DC's Injustice Game Is Getting Its Own Movie
DC Comics has a deep library of stories to draw upon for inspiration, with iconic characters like Batman and Superman whose histories stretch back for decades. As such, it may surprise fans that a recently announced DC Universe film will be based on a fighting game set in an separate timeline, but that is precisely the case for the next DC Animated Movie, "Injustice."
The film draws from the 2013 video game "Injustice: Gods Among Us," which was created by NetherRealm Studios, the same development company that has managed the "Mortal Kombat" franchise since 2011, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "Injustice: Gods Among Us" incorporates the famous fighting series' chaotic brawling action with a story set in an alternate DC Universe in which a grief-stricken Superman seeks to impose a tyrannical rule over the Earth, ostensibly for its own good.
The original "Injustice: Gods Among Us" spawned an entire franchise in its own right, with a series of successful spin-off mobile games, a well-received sequel, and a comic book series. Here is how DC's new "Injustice" project will tie in elements from these different sources for its movie.
DC's Injustice movie will draw from the game's related comic book series
The Hollywood Reporter notes that the film's storyline is inspired both by the world created for the original game and the best-selling comic book series that accompanied it, "Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year One." The comic book was written by Tom Taylor and first released in 2013 to coincide with the game's release.
The comic book dives into the specifics of why Superman begins his quest to establish his totalitarian regime on Earth and is filled with moments that fans need to see in the animated movie. In the comic's alternate DC Universe, Joker tricks Superman into causing the death of Lois Lane and then the destruction of Metropolis by a nuclear bomb. The corrupted superhero then decides that Earth would be better off under his total control, leading to his quest for world domination, while Batman enlists insurgent elements of the Justice League to stop him, also according to THR.
The announcement also mentions some of the voice cast for the film. Superman will be played by Justin Hartley, Batman will be voiced by Anson Mount, and Laura Bailey will appear as Lois Lane. On the other side, Kevin Pollak plays Joker, while Gillian Jacobs voices Harley Quinn. The film, produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC, is expected to arrive in the fall of 2021.