With the release of Zack Snyder's film is on the horizon, I decided what I would consider to be the perfect movie about the formation of the League. But beyond just the Justice League, this is my vision for a shared DC Cinematic Universe that I decide to share with you, starting with this team-up movie. The plot is mainly inspired by the first issue of the New Gods series where Orion fights Kalibak to free humans imprisoned on Apokolips and Justice League Of America issues 183-185 where the League is transported to Apokolips. Since this is not a screenplay, not all scenes are described, but rather the most important ones for the plot. Lastly, I do not come from an English speaking country, so please excuse me for potential spelling or grammatical mistakes. Thank you and I hope you will enjoy this pitch.
ACT ONE
Out on a distant planet, a race of aliens desperately tries to repel an army of Parademons. All attempts to stop the advance of Apokoliptian troops are hopeless, thousands of additional Parademons arriving on the battlefield through dimensional portals known as Boom Tubes. The hordes of Parademons are led by the brutal Kalibak, a cruel warrior with a bestial physique and an uncontrolled rage. Seeing that his forces have been defeated, the king of the planet formally surrenders to Kalibak.
Organic fortresses are erected on the battlefield, serving as conversion facilities were the prisoners are transformed into Parademons, programmed to serve Apokolips. Exploring the ruins of the palace of the planet, Kalibak discovers a signal received by the planet. In a recording transmitted in over one hundred languages, Lex Luthor invites alien beings as powerful as Superman to come to planet Earth to harm him. Seeing the extent of the powers of the man of steel, Kalibak asks that this recording be transmitted to his father.
Three months later, a series of strange abductions have occurred all around the world. People of all ages and ethnicities are abducted by mysterious cloaked kidnappers. In Gotham City, Superman meets Batman on a rooftop. Both fear that there is something much larger behind these simple kidnappings. Batman reveals that he has located an extraterrestrial activity in the city and that could be a clue for their investigation.
A couple is brutally attacked by one of the mysterious cloaked kidnappers, who turns out to be a Parademon. Superman and Batman intervene, managing to save the couple. The Parademon self-destructs himself, but leaves behind his computer, a Mother Box. Superman decides to bring this cube to his friend Dr. Silas Stone of S.T.A.R. Labs in Metropolis, hoping that he will be able to discover more informations.
On the secret and hidden island of Themyscira, home of the Amazons, Princess Diana notices signs of trouble in the outside world. While her fears are confirmed by the Amazonian oracle during a ceremony, her mother, Queen Hippolyta, tells her that it is none of their concern. Refusing to continue standing by and not use her abilities to help, Diana decides to leave her home. The princess takes an old armor that belonged to her mother and travels to "Man's World", using a winged divine stallion.
In Metropolis, the local football team wins a decisive game, thanks to their most skilled player, Victor Stone. However, Victor is saddened that his father is absent once again and decides to go to S.T.A.R. Labs to see him. Silas is annoyed by his son’s presence, saying that in a world where Superman exist, his sporting career is already obsolete.
As Victor prepares to leave, the Mother Box opens a Boom Tube to Apokolips, unleashing Parademons. Caught in the Boom Tube's energies, Victor's body begins to burn away. While the scientists are taken by the Parademons to Apokolips, Silas succeeds in rescuing his son’s body but is also abducted. As a Parademon is about to kill him, Victor is saved by Superman's arrival who manages to protect him.
While Superman, now helped by Batman, succeed in repelling Parademon's horde, the Mother Box that opened the portal reacts with Victor's body. Because he was exposed to its energy, it begins crafting him cybernetic body parts and grants him knowledge it held. In front of Superman and Batman, Victor becomes Cyborg. The three manage to repel the Parademons, soon joined by Diana, appearing as a wonder woman.
Horrified by what he has become but aware of being able to use Boom Tubes thanks to his Mother Box, Cyborg wants to open a portal to save his father. Superman agrees to help, but suggests that they be more prepared before opening the portal again. Only able to express herself in ancient Greek, Diana communicates with Superman to whom she tells that these creatures are the angels of death of a god living beyond time and space. This new god invades worlds and uses its occupants to create more soldiers. Thanks to the knowledge of his Mother Box, Cyborg is able to reveal that this tyrant wants to attract Superman to his planet, Apokolips, in order to recruit him into his Honor Guard to help him to conquer the universe.
