Both the 2017Justice Leagueand the 2021Snyder Cutstart strong asDC Universe’s main superhero team go up against perhaps some of the biggest threats inDC Comics. After all, Superman’s death inDawn of Justiceprompted none other than Darkseid himself to begin a full-scale invasion of Earth. And it’s up to Batman and Wonder Woman to gather the world’s existing metahumans to fight this impending threat.
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Thankfully, the Justice League manages to fend off both Darkseid and his lieutenant Steppenwolf’s forces. Unfortunately, this did cause a divide among filmgoers and fans: did Darkseid have to be the Justice League’s first threat in their first team-up film? Interestingly, some villains may still be worthwhile foes for the League.
10Lex Luthor
Who better to face the Justice League than Lex Luthor himself? Despite being Superman’s nemesis, he possesses wealth and brains to match that of Batman’s. In most DC Comics storylines, Lex eventually becomes President of the United States. And when he’s enacting his schemes, he always comes prepared witha fully-equipped Warsuit.
As Jesse Eisenberg brilliantly portrayed as theDCEU’s Lex Luthor, the villain remains a force to reckon with not just with his fortune and connections. Rather, his sheer influence can make fellow villains gravitate towards him. As a result, a future with theDCEUcould have Lex form the Injustice League, or the Legion of Doom, or even the Secret Six as a foil to the super team. As such, Lex poses a very grounded threat that can help further humanize the Justice League.
9The Joker
If Lex Luthor’s schemes with his Legion of Doom seem grandiose for aJustice Leagueouting, perhaps the Joker can transform such a superhero film into pure horror. Despite his lack of powers, the Joker can pose a formidable threat not just to Batman but to the whole world. Andhis insanityisn’t going to make things easier - as all his depictions, plus that ofDCEU’s Jared Leto, have shown.
AJLfilm with the Joker as its main villain could easily tap into Batman’s deepest conflict. After all, should heroes cross the line and kill a villain to save the world? And it doesn’t help that Leto’s Joker already killed Dick Grayson years prior to Bruce’s fight with Clark. Moreover, with Joker having the potential to go from “copyrighting fish” to “Joker venom-ing the entire world” in various DC Comics issues, any film with the Joker means he ain’t messing around. Or is he?
8Maxwell Lord
While some fans argue that Maxwell Lord seemed “pale” inWW 1984, aJLfilm with a full-on villainous Maxwell can serve as a frightening foe to the Justice League. Despite being human, Maxwell Lord remains a rich and influential businessman. Likewise, a film can explore his ties to both clandestine groups or even stir conflict within the League. He’s already done so in theJL Internationalcomics by suggesting government funding in exchange for regulation.
Likewise, a powered Maxwell can result in his involvement with the Dominators, an alien race with a knack for genetic manipulation. With the Dominators' help, Maxwell Lord develops telepathy - something he constantly used to manipulate others via subconscious suggestion. He also facilitated the OMAC Project, creating cyborgs programmed to kill superhumans. Despite his rather “unknown” status in mainstream comics, Maxwell Lord proved enough of a threat that Wonder Woman had no choice but to kill him to stop his plans.
7Sinestro
While it’s true that Martian Manhunter made theSnyder Cutinstead of Green Lantern, it makes just as much sense to feature them in anyJustice Leaguefilm. And with their introduction in a feature film, it makes sense for their primary antagonist to be Sinestro and the Sinestro Corps as well. In fact, Sinestro can start out “good” and facilitate theintroduction of Green Lantern into the Leagueand the presence of the Corps - perhaps to fight an imminent alien threat.
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To highlight his cunning, Sinestro would probably serve as the “hidden main villain” all along, showing his true colors - literally - as the head of the Sinestro Corps. In the comics, Sinestro once served under the Green Lanterns until he realized that fear is a more powerful weapon. Wielding the Yellow Lantern Ring, Sinestro became the leader of his own Corps - the Yellow Lanterns.
6Brainiac
Brainiac is almost always depicted as a major Superman villain. After all, this extraterrestrial android manage to shrink and “steal” Kandor, Krypton’s capital city. A being with a “12th-level intellect,” Brainiac possesses and utilizes knowledge of advanced alien technologies. Moreover, he has access toadvanced computational abilitiesthat can put advanced tech such as Batman’s computers to shame. As a villain in any DC Comics story, Brainiac almost always lies at its center - constantly planning for any contingency for some ulterior motive.
Interestingly, Brainiac may already have a foundation within theDCEUcontinuity. After all, an AI already exists within the Scout Ship’s genesis chamber. It’s the same AI that assisted Lex Luthor in creating a Doomsday, and the same AI that helped revive Superman. In turn, there exists a possibility of Lex or another villain to transform that same AI into an alternate version of Brainiac.
5Vandal Savage
What happens should a caveman discover a meteorite that granted him immortality? In the case of Vandal Savage, he’s used his longevity to manipulate various events in history in his advantage.
In fact, he’s become an Egyptian Pharaoh, helped in the murder of Julius Caesar, and even amassed wealth and knowledge in the process. Much like Luthor and his Injustice League, Vandal Savage also became a part of the Injustice Society of the World - among other villainous teams.
AJLteam who wants a time travel plot could easily include Vandal Savage as a villain. Moreover, Savage’s immortality can make plots more complex. For instance, as an immortal, Savage’s plans may involve the tragic events in the heroes' lives.
4Amazo
Superhero fans who want a more familiar threat could have the Justice League face themselves - to an extent. In the comics, a certain Professor Ivo created an android capable of mimicking the abilities of superhumans it faced. Naming it Amazo, Ivo unleashed his creation and had it face - and copy the abilities - of the founding members of the Justice League.
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Despite his lack of any grudges against the League, a film featuring Amazo can have a straightforward plot that might just work. For instance, the film may explore other issues the League should solve in relation to the fight with Amazo. This makes Amazo fit the villain role against a freshly-formed Justice League. After all, the presence of Amazo will force the League to properly fight together to overcome his power mimicry.
3Prometheus
Fans who want an alternative to Joe Manganiello’s Deathstroke might appreciate Prometheus instead. Despite his multiple incarnations, Prometheus has similar qualities to Batman. For instance, what he lacks in powers, he makes up for intense physical and mental training alongside the developmentof meticulous gadgets.
Moreover, his prized possessions lie in two things: a helmet with an AI that can “duplicate” the abilities and countermeasures against his opponents, and a Ghost Key that can enter a special Ghost Zone.
Unfortunately, despite Prometheus’s assets, he becomes more an enemy than an ally to the Justice League. In fact, his first foray involves infiltrating the Watchtower and defeat multiple Justice League members. While he may not have the motivation to fight the League by himself, a film could have him aid another villain for nefarious purposes.
2Doomsday
As theDCEUhad clarified, the Doomsday that the Trinity fought inBvSis, in fact, simply an “abomination.” Despite similarities in appearance, this abomination is separate from Doomsday in the comics. However, Doomsday may prove just as worthy a foeas Darkseid himself.
In theDeath of Supermanevent, Doomsday managed to develop resistance from various injuries - to the point of nigh-invulnerability. Despite boasting perhaps sheer strength and endurance, Doomsday’s power rivals or exceeds that of Superman, managing to overcome the Man of Steel to the point of his death.
Of course, having the actual Doomsday kill Superman again in theDCEUcould be a letdown. However, his sheer presence could trigger all sorts of conflict within the League. For instance, Superman may develop a sense of fear against the beast, or even feel another bout of anger against Batman. Likewise, this time around, the League would have to work together to defeat Doomsday.
1Starro
Why would the Justice League want to fight a massive sentient starfish? Despite his unimposing appearance, Starro sought to conquer the Earth - and would’ve succeeded had the Justice League not intervene. Additionally, while he’s technically a massive starfish, Starro has terrifying mind control abilities and even possesses some degree of invulnerability.
Granted, aJustice Leaguefilm featuring Starro is definitely a sight to remember. In fact,the Suicide Squad will fight against Starroin James Gunn’s iteration of theSuicide Squadfilm!
As his presence implies, Starro’s arrival might simply equate to an alien invasion. However, a Starro-centric film can help tackle various things within theDCEU. For instance, a serious take on Starro’s threat can explore the political implications of a superhero presence. Likewise, a more sci-take on Starro can formally introduce other alien superheroes, such as the Martian Manhunter and even the Green Lantern Corps.
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