JUSTICE LEAGUE Director Zack Snyder Explains Why Martian Manhunter Chooses To Reveal Himself

JUSTICE LEAGUE Director Zack Snyder Explains Why Martian Manhunter Chooses To Reveal Himself

Harry Lennix's General Swanwick will transform into Martian Manhunter in Zack Snyder's Justice League, and the filmmaker has now elaborated on why J'onn J'onzz chooses to reveal his true self on Earth.

By JoshWilding - Feb 14, 2021 03:02 AM EST
Filed Under: Justice League
Source: I Minutemen

We've known about Martian Manhunter's role in Zack Snyder's Justice League since before WarnerMedia even decided to have the movie premiere on HBO Max, but during those reshoots last year, actor Harry Lennix was enlisted to finally bring the character to life on the big screen. 

He played General Swanwick in Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and based on Snyder's storyboard reveals, will pose as Martha Kent during a meeting with Lois Lane.

There has to be more to his role than that, though, right? 

During a recent chat with I Minutemen, Snyder teased the character's place in his cut of Justice League.

"I think that Martian Manhunter is an example, and maybe Superman frankly, the rest of the Justice League, [an] example of fighting for what they believe might be part of the reason we’re sort of seeing Martian Manhunter out in his true form, at this point."

"Also, the threat of Darkseid is pretty [great]," the filmmaker continued. "Not to say that Earth wasn’t in peril before, but this one, it feels like you can’t watch it burn anymore."

In other words, Martian Manhunter has finally decided to step out of the shadows, and that surely means he'll be getting involved in the final battle somehow. We'll obviously have to wait and see, but there's a chance we could get a first look at the character in action when the new trailer lands later today.  


Click on the "Next" button below for a breakdown
of Will Beall's Justice League screenplay! 

10. Batman And Superman Are Allies

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Superman is dead when the Snyder Cut begins, but in Beall's version, the Man of Steel is good friends with Batman. They know each other's secret identities, and meet in a Metropolis diner for a catch-up. 

Before heading to Central City to recruit the Flash, there's a battle in Lexcorp Tower against KGBeast and Killer Croc to deal with. Lex Luthor is in the midst of attempting to buy Kryptonite from the former, but they're all interrupted by the arrival of Desaad, one of Darkseid's most loyal followers. 

He kills Croc, and makes off with the Kryptonite. 

This action-packed, character-heavy opening doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of what's to come, however...
 

9. Darkseid Is The Film's Big Bad

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Steppenwolf doesn't get as much to do in this Justice League, and Darkseid is the lead baddie from the start. The film wastes no time in introducing the ruler of Apokolips, with the opening scene taking place on the villain's home planet. 

Snyder and Terrio clearly had a different idea for how Darkseid's big screen introduction would work, as he's only expected to make a cameo appearance in the Snyder Cut. The reason for that is because he was supposed to take center stage in the Justice League: Part 2 film Warner Bros. initially greenlit.

Had Beall's script been used, Darkseid might have beaten Thanos to theaters. 

While this film may have had Darkseid in spades, there's one member of the League who was set to be M.I.A.
 

8. There's No Aquaman

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Jason Momoa's Aquaman has become a firm fan-favorite, and his solo film grossed over $1 billion globally in 2018.

Beall, however, had no intention of using the King of Atlantis. While there are a lot of other heroes in this Justice League, it seems the writer couldn't quite figure out how to bring this divisive superhero to the screen. Remember, when Beall was penning this screenplay, it was before DC Comics reinvented Arthur Curry with the New 52 reboot.

As you'll soon come to see, it would have been tricky to squeeze Aquaman into this story, because Beall instead focused on characters who Snyder overlooked in his film.

Chief among them is Green Lantern...
 

7. Green Lantern/Hawkman Team-Up

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There was a huge cosmic element to Beall's Justice League screenplay, with Green Lantern John Stewart and Hawkman teaming up in an outer space nightclub to stop Kanjar Ro from helping Dessad weaponize the Kryptonite he stole from Lex Luthor and KGBeast.

We don't get a Hal Jordan mention, and this film was presumably set in a separate world to 2011's Green Lantern starring Ryan Reynolds. 

While all this is happening, there's a subplot about Amanda Waller and the Department of Metahuman. Interestingly, she has her own team made up of Tattooed Man, Copperhead, Cheetah, and Solomon Grundy (we'll come back to them).

Also on Earth, Superman is kidnapped by Steppenwolf and his Parademons, and taken back to Apokolips. 
 

6. Massacre On Oa

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Batman heads to Themyscira to seek Wonder Woman's help, and we learn they have a romantic history.

John Stewart, meanwhile, returns to Earth, and and meets with Bruce, Diana, and the Flash in the Batcave (which is packed full of Easter Eggs, including The Penguin's Umbrella and multiple Batmobiles and Batsuits). 

