JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK Writer Reveals Details Of His Unfinished Script & Why The Project Was Scrapped

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK Writer Reveals Details Of His Unfinished Script & Why The Project Was Scrapped

M3GAN director Gerard Johnstone was working on a script for a Justice League Dark project before the plug was pulled, and has now revealed the team's members along with some intriguing plot details.

By MarkCassidy - Mar 22, 2023 02:03 PM EST
Filed Under: Justice League Dark

Around the time Justice League hit theaters in 2017, M3GAN director Gerard Johnstone was working on a script for a Justice League Dark movie, and he's now shared some intriguing details on his take on the supernatural team - and why the plug was ultimately pulled.

Johnstone reveals that the roster would have been made up of Deadman, Swamp Thing, Constantine, and Zatanna, and the latter was emerging as the main character.

"There was a lot of the conversations and jostling I had with the guys," he tells Screen Rant, "because they were like, 'Constantine's the main character.' I was like, 'No, Constantine's kind of the coolest character. But Zatanna is really the main character.' Because she's discovering her magical powers for the first time. But it was fun, man. The characters all went to hell to get Zatanna's dad."

Johnstone's script was only about halfway complete when he got word that the studio had decided not to move forward with the project.

"It was just a tough time for DC, I think. It was just like Justice League came out, didn't do what they wanted it to do. Suicide Squad didn't do what they wanted to do. And so I was just told that they don't want to spend money on another new movie with a bunch of characters no one's heard of, and I understand that. It was a shame."

Is there a chance James Gun and Peter Safran might revisit Johnstone's script down the line? "I would love to meet James Gunn. I would love to sit down with James Gunn and talk about it, for sure," he adds.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker director J.J. Abrams and his wife and Bad Robot partner, Katie McGrath, were set to head-up a Justice League Dark series for WarnerMedia's HBO Max streaming service, but that was also shelved after the DC Studios shake-up.

We know that a separate Swamp Thing movie from James Mangold is in the works and Keanu Reeves is (hopefully) set to reprise the role of Constantine for a sequel to his 2005 film, so maybe we will eventually see the JLD come together on the big screen.

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GeneralChaos
GeneralChaos - 3/22/2023, 2:47 PM
"It was just a tough time for DC, I think. It was just like Justice League came out, didn't do what they wanted it to do."

Hooboy. Lookout, dude. Saying things like that will get you blackisted by Zachary Levi's least favorite fanbase.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 3/22/2023, 4:07 PM
@GeneralChaos - what a new, fresh take!
GeneralChaos
GeneralChaos - 3/22/2023, 4:23 PM
@McMurdo - Thanks. I try!
FireandBlood
FireandBlood - 3/22/2023, 2:54 PM
They’ve learned nothing from the Avengers. There is no main character in a team, it’s an ensemble, ffs.
AmazingFILMporg
AmazingFILMporg - 3/22/2023, 2:57 PM
@PlusUltra -


Yup. The avenger films feel like a team film. Nobody gets the main focus and everyone gets a moment to shine.💪💯🤝
hazapez
hazapez - 3/22/2023, 3:02 PM
@AmazingFILMporg - iron man was always front and center.
RolandD
RolandD - 3/22/2023, 3:03 PM
@PlusUltra - I do like how the avengers movies were ensemble like, but that doesn’t mean that a team movie couldn’t work out well if done right with one particular character featured character. I’m also not sure if that’s the way I would do it if I was making this movie, but I think it could work. That said I got so tired of Wolverine in the X-Men movies from Fox. Also, if the DCU does get around to making a new Justice League movie, I would also want that to be ensemble style.Short story long, I guess for the most part I agree with you. I just don’t think it’s an absolute fail to try it the other way as long as the movie as well written, well directed, well acted, etc.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 3/22/2023, 4:08 PM
@AmazingFILMporg - nah Iron Man was clearly the guy even in Avengers 2012.
NHartMusic
NHartMusic - 3/22/2023, 4:43 PM
@McMurdo - if they kept this scene, it basically would have reframed the movie to make Steve the main character
hainesy
hainesy - 3/22/2023, 5:16 PM
@NHartMusic - I'm so sad they cut those scenes with Steve. They add so much to the movie and his character.
WarMonkey
WarMonkey - 3/23/2023, 7:08 AM
@PlusUltra - "Joss Whedon Says THE AVENGERS Will Be from Captain America's Perspective"

https://collider.com/avengers-pov-captain-america/
FireandBlood
FireandBlood - 3/23/2023, 8:09 AM
@WarMonkey - And yet it wasn’t.
Forthas
Forthas - 3/22/2023, 3:02 PM
"I was just told that they don't want to spend money on another new movie with a bunch of characters no one's heard of..."

It is a good thing that Creature Comando and the Authority are coming!
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