Zack Snyder's Justice League 3 Would Have Been A War Against Gods

Two years later, fans are still captivated by what might have become of Zack Snyder's bizarre DC Universe. The end of his four-hour director's cut of "Justice League" ended on the foreboding cliffhanger of the planet-conquering Darkseid (Ray Porter) gazing menacingly with his minions through a Mother Box portal.

Though we'll likely never see this story resolve, Snyder did offer some insight into where the story could hypothetically lead after his film's debut on HBO Max. Speaking about the lost future of his franchise, the director stated that the "Justice League" series would inevitably lead to a full-scale invasion from a race of immensely powerful characters called the New Gods.

While Snyder could, admittedly, claim almost anything was hypothetically supposed to happen in a series of films that will never see the light of day, the New Gods were a relatively large part of the DC Extended Universe's post-"Justice League" plans. In addition to having several of these characters debut in the 2017 Joss Whedon cut, there were plans at one point for a feature film entirely centered on them, written and directed by two major figures in the comic book and film industries.

Be they deities, aliens, or something in between, the New Gods are actually two separate societies diametrically opposed in almost every way.

"Justice League" fans are already familiar with the New Gods from the fiery hellscape of Apokolips. Led by Darkseid, these terrible (and powerful) adversaries desire nothing but total universal domination, ideally using the spine-chilling Anti-Life Equation. If Darkseid were to possess the equation, he would essentially be able to manipulate every mind on Earth through their most negative emotions. Both Steppenwolf and Desaad are New Gods and received major focus throughout Zack Snyder's "Justice League." Apokalips is just one side of the New Gods coin, with the other being Highfather and his subjects on New Genesis. These figures have a far more amicable relationship with other species, including humans, often allying themselves with the Justice League.

New Genesis has yet to appear on-screen in a live-action adaptation. However, at the time of Snyder's statements about future "Justice League" films, it had only just been announced DC had halted the development of an auspicious project that would've introduced more characters from both worlds.

In 2018, Warner Bros. tapped "A Wrinkle in Time" and "Selma" director Ava DuVernay to helm an untitled film based on Jack Kirby's New Gods and Fourth World lore. Also brought on to help pen the screenplay was acclaimed comic book writer Tom King, who had just wrapped a lauded limited series featuring the New Gods — most prominently the characters Mr. Miracle and Big Barda. Though plot details were sparse, this led some to believe that DuVernay and King would be adapting his story for the big screen.

Sadly, their New Gods project was ultimately shelved in early 2021, long before DC hiring and firing shakeups would make such cancellations commonplace. According to the director herself, the film was axed before a script was ever completed, due in large part to the studio not wanting the movie to conflict with other plans they had for that corner of the DC Universe. Why that wasn't discussed before development started is anyone's guess.

There may be the slightest (and we do mean slightest) chance that the studio wanted to keep their options open for the "Justice League" director's cut to spawn sequels if it proved to be a hit — maybe then, Snyder's New Gods plans trumped DuVernay's. This theory is arguably more confusing than the studio not coordinating future plans, especially given all the drama surrounding the Snyder Cut's release.