Justice League's original vision: A look at what could have been

You might want to give up now. Crap, it's the Justice League. There's another world, arguably a better one, where George Miller's Justice League mortal could have been the Avengers before the Avengers. It had an ensemble cast, a bold script, and one of the greatest visual forward directors of all time at the helm. But days before cameras were set to roll, the entire production collapsed, leaving behind one of the most amazing hypotheticals in superhero cinema history. Back in 2007, a year before Marvel kick-started the superhero movie universe proper with Iron Man George Miller was already working on Justice League Mortal speaking to the Happy Sad podcast Miller said i've always now been aware of of the power of myth as Joseph Campbell of stories they are in all cultures we're hardwired for them the great attraction of the Justice League is is that they are their roots go way back to the Greeks and the Norse unlike the Marvel movies which were built around origin story films and establishing individual heroes, Miller's approach assumed the audience already knew these characters. His Justice League was fully formed from the outset, with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter already operating as a cohesive unit when the film begins. Miller's vision for Justice League Mortal was a grand, comic-accurate epic that took inspiration from Tower of Babel, Mark Waid's iconic story in which Batman's contingency plans for defeating the Justice League fall into the wrong hands. The film's narrative revolved around Maxwell Lord, who would manipulate Batman's paranoia and turn the League against itself while unleashing the OMAC initiative. Part of what made Tower of Babel work so well was the fact that it showed the weaknesses of the Justice League while, in turn, showing us their greatest strengths. In itself, that's a pretty daring way to introduce what you're calling the world's greatest heroes. It humanizes them in a way that a sun-powered alien and space cop with a magic ring might normally not do so. This can work. I'm glad you think so. Because you're going to be doing the cutting. Who, with the what now? Anyone familiar with Miller's most famous creation, Mad Max, understands that this is a tentpole of his type of storytelling. Add to that years of gunshots in alleys cut with pearls falling from their necklace, or an alien spaceship crashed into a Kansas cornfield, people have been instilled with these characters. They had become the American myth. But if Miller really wanted to sell us on gods, he needed a cast we could believe in. The choices for Justice League Mortal were a mix of rising stars and bold gambles. We'll start with what is probably the happiest myth, Armie Hammer as Batman. At the time, he was an up-and-coming actor on the verge of stardom. His portrayal was expected to be that of a young, hyper-intelligent strategist, a stark contrast to Christian Bale's grizzled and isolated Dark Knight. Despite what we know of Hammer now, there's no denying he had the looks and demeanor to absolutely sink his teeth into Bruce Wayne. Djimon Hounsou, who would later go on to play Seth Gekko in the television adaptation of From Dusk Till Dawn, was tapped to play Superman in a version more in line with Christopher Reeves' hopeful classical portrayal, opposed to Henry Cavill's brooding, conflicted take. Megan Gale was cast as Wonder Woman, an Amazonian warrior rather than a political diplomat, more in line with the current Absolute comic from Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman. Adam Brody was set to bring levity to Wally West's Flash to serve as the optimistic heart of the team, and the film also had Santiago Cabrera as Aquaman, and rapper-turned-actor Common had been chosen as John Stewart's Green Lantern. Maybe most exciting for fans of Miller through his toe-cutter in Immortan Joe himself, Hugh Keays-Byrne, being cast as Martian Manhunter, bringing a level of gravitas that would have grounded the alien hero. I am your redeemer. It is by my hand you will rise from the ashes of this world. Perhaps the most unexpected casting choice was Jay Baruchel as Maxwell Lord. Primarily known for comedic roles, Baruchel's interpretation of Lord was reportedly chilling, transforming the character into a truly menacing puppet master who would manipulate the League from within. Looking back, the cast of Justice League Mortal is wildly exciting. It's easy to forget that the actors behind the heroes weren't always the most exciting part of a comic book movie. Before Superman, Christopher Reeve was relatively unknown outside of a few small television parts and some theater work. And one of the modern superhero films' most iconic actors, Hugh Jackman, was a controversial pick for the fan-favorite Wolverine, often thought of as too tall or lanky for the stocky Canuck. But Miller wanted a younger cast that could really grow into the roles. While Downey Jr. was 43 when Iron Man came out, he was supposed to be the nepo baby arms dealer with a Peter Pan complex. An older actor works in that role, and Downey Jr. nailed it. But for a team that consisted of a mouthy speedster, billionaire orphan, a plucky reporter from the Midwest, it makes sense to work with a younger team that could develop alongside their fictional characters. It's clear looking at the cast, though, that Miller believed in these actors. While Megan Gale never got a chance to be Wonder Woman, Miller clearly saw something in her that suggested she could embody the raw power and warrior spirit of Diana. He has continued to work with her, casting her in both Mad Max, Fury Road, and 3,000 Years of Longing. Despite never reaching the filming stage, Glimpses of the film's visual identity have surfaced over the years. Batman's suit was described as a blend of the Dark Knight Returns and Arkham Asylum, an armored yet sleek design that emphasized strategy and combat readiness. Superman's costume leaned into a more traditional aesthetic, embracing the classic red and blue color scheme. And Wonder Woman's look was aggressive and battle-ready, similar to the tone of Gal Gadot's later interpretation rather than the Linda Carter-era portrayal. This wonderful woman in the bathing suit, stop her. Miller's ability to craft visually stunning worlds was evident in Mad Max Fury Road, a film that proved his talent for blending practical effects with grand storytelling. The glimpses we have seen for Justice League Mortal suggest that his approach would have been equally ambitious. The concept art reveals a Justice League that felt larger than life. So why, with all these elements in place, did Justice League Mortal fall apart just before filming? Part of why is Miller stating that he was told the film wouldn't receive the cut due to being an American story told with American accents. He responded saying, Babe wasn't an Australian story. Happy Feet is not an Australian story. Moulin Rouge is not an Australian story. That kind of thinking dooms us to make very, very small films that not even Australians want to see. You need the gravitational pull of these big blockbusters to sustain production, to build the talent pool. Compounding the issue, the 2007 to 2008 Writers Guild of America strike froze production, making it impossible to refine the script or make last minute changes. Meanwhile, Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight was dominating Warner Brothers' attention. The studio was hesitant to launch two competing versions of Batman simultaneously. And with Nolan's universe proving to be a massive success, they chose to prioritize his vision over Miller's, which did give us Heath Ledger's iconic take on the Joker in The Dark Knight. Never start with the head. The victim gets all fuzzy. You can't feel the next scene. Additionally, there was no roadmap on how to build a universe like this. At the time, Warner Brothers was unsure whether jumping straight into a Justice League film without first establishing solo films was the right move. The combination of financial uncertainty and shifting priorities led to the film's abrupt cancellation just days before principal photography was set to begin. We would eventually see the Justice League on the big screen years later through both a film and a fan-manifested director's cut from Zack Snyder. It's strange to piece together the breadcrumbs of Miller's vision against what became of Snyder's. Both directors are fascinated by myth and gods amongst men, but each approaches it so fundamentally differently. It's hard not to wonder what could have been. At his core, Miller is still the same director who convinced his buddies to crash motorcycles off Australian highways. When you look at the reverence for fairy tale structure seen in 3,000 Years of Longing or the love of adventure epics he establishes in Furiosa, a Mad Max saga, this is a director who has stuck to the movies he wants to make for decades. And when Justice League Mortal became something he was no longer interested in making, he left. And eventually, he made Mad Max Fury Road instead of whatever new Justice League or solo film DC would have had him contractually obligated to do. So in that case, we're the better world. Oh, what a day! What a lovely day!