The Injustice: Gods Among Us comics, based on NetherRealm’s game of the same name, are getting the animated treatment. The animated film will have a stellar voice cast that includes Justin Hartley as Superman, Anson Mount as Batman, and Janet Varney as Wonder Woman. As a huge fan of the video game and the comics that follow, this is very exciting news and it seems long overdue because of the major success of the game back in 2013. This later launched a sequel, Injustice 2, in 2017.
After the DC Animated Movie Universe closed out their shared universe influenced by The New 52 with Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, they continued to release stand-alone films such as Superman: Man of Tomorrow, Justice Society: World War II, and Batman: The Long Halloween. Injustice seems to be a film that is placed in an Elseworlds alternate universe compared to these previous movies because of the animation and storyline. I, for one, will not be complaining about this because to me, Injustice: Gods Among Us is one of the best new DC Comics storylines ever created. As a fan, I am hoping for multiple films to capture all of the greatest moments of this run.
Now with any movie based on a comic book storyline, there are going to be expectations so let’s break it down:
The Rise of One Earth Regime Superman
From the behind-the-scenes commentary of the Injustice: Gods Among Us animated film, it looks like they will not be tackling the storyline that was already explored in the game (THANK GOODNESS!). The film seems to be adapting the prequel of what happens before which is the rise of an “evil” Superman. Although this Superman is supposed to be considered the antagonist, it is very challenging to not feel his pain of loss. That is one of the reasons why this Superman is so interesting. He is not subjected to mind control, but makes a conscious decision under good intentions and is then derailed by absolute power. Like in any movie theme, power corrupts. I am hoping with an outstanding actor like Justin Hartley, who knows his way around DC properties *ahem ahem*, that he can deliver a Superman that is damaged and tyrannical.
Division of Heroes and Villains
What Injustice: Gods Among Us does so well is how heroes and villains choose their side. Of course, the team captains are Batman and Superman, who previously had their ideals aligned together. But now we see the complexity in how their perspectives of good and evil change. This will invite many heroes and villains to examine their own views as well. Do they want to be part of oppression with Team Superman or fight for freedom with Team Batman? Although every character will definitely have their moment to shine, two of my favorite character developments were definitely the Flash and Harley Quinn. I hope that this film will do these characters justice. No pun intended.
Covering the Comics, Not the Game
Like I said before, it looks like the movie will be adapting the prequel of what happens before the Injustice: Gods Among Us video game storyline and that is just how I would want it. If they plan to make more, it should cover the comics and not the video game storyline. This may be self-explanatory but it would seem redundant to do an animated film on a video game storyline that already did a great job on its own. The comics itself touches on things that we were all wondering such as how did Hal Jordan become a yellow lantern, why did a proud king like Aquaman fold to Superman’s demands, and why is Plastic Man here? The animated films give a chance for viewers to get a condensed version of how great the story is before the video game. (I would still recommend reading the comics because it is some great stuff).
