Who Narrates The Justice League: Crisis Trailer And Why Is He Important?

DC's "Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths" animated movie now has a teaser trailer, and as befits the multiversal subject matter, fans aren't getting just one film — they're getting an entire trilogy. This latest adaptation of the classic DC crossover event will arrive in 2024. If the teaser clip is any indication, viewers can expect a massive high-stakes story where the fate of countless universes is at risk. 

Most of the superheroes in the teaser are familiar Justice League-adjacent faces, but the guy narrating the clip might not ring a bell if you're unfamiliar with the source material. This large man rocking a cool headpiece and bass player mutton chops is Mar Novu, aka the Monitor (Jonathan Adams). As the teaser implies, he's the person who gathers all the heroes together to deal with the impending conflict, and as a powerful cosmic entity, he's dedicated himself to protecting the universe. 

Unfortunately, saving the universe is rarely easy — especially when the threat is coming from Mar Novu's own antimatter "twin," the Anti-Monitor (Adams). This character doesn't show up in the trailer, but the two tend to go hand in hand, so the Monitor's presence essentially confirms that the Anti-Monitor is in the trilogy, as well. Let's take a closer look at the powerful pair and their importance in the narrative.

The events that led to the Monitor's existence are tied to Oa, the same planet at the center of the universe the Green Lanterns use as their HQ. An Oan called Krona accidentally creates the multiverse, as well as a raging anti-matter universe that hates all life and matter. The Monitor comes into existence as a defense mechanism against this evil — a task he fulfills by tirelessly dueling with the Anti-Monitor before their fight ends in a double knockout that lasts until the events of "Crisis on Infinite Earths" begin nine billion years later. 

The Monitor's power level is tied to the number of existing universes in the multiverse, but at the height of his strength, he commands vast energy powers that make him one of the strongest DC entities out there. He has an incredibly long lifespan and a superhuman physique. He's also not the only one of his kind, as an entire race of Monitors has made its way into the DC comics after the "Crisis" event. However, Mar Novu is the original one and by far the most powerful to bear the title. 

Before the upcoming animated trilogy, the Monitor appeared in an important role on the Arrowverse's "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover. This version is played by "Sons of Anarchy" star LaMonica Garrett. 

The life-hating antimatter monster known as the Anti-Monitor starts out roughly as powerful as the Monitor, and he comes into existence in the Antimatter Universe at the same time Mar Novu forms in the normal one. However, the scales between the two aren't exactly balanced by the time the Anti-Monitor starts his universe-destroying rampage.

Like the Monitor, the Anti-Monitor falls after their initial confrontation. However, when a character known as Pariah eventually wakes him, the Antimatter Universe entity starts destroying and absorbing universes left and right, eventually becoming so powerful that calling up every available DC hero to oppose him is more than justified. The Anti-Monitor of "Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a gigantic monstrosity that has consumed universes wholesale and can create hordes of minions at will, all of which makes him virtually untouchable by even the strongest of heroes. Like the Monitor, he's also something of a gadgeteer genius — and being the destruction-hungry villain that he is, the Anti-Monitor uses his skills to create a powerful antimatter cannon to aid him in his mission to end all matter. 

Apart from his appearance in the Arrowverse "Crisis on Infinite Earths" – in which he's portrayed by the Monitor's actor LaMonica Garrett — a version of the Anti-Monitor (Tom Kenny) has also appeared on "Green Lantern: The Animated Series."