As the team formulates a plan to rescue Superman, John heads back to Oa, only to find the planet decimated by Darkseid. Katma Tui, Kilowag, Guy Gardner, Salakk, and Tomar-Re are all dead, a sign Beall wasn't exactly thinking ahead to their potential future in the DC Universe...for now, anyway. 

With no Green Lantern Corps standing in his way, Darkseid heads to Earth. 
 

5. Batman v Superman

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Superman has fallen under Darkseid's control, and a fight with Batman ensues. 

Like in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, the Caped Crusader dons a special armored Batsuit to take on the Man of Steel in hand-to-hand combat. 

It's Wonder Woman who eventually figures out how to free Superman from Darkseid, and the hero quickly rejoins the League to repel the villain's invasion. However, things get a little strange at this point in Beall's Justice League film because Kal-El finds himself thrust eleven years into the future after travelling through a Boom Tube.

This has to be where Snyder and Terrio got the idea to tackle a "Knightmare" future in their version.
 

4. A Desolate Future

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Superman learns that Darkseid has wiped out 80% of the planet's population, and Diana and Bruce are leading what's left of the human resistance. 

Batman is Wonder Woman's second in command, and they have a son: Clark Wayne. 

It seems Superman's disappearance through the Boom Tube left Earth defenseless, and even Lex Luthor is now aligned with the heroes. "Batman's Berzerkers" is a team made up of Deathstroke, Captain Boomerang, Huntress, and Cheetah, essentially meaning the Dark Knight is the leader of the Suicide Squad.

The survivors are based in Superman's Fortress of Solitude. 
 

3. Time-Travel

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We know Batman and Cyborg are responsible for sending the Flash back in time in the SnyderVerse, though it's likely those scenes were being saved for the sequel. 

In Beall's film, it's Lex Luthor who figured out how to send Barry Allen eleven years into the past. 

The Future Flash arrives on Earth prior to Darkseid's invasion, and dies in his younger self's arms shortly after warning the younger Barry about what's to come for the League.

After warning his teammates, the stage is set for an epic battle...
 

2. Epic Final Battle

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Superman has already been taken to Apokolips at this point, so Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, and Green Lantern travel to the planet to stop Darkseid before he can brainwash their teammate. 

Superman is rescued, and the heroes take on the villain and his forces. 

The Green Lantern Corps - who are alive in this timeline -  soon arrive to lend a helping hand, as do the Amazon warriors from Themyscira. As you might expect, the heroes emerge victorious from the battle, and stop that desolate future from ever becoming a reality. 

Darkseid may be defeated, but there's another foe waiting in the wings.
 

1. President Lex Luthor

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Lex Luthor is planning to run for President, a nice hint at how his story played out in the comics. However, there's one final surprise that could set the stage for a Superman spinoff film. 

Lex receives a message from his future self, and learns that Superman is, in fact, Clark Kent.

Beall's screenplay doesn't reveal what the villain does with that information, but there are plenty of ways that could have been addressed. In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Lex deduces that himself, and the pay off wasn't quite what a lot of fans out there hoped for.

Beall's film sounds like it could have been a fun ride, but how much Snyder and Terrio borrowed is currently up in the air.

h/t The Wrap
 

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Kumkani
Kumkani - 2/14/2021, 3:59 AM
What? That's literally such a non-answer. The sentence is incomprehensible.
aresww3
aresww3 - 2/14/2021, 4:39 AM
@Kumkani - full of shit isn't he. How about this as an answer.
"I read somewhere online, someone say what if General Swanwick was really MMH, and I thought, cool. So I retconned everything, so I could make a lame Martian Manhunter as well."


aresww3
aresww3 - 2/14/2021, 4:56 AM
@Kumkani -
DalekCraigWasson
DalekCraigWasson - 2/14/2021, 6:21 AM
@Kumkani - You aren't exaggerating. The second sentence is at least readable. I am genuinely baffled by that first run-on sentence. I THINK he is trying to say that Superman and the rest of the JL's example is what gets MM out of hiding, but on a grammatical level, it sounds like Snyder restarting the sentence or having a new thought every five-ish words.
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 2/14/2021, 9:04 AM
@Kumkani - Even the 2nd sentence is dumb. He's basically saying Darkseid is such a threat that MM can't sit back and watch the world burn.

But Zod was literally terraforming the planet and killing everyone in the process. MM didn't feel that was bad enough to help out with?