Thinking they will have to be more numerous to save the abductees, they choose to help them a forensic scientist from Central City with the ability to run at super-human velocities. In a restaurant in Central City, Barry Allen spends the evening with Iris West. Returning home, he blames himself for not having confesses to Iris his feelings for her, something he forgets when he sees Superman shows up in front of him, asking for his help. Without hesitation, Barry agrees to help him and presses a lightning bolt symbol on the ring that he wears, releasing a red suit. Barry runs into it, standing in front of Superman as the Flash.
ACT TWO
The five heroes meet at Superman's Fortress of Solitude. With his Mother Box, Cyborg opens a Boom Tube through which the heroes are transported to Apokolips. They discover a hellish medieval city with fire pits, extending as far as the eye can see. They are immediately attacked by a horde of Parademons having spotted them. During the fight, the heroes show their bravery, but are not coordinated yet and have trouble fighting as a team.
After defeating the Parademons, the heroes escape to the sewers. Conscious of their weakness, they decide to set up a strategy to act as a team, a league. Able to hack the digital system, Cyborg succeeds to locate the prisoners. Moving under the city, the heroes manage to enter the fortress where the abductees are. But as they advance through mournful tunnels, the league discovers that this fortress does not serve only as a prison.
Horrified, heroes attend a process of conversion when a man is transformed into a Parademon. Seeing that he is only the first and several others people are about to be transformed, the League intervenes. Knowing more about their respective abilities, the heroes are able to work as a team. Due to the similarity of their powers and the ability to communicate with each other, Superman and Wonder Woman are able to work in pairs.
In the throne room of the palace, a robed figure kneels before his monarch. While the dark lord of Apokolips stays in the shadows, the robed figure is revealed to be Desaad, the master torturer and main servant of the monarch. Desaad informs that as planned, Superman came to rescue the abductees, but he is unexpectedly accompanied. His sovereign tells him that this is only futility, he wants the Kryptonian to be captured, his companions can be exterminated. Desaad nods and leaves the throne room.
Desaad descends into the dungeons of the palace where Kalibak is like a beast. Desaad informs the warrior of his father's instructions, telling him that this could be an opportunity for him to earn his father's assent if he succeeds to capture Superman alive. Kalibak, desperately seeking for this approval, asks him what he should do with Superman's companions. Learning that he is allowed to slaughter them if he wishes, Kalibak smiles.
Exploring the cells of the fortress, Cyborg finds his father and the other S.T.A.R. Labs scientists. Despite the fact that he considers him responsible for his transformation into a cyborg, Victor is happy to find Silas unhurt. Their reunion is interrupted by Flash who warns them of the arrival of more Parademons. While Batman releases the rest of the prisoners, Cyborg opens a Boom Tube allowing them to return to Earth.
The League does not have time to cross the portal that they are attacked by Kalibak and Parademons. A new fight begins and the heroes are shocked by the brutality of the bestial warrior. Kalibak tears a mechanical arm from Cyborg before throwing Wonder Woman against a wall. Batman's gadgets are ineffective against him and the warrior breaks his hand. Using his speed, Flash punches Kalibak quickly while turning around him. Kalibak nevertheless succeeds in catching one of Flash's punch and twists the speedster's arm.
While his companions are on the ground, injured, Superman is the last to face Kalibak and his army of Parademons. In order to protect the other heroes, the Kryptonian smashes a wall and flies away to move away the fight. In the streets of Apokolips, Superman tries to protect himself from the attacks of Kalibak but refuses to use his powers, for fear of hurting civilians around. But faced with this bestiality and the large number of Parademons, the man of steel ends up being defeated.
In the throne room, Kalibak throws Superman's body in front of his father, informing him the fact that the other heroes and the prisoners managed to escape. Without even congratulating him, the monarch orders his son to hunt down the heroes, saying that they can possibly hinder his plans. Thinking that this may allow him to finally get the approval he seeks, Kalibak leaves the room, gathering Parademons to help him in his hunt.
In a laboratory, Desaad examines Superman's unconscious body. He is joined by Steppenwolf, general of Apokoliptian armies. Desaad tells him that once he will be brainwashed, the man of steel will conquer all the multiverse in the name of Darkseid. Desaad starts practicing experiments on the body. While Superman is screaming in pain, the master torturer implantes him artificial memories in order to persuade him that he has always been a member of the Apokoliptian Honor Guard.
