AI Created An '80s Justice League Movie Trailer & Cast That Are Absolutely Perfect
What if "Justice League" came out in the '80s? After decades of anticipation, audiences finally saw DC's flagship team on the silver screen in