Total BS. Snyder never intended for MM to be in these movies.
Urubrodi
Urubrodi - 2/14/2021, 4:01 AM
Of course he won't admit he messed up...
dracula
dracula - 2/14/2021, 11:12 AM
@Urubrodi - no way he was intended to be Martian Manhunter when he as cast
Repian
Repian - 2/14/2021, 4:03 AM
I have understood that Martian Manhunter thought that Superman and the others can solve problems without help, but if Superman "dies" ...
Jaspion
Jaspion - 2/14/2021, 4:50 AM
@Repian - why would he think that in MoS?
It was superman's 1st day against 3 other kryptonians.
case
case - 2/14/2021, 4:07 AM
Geezus. He really doesn't help himself sometimes does he?

Hope Jonzz at least looks great...
HeeroG
HeeroG - 2/14/2021, 4:07 AM
The guy can't even give a excuse that make sense...
GhostDog
GhostDog - 2/14/2021, 4:07 AM
That answer...yikes
RageDriver2401
RageDriver2401 - 2/14/2021, 4:11 AM
"Not to say that Earth wasn’t in peril before, but this one, it feels like you can’t watch it burn anymore."

Yea because Zod and Doomsday were your run-of-the-mill bad guys like bank robbers or shoplifters.

Zack Snyder, the BS'er of BS'ers.
Ha1frican
Ha1frican - 2/14/2021, 4:15 AM
Him being Swanwick is one of those things I dont care for. The reason is basically the same as why any other superbeing didnt help him even though plenty existed, its a retcon. A more egregious one but a retcon nonetheless
528491
528491 - 2/14/2021, 4:19 AM
"Because I made it up after the fact and didn't really think it all through, you happy?"
Se4M4NSt4ine
Se4M4NSt4ine - 2/14/2021, 4:19 AM
General Swanwick being MM is just so forced. The character was never meant to be MM, and it’s obvious.

And then this answer to it?
Ha1frican
Ha1frican - 2/14/2021, 4:22 AM
I think itd be fine for Doomsday since he wasnt directly on site, and there were two other superpowered beings there by the time he would have shown up. But him being in MoS pretty much the entire time, and with how long Zod's invasion goes on its pretty hard to justify that. Even if he has no regard for human life he has no reason not to help bc hed be killed too by the world engine of not by the Kryptonians and the odds of 1 guy fighting off a bunch of other people with the same powers was PRETTY unlikely
ARMUS
ARMUS - 2/14/2021, 4:26 AM
Huh! The World engine would've changed Earths atmosphere killing millions maybe billions, what would Martian Manhunter have done, " hmm screw it not a big deal, I'll just move to Uranus". Darkseids plan although Bernie Sanders and Greta's worst pollution nightmare seems far less catastrophic, yeah it makes no sense at all but I guess Snyder just came up with it on the spot like most of the Snyderverse.
Ha1frican
Ha1frican - 2/14/2021, 4:30 AM
@ARMUS - Maybe he only care bc this time the planet would be terraformed with fire pits and thats where he draws the line lol
JFerguson
JFerguson - 2/14/2021, 4:31 AM
I think what he means to say is that we should all wait 5 years at which point he will release the true Man of Steel Snyder Cut that will show Harry Lennix's character actually get knocked out with a brick before he can intervene in the events of that film.

/sarcasm, please don't destroy me in the replies
Ha1frican
Ha1frican - 2/14/2021, 4:35 AM
@JFerguson - Id buy another blu-ray of that just to commit to the joke lol
HulkisHoly
HulkisHoly - 2/14/2021, 6:31 AM
@JFerguson - 😂😂😂 that’s hilarious
Tasmaniac
Tasmaniac - 2/14/2021, 4:32 AM
“Because I’m trying desperately to look like I actually had a plan and cool ideas for this movie, when in actual fact it was a complete cluster[frick] which is why I got fired from it on the first place. But because my sycophantic followers kicked up such a shitstorm on antisocial media and the execs at Warner Bros figured that Joss being a prick on set was going to come out sooner rather than later thanks to the #METOO movement, bringing me back on board to cobble together every half arsed idea I (or my fans) have had about the JL movie in the last 3 years would be a great way for the studio to distance, and then eventually disown, the original release.”
Moriakum
Moriakum - 2/14/2021, 4:32 AM
Snyder is so full of shit his eyes are brown.
sixthsense
sixthsense - 2/14/2021, 4:37 AM
The problem of shared universe...ppl will always ask where is this guy when the world is in danger?! Much like where are the Avengers while Wanda is holding entire town hostage...
Ha1frican
Ha1frican - 2/14/2021, 4:44 AM
@sixthsense - Honestly it didnt even occur to me during WV that the other Avengers would be involved. I figured Sword was keeping it hush hush bc it was their fault
BuzzKillington
BuzzKillington - 2/14/2021, 5:01 AM
@Ha1frican -

And that analogy would make more sense if an Avenger was actually there witnessing the event and decided not to intervene at all.
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