Zack Snyder’s Justice League 2 and 3 happened, what was in store for Darkseid and his overall storyline? Zack Snyder’s Justice League became the first time that one of DC Comics’ villains got to jump from page to screen.
While Darkseid has been in multiple animated DC shows, however, the Snyder Cut became the New God’s first cinematic appearance. Ray Porter was the actor to bring Darkseid’s character to life as 4-hour life, exploring team coming together to stop him from Invading Earth he had tried to do in the past.
While Steppenwolf was the main villain that Justice League fought, Darkseid was the overall mastermind` of the story.
While his debut was big, Zack Snyder’s Justice League was only a taste of what was in store for Darkseid as the team’s main antagonist. When the Snyder Cut was originally filmed, there were plans for potential sequels since the first installment was just the starting point of the story.
Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice introduced the Knightmare future, which would have been fully explored in Zack Snyder’s Justice League trilogy. However, despite ending the Snyder Cut on a cliffhanger, Warner Bros. is for the time being not continuing that version with Zack Snyder’s Justice League 2 and Zack Snyder’s Justice League 3.
Even before Snyder’s Justice League was released on HBO Max, multiple storyboards and concept ideas had become public, giving fans an idea of Snyder’s plans. While some would be changed due to how the Snyder cut played out, the Darkseid storyline was part of the overall endgame.
Despite Warner Bros. proceeding to the next phase of DCEU films, they may one day find a different way to give Zack Snyder’s trilogy some form of conclusion. Even if it doesn’t happen, what were Snyder’s plans for Darkseid in Zack Snyder’s Justice League 2 and Zack Snyder’s Justice League 3?
While Darkseid only had a handful of scenes in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, the HBO Max film gave a good start to his mythology. Before taking the name Darkseid, he was known as Uxas, a being who had attempted to invade Earth thousands of years before the main setting of the movie.
Uxas was obsessed with finding Anti-Life Equation, but his forces from Apokolips weren’t prepared for what waited for him on Earth. All the human tribes, Atlanteans, Amazons, Olympic Gods, and even a Green Lantern united together to fight against Uxas and to stop the Mother Boxes from Uniting and destroying the Earth.
Uxas is defeated and is forced to return to Apokolips, this is why years later Steppenwolf tried to reclaim the Mother Boxes while also redeeming himself in Darkseid’s Eyes. While he is doing all of this for Darkseid, The Zack Snyder Cut also reveals what Darkseid’s future would look like.
During the second half of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Cyborg has a vision of what would happen if the team revives Superman, and in this vision, Darkseid was at the center. Not only does Darkseid murders Wonder Woman and Aquaman, but he also kills Lois Lane.
This allows Darkseid to force a grieving Superman to succumb to the Anti Life Equation and together, they take over the planet. Later Steppenwolf finds out that the Anit-Life Equation is located on Earth, which gives more evidence to this eventual outcome when he informs Darkseid of this discovery.
While the Justice League revives Superman using the Mother Box, who eventually gets his memory back and joins them in battling the Steppenwolf, Darkseid almost wins. The Mother Boxes initially unite and nearly wiped out the planet, but the Flash managed to rewind time and give Justice League a second chance to stop Darkseid from winning.
Steppenwolf is killed and Darkseid is frustrated that Earth defenders once again. in this final scene, Darkseid tells Desaad that nothing will stop him from getting the Anti-Life Equation.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League 2: Knightmare future and Superman control
While that was Darkseid’s role in the Snyder Cut, his arc would have expanded starting in Zack Snyder’s Justice League 2. In this sequel, the Justice League would initially be forced to deal with Lex Luthor Injustice League.
While Luthor would be putting together his own team of big DC comics villains, the second installment would see Darkseid’s greater impact that would kick off the Knightmare reality.
Towards the later part of Zack Snyder’s Justice League 2, Darkseid would make his way to the Earth by using a Boom Tube just like Steppenwolf did. Luthor would go to locate the Anti-Life Equation, but Darkseid would show up instantly along with DeSaad and take the power for himself.
However, when Darkseid would finally accomplish his long-time goal of obtaining the Anti-Life Equation, he would get something even bigger.
Even though Luthor thought that Darkseid would use it to kill Superman, he needed him alive. Darkseid wanted the Man of Steel to submit to him and that’s where Luthor gives him an even bigger weapon. Luthor tells Darkseid that all he has to do is kill Lois which would destroy Superman’s spirit and allow Darkseid to break Superman’s will.
Darkseid and Superman would have a showdown, but eventually the big bad would go through with Luthor’s idea. Darkseid would end up murdering Lois which in turn made Superman succumb to the Anti-Life Equation and that would begin the Knightmare future.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League 2 would be concluded with a time jump of five years into the future where Darkseid had succeeded in conquering Earth.
How Darkseid’s story would end in Justice League 3?
Justice League 3 would primarily take place in the Knightmare future as Batman and the remaining heroes try to undo this reality. The remaining defenders were planning to use the Flash to run back in time. Due to Flash running back in time undoing all the events that happened in Justice League 2.
Superman would find out from Lois about Luther’s Injustice League and then he manages to stop Wonder Woman and Aquaman from being killed. But still Darkseid Boom Tube his way to Earth and to murder Lois Lane. This time Batman takes his hit and saves Lois thus preventing Superman from submitting to Darkseid.
Seeing this Darkseid will be forced to be pulled back, but this wouldn’t be his ultimate end.
How Darkseid was Defeated in Zack Snyder’s Justice League 3?
Zack Snyder’s Justice League 3 will have a finale inspired by Lord of the Rings when it comes to battling Darkseid and his army. The Entire Justice League is being joined by the forces of Themyscira and Atlantis as they go up against Darkseid.
They would also be helped by the military forces of Earth. Additionally, the Green Lantern Corps were set to join the battle, which would pitch the entire DC Universe against Darkseid and Apokolips which would have been a massive cinematic piece.
But as this big showdown would have been for Zack Snyder’s Justice 3, it’s how Darkseid goes down. Cyborgs would have managed to overpower the Mother Boxes which would end up being destroyed. This would weaken Darkseid and that’s where Batman would make his sacrifice.
After being hit by the Omega Beans of Darkseid, Batman’s body was dying due to the effects of the blast, so he didn’t have much time left to live, Batman gets to be the one that takes down Darkseid once and for all.
So what would have been the future of Darkseid, after Justice League 3?
With that being Darkseid’s overall role in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, what would be his future in DCU?
Despite the sequels not happening Darkseid was originally going to be appearing in New Gods made by Ava Duvernay that had been in the work for years. While Porter was open to reprising his role as Darkseid it was never clear if DuVernay would have used his Darkseid or cast a new actor in the role.
However, not long after the Snyder Cut was released on HBO Max, Warner Bros. announced that New Gods, along with Jason Momoa’s Aquaman spin the film Trench had been canceled. The Lord of Apokolips almost had a shot to appear in another DCEU film.
But because New Gods are no longer happening but it’s still unclear what’s in store for Darkseid on the big screen. With Zack Snyder’s Justice League 2 and 3 also not moving forward, Darkseid may not be seen cinematically for a long time.
