptations in a cautious manner. That's why no decision has been made about the future of this franchise and if it does end up being a mess which disappoints both critically and commercially, chances are they'll want to keep these heroes in their own movies.

What better way to lay the groundwork for that than by splitting up the team once Steppenwolf is defeated? The door could be left open to them all deciding to team up again somewhere down the line but everyone going their separate ways to deal with their own issues takes the pressure off the studio and makes this coming together feel like a special one off which moviegoers are either going to want to see again or just not care all that much about. It also feels like something Joss Whedon would do and do well.

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1. Avengers Justice League Assemble

If there's one thing The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron showed us, it's that Joss Whedon knows how to deliver epic hero shots. Whether we're talking about the team assembling outside Grand Central Station or running through the forest together in pursuit of Hydra, the filmmaker is very good at bringing the comic books to life on the big screen. How much do you want to bet he does the same in Justice League?

However, rather than it coming during the battle with Steppenwolf, I would imagine that the movie could now take whatever cliffhanger Snyder came up with and replace it with a memorable shot of the heroes leaping into action against a new threat, a sign that the team will be there when they're needed but a moment which doesn't in any way significantly impact what's to come in their respective solo outings. This provides a definitive ending and could be just the sort of brighter moment the studio is now looking for from these adaptations.

How much do you guys think Joss Whedon will change Justice League's ending and in what way? As always, be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below.

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Highflyer - 8/16/2017, 8:10 AM I'm a little confused. I hear they are changing the ending because Joss hates cliffhangers and wants it to be a self contained story. But didn't they announce JL being a self contained story a while back? I'm also surprised how many think that 99% of the footage in the comic con trailer was re-shot footage. Login to report abuse











Spider2YBanana - 8/16/2017, 8:23 AM Only 5? You're slippin, Josh....i was expecting 10 lol Login to report abuse


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JUSTICE LEAGUE - 5 Theories For How New Director Joss Whedon Could Change The Ending

Rumours are swirling that Joss Whedon has removed Zack Snyder's planned cliffhanger ending for Justice League so we take a look at the five most likely replacements he could be planning for the movie...

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