ACT THREE
The remaining four heroes once again took refuge in the sewers. Everyone agrees that they must save Superman if they do not to see the whole universe be conquered. Having some notions in ancient Greek, Batman is able to think about a strategy with Wonder Woman. While his Mother Box rebuilds his arm, Cyborg wonders how a young football player like him found himself alongside gods gods like Superman.
Flash comes to see Victor and tells him that until now he had the feeling of being a god among men because of his powers. But because he is on this planet, thwarting the cosmic projects of a god, he finally conceives what is a god among men. He concludes by saying that they are not gods but they still must protect the world. Cyborg nods and uses his technology to locate Superman.
In his lab, Desaad continues to try to brainwash Superman but is incapable of it, as the man of steel is too pure to be corrupted. While Steppenwolf is furious to learn about Desaad's failure, the heroes burst into the lab. Steppenwolf begins to fight against Wonder Woman while Desaad calls for help from Parademons. While Cyborg and Flash repel the Apokoliptian soldiers, Batman gets rid of Desaad and frees Superman. Weakened, the man of steel is still able to fire heat beams on Steppenwolf, defeating him.
In the streets of Apokolips, the heroes face a legion of Parademons led by Kalibak. They look at each other before rushing into battle, working together to defeat their enemies. Against Kalibak's savage force, they are ingenious and Cyborg eventually open a Boom Tube taking the warrior elsewhere on the planet. Because of Wonder Woman's fierceness, the Parademons begin to retreat allowing Cyborg to open a new portal to Earth.
Back at the Fortress of Solitude, Cyborg closes the Boom Tube and hacks one last time all the Mother Boxes of Apokolips to disable them. This hacking hurts him but he finally succeeds, preventing the Apokoliptian troops from returning to Earth. On Apokolips, Kalibak and Desaad are on their knees in front of their lord. Desaad tells him that it will take them years to reconfigure their Mother Boxes to allow them to open Boom Tubes again. The monarch emerges from the shadows and answers him with a deep voice. Darkseid tells to his master torturer that he gives him two weeks to reconfigure them.
As Desaad leaves the throne room, Darkseid turns to his balcony and contemplates his planet, ignoring his son's presence. He begins to reflect on these events, and this defeat he had to undergo on his own kingdom. He admits that he has underestimated Superman and his companions. For the first time in his eternal life, the dark lord of Apokolips understands what it is to be confronted to gods.
A montage presents several interviews of people who had been taken to Apokolips, claiming that they were saved by a team of heroes, constituting a league. Silas Stone concludes this montage by saying that the world needs heroes. In the Fortress of Solitude, the five heroes admit that united together they are stronger and have been able to repel a threat not only for Earth but for multiple universes.
Batman is hesitant to join a team, saying that he is just a man without power and that two days ago he was still suspicious of metahumans. Cyborg answers him that it isn't the time to go back to his cave and to work alone. Superman adds that his humanity is their strength and that allows them to not become gods among men.
A few days later, Superman and Wonder Woman meet at the Pantheon in Athens. Diana has now learned to speak English and is able to converse with Superman. Superman tells her that Cyborg works with his father and Batman at S.T.A.R. Labs to learn more about the multitude of universes to which the Mother Box gives access, while Barry finally confessed his feelings to Iris. He ends up asking her if she plans to return to her island. Diana answers him that she will now build a bridge between her civilization and that of men.
In a post-credits scene, Superman and Flash meet in a disused area of Metropolis. The two then run to determine who is the fastest man alive, disappearing in a flash.
If I had thought for a moment to include a cast in this article, I limited myself to choose a director. And this choice was Michelle MacLaren. Despite the fact that she never directed a feature film, it's been awhile since MacLaren gravitate around blockbuster projects, notably a Star Wars spin-off or Wonder Woman. Her vision for a Wonder Woman movie, an epic origin tale in the vein of Braveheart, convinced me that she was perfect for directing a Justice League film. During her career, MacLaren has demonstrated her ability to create universes on the screen, humanizing characters and giving them a heart especially by directing acclaimed episodes of such popular series as Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad or Westworld.