With just over one month left until the release of Justice League, fans were presented with what we expect will be the final trailer for Warner Bros.’ superhero ensemble blockbuster. Titled Heroes, the trailer shows a surprising amount of restraint from WB, who could have easily gone trigger-happy like they did with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and presented us with a full, in-costume look at the Man of Steel. Instead, the studio takes a much more conservative approach, toeing the line between sizzle and steak without ever fully crossing it – a lesson clearly learned from Wonder Woman’s questionable, yet undeniably successful marketing campaign.
With the trailer still making the rounds across the web and social media, we here at Epicstream decided to break down some of the most important elements, key scenes, and possible clues that were stuffed into these three minutes of footage. Without further ado, here is our Justice League trailer breakdown:
Superman Returns… Sort Of
The trailer begins with what is clearly a dream sequence featuring Amy Adams’ Lois Lane, in which the intrepid reporter emerges from her dearly departed’s Smallville home only to see a Superman: The Movie-esque shot of Clark standing in the field as he watches the sun set over the farm. We all knew there was no way Warner Bros. would be able to resist putting Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel in a single trailer, but to include him in this manner? Brilliant! You have to respect how the studio managed to exercise such caution with their big blue box office draw.
The World Is Still Reeling From The Loss Of Superman
Lois isn’t the only one still in mourning. Much like we saw in Suicide Squad, the world hasn’t quite gotten over the loss of Superman. It’s true what they say: “You don’t know you’ve got till it’s gone.”
Apokolips v Themyscira: Dawn of Motherbox
Based on what we’ve already seen in earlier trailers, we know that Steppenwolf and his army of Parademons are no strangers to the Amazons of Themyscira, and in the latest trailer, we get perhaps our greatest look yet at their skirmish for possession of one of the Apokoliptian Mother Boxes. While it’s hard to tell from the footage, this is likely where we’ll see Connie Nielson’s Queeny Hippolyta and Robin Wright’s General Antiope show up in the film.
And That, Son, Is Where Parademons Come From
While Parademons were originally created genetically in Apokoliptian laboratories, the New 52 revised their origin, revealing that they were spawned from the reformatted genetic material of the living or dead remains of native species from the worlds razed by Apokolips. From what we see in the trailer, that appears to be the route the film is going, as we see a warrior (presumably human) undergo a gruesome transformation in which his skin decays and his teeth sharpen in unmistakable Parademon fashion.
Hellspores In Chernobyl?
In one particular shot in the trailer, we get a glimpse of what appears to be Hellspores spewing from a cooling tower at a Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (home to the catastrophic 1986 Chernobyl disaster). While we clearly see Parademons swarming the sky, the smaller black dots bear a striking resemblance to Hellspores, which are powerful bombs that burn their way from the surface of a planet to the core.
Aquaman Under Fire
Much like Aquaman, the trailer shows us that Steppenwolf is amphibious. We also get a great look at the stunning underwater effects, which look every bit as amazing as longtime Aquaman fans could have imagined.
Now THAT Is Justice
Sometimes, symbolism is subtle. Other times, it smacks you right across the face. In the case of Wonder Woman standing on Lady Justice, grabbing onto her sword, it’s definitely the latter, and you know what? We’re perfectly OK with that.
Wonder Woman Under Fire
Aquaman isn’t the only one who has his hands full with Steppenwolf. The Amazon Princess also gets her hands dirty, from what appears to be inside the aforementioned cooling tower.
Blast From The Past
Cyborg is one of the least developed characters from what we’ve seen in the previous trailers, but watching him relive his high school football days; the days before his accident? Talk about striking an emotional chord.
Cyborg Under Fire
Aquaman and Wonder Woman aren’t the only ones to go toe-to-toe with Steppenwolf. Cyborg also tries his hand at taking down the Apokoliptian General, further hammering home the point that the hero’s efforts are fruitless unless they work as a unit.
No Sweat For The Scarlet Speedster
If the previous trailers haven’t done a good enough job showing that Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen/Flash will be played – at least partially – for comic relief, this shot should help. Just look at that smile! Surely it won’t be all fun and games for The Flash, but we can probably expect him to provide a Peter Parker/Spider-Man vibe to the team (quips, jokes, etc.).
Stronger Alone?
“Strong men are stronger alone.” Yeah, that’s what Aquaman tells Bruce in a scene that appears to take place shortly after their heated first encounter from the 2016 SDCC sizzle reel. However, based on Bruce’s reaction, it looks like we can expect some lightheartedness sprinkled into the tail end of this otherwise tense sequence.
Cyborg’s Motherbox Connection Coming Into Play
Whether you’re a longtime comic book reader or you’ve simply watched BvS, you’ll know that the Mother Boxes are a key factor in Cyborg’s origin story. From what we see here, it looks like his connection to the Mother Boxes might make him a significant part of defeating Steppenwolf. After all, in Justice League: Origin, it’s Cyborg and Superman that ultimately defeat Darkseid (Supes throws him through a Boom Tube portal and Cyborg closes it).
Harkening Back To BvS?
It’s hard to say what, exactly, this big, white dome is. However, it’s worth noting that it bears a striking resemblance to the one we saw in BvS when Doomsday was being created.
Look, Up In The Sky!
“Look, up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s…” probably just an Easter egg. Maybe it’s not, though. Could this officer be looking up because the Man of Steel is making his triumphant return? It’s hard to say, but perhaps the red and blue balloons in the background are merely a coincidence.
Aquaman’s A Team Player
Contrary to his earlier remarks about men being stronger alone, the Aquaman we see towards the end of the trailer has no qualms about working with others, as evidenced by him hitching a ride with Cyborg to take a stab at some Parademons. Plus, we get another shot of him riding on top the Batmobile. Speaking of which…
No Guns… Unless They’re On The Batmobile
The Batmobile seems to have gotten some serious upgrades in the firepower department. Seriously, it’s like a tank, and just look at the size of the shell the falls to the ground in quintessential Zack Snyder slow-motion.
Harkening Back To BvS? (Part Deux)
One of Gal Gadot’s most memorable moments from BvS is the little smirk she lets out after being tossed violently to the ground by Doomsday (a smirk which, according to Gadot, was improvised while filming). This time, it’s decidedly not improv, but nonetheless, it’s a fun bit of continuity, and serves as a firm reminder that the Amazon Princess loves a good fight.
The Fastest Blabbermouth Alive
Once again, Barry will very much provide comic relief to the team, and his reaction to seeing the Bat Signal for the first time is further proof of this. He brings such energy to the group, with his giddy, almost childlike glee at the prospect of joining such heroes as Batman and Wonder Woman, going so far as to tell an out-of-costume Bruce Wayne that the Bat Signal is “his” signal.