Justice League Dark: Apokolips War – New Details and Trailer

Earlier today the DC animation fandom was treated to a trailer for the latest installment in the DC animated movie franchise Justice League Dark Apokolips War. A bit of a mouth full of you ask me but after watching the trailer I didn’t seem to mind as much.

The synopsis for the movie paints a picture of what is to come.

The world’s greatest Super Heroes square off once-and-for-all against the despotic Darkseid – with the fate of all humanity hanging in the balance – in Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, the next entry in the popular series of DC Universe Movies. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, DC and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Justice League Dark: Apokolips War arrives later this spring and features the largest Super Hero cast in the history of DC Universe Movies with dozens of actors/characters spotlighted in a grand ensemble of talent reprising theirroles from this six-year story continuum.

Following the events of Reign of the Supermen with the Justice League deciding your take the war to Darkseid following his failed attempts to invade Earth via Hank Henshaw’s Cyborg Superman, Justice League Dark Apokolips War is precisely that; the all-out war between the forces of Darkseid versus not only the Justice League but Justice League Dark, Titans and a the Bat-family.

The trailer seems to allude to Darkseid influencing the minds of members of the team particularly a shaven John Constantine voiced by Constantine vet Matt Ryan. Not only did the trailer allude to betrayal but also villains joining our heroes particularly Lex Luther, Harley Quinn, King Shark, and Lady Shiva, I suppose when the entire planet is at stake differences can be set aside between heroes and villains.

The trailer begins with a reborn Superman addressing the Justice League in what appears to be the Watchtower, the room is comprised of Wonder Women, Batman, Aquaman, Mera, Cyborg, Flash, Martian Manhunter, Shazam, Hawkman, Hal Jordan, John, Constantine, Zatanna, and most strange of all Lex Luther.

The following scene is a boom tube launching what appears to be an invasion tower towards New Mexico or Texas. The next scene shows an image of London completely destroyed as it had been hit a nuclear warhead with the city on fire and the sky’s darkened by smoke. Continued by a compilation of scenes featuring our villain Darkseid voiced by Tony Todd demanding to “Bow before me,” the seen cuts to John Stewart laying on the floor injured, and Batman strapped to an Apokaliptan torture machine.

The Justice League face off Darkseid and one of his invasion towers vomiting parademons, and a new parademon variant that looks like a parademon and Doomsday hybrid. Considering that in Reign of the Supermen it’s confirmed that it was in fact Darkseid who created Doomsday to kill Superman to aid in his invasion of Earth.

The next scene featured the return of Damien Wayne, Raven and Lady Shiva, followed by one with a tornado of fire separating Constantine, Raven and a unknown shirtless individual. I’m really curious as to how Constantine and Raven will interact considering her lineage and his line of works.

The trailer continues with Constantine witnessing a vision that the trailer alludes perhaps the vision may have been induced by Darkseid and Constantine turning against the team, followed by Swamp Thing tells Constantine that humanity deserves their fate. Next comes Damien Wayne wearing what looks like a Talon outfit holding an exhausted Raven.

The next scene is one of the most interesting and question inducing, a green-eyed individual who looks to be an older Superman who has been through hell, he tells Damien that he knows he hates him but he wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t necessary. The next clip inserted is Lex Luthor telling the League yah the completely on their side. Continuing, Steel, Superboy and a scared Shazam attack an Apokoliptian tower located on the Great Wall, Etrigan makes his return in the following scene incinerating military individuals whose loyalties are still unknown. Lois Lane, Black Manta and Constantine join the fray with Lois, in particular, wielding a gun.

The next few scenes appear to be our heroes engaging the enemy with one particular scene being the return of Batwoman who hasn’t been seen since Batman: Bad Blood, along with the debut of Batgirl and the return of Nightwing as he fights a Doomsday parademon hybrid. The next scene of interest is a fireball destroying the Green Lantern power battery. With the title screen next, the movie has a release date of March 17, 2020.

The movie is what the DC animated universe has been building up to since the release of Justice League War back in 2014, The release of this movie gives birth to the question — is this the final movie in the DC animated universe or just the end to the Darkseid story arc, with the future stories being other notable stories like Dark Knights Metal or Blackest Night? Only time will tell. Justice League Dark: Apokolips War has the largest voice cast ever in any of the animated movies and I look forward to seeing different characters interact who wouldn’t traditionally interact in animated media; for example Raven and Constantine. Either way, with the release less than a month away stay tuned to The Cultured Nerd for a review when the film is released.