How Justice League’s Original Post-Credits Scene Set Up Ben Affleck’s The Batman
Zack Snyder’s Justice League originally had a slightly different post-credits scene – one which set up Ben Affleck’s The Batman. Before leaving the production, Snyder was going to use Justice League‘s ending to set up multiple upcoming DC movies, but the studio-enforced reshoots helmed by Joss Whedon completely changed Snyder’s vision. The final product saw direct set up for Aquaman, teases for The Flash and Green Lantern Corps and more eliminated or altered.
Justice League‘s post-credits scene was among the many scenes in Justice League that Warner Bros. and Whedon changed. The theatrical cut of the movie shows Lex Luthor – now free from prison – on a yacht, where he meets up with Slade Wilson aka Deathstroke. The quick scene has Lex mention how he wants to form a league of villains to combat the rise of the Justice League, and it appeared the Legion of Doom could be part of the DC Extended Universe’s future. That tease has yet to pay off, but it also wasn’t what Snyder had planned.
The full details of Snyder’s version of the Lex and Deathstroke scene have yet to be revealed, but it is believed that the original purpose was direct set up for The Batman. Lex originally had a larger role in Justice League that may have included Batman visiting him in Arkham Asylum and taking his notes about Darkseid, Mother Boxes, metahumans, and so on. Now that he is free, Snyder’s version of the scene is expected to feature Lex hiring Deathstroke to assassinate Batman, providing a clear piece of set up for the version of The Batman Affleck was, at the time, set to write, direct, and star in.
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During the original production of Justice League, Affleck confirmed that Deathstroke was going to be the main villain of The Batman. He shared a video of the costume at first, and it was quickly announced that this tease was because the deadly assassin was part of Affleck’s The Batman script. Joe Manganiello was later hired to play Deathstroke in multiple movies, but Affleck never revealed too many details about the exact plot of The Batman. However, since it has been confirmed that Whedon reshot the Lex/Deathstroke scene for Justice League, it becomes increasingly clear that Snyder’s version of it set up the solo movie.
Even though Affleck’s The Batman isn’t happening (since Matt Reeves is rebooting the character with Robert Pattinson) and he’s returning as Batman in The Flash, there is still a chance that fans will get to see the original Justice League post-credits scene soon. The Snyder Cut of Justice League will be released on HBO Max in 2021, and the director has indicated that everything he wanted to be in the film will be included. This should mean the original Deathstroke scene will be featured, even if it isn’t a post-credits scene anymore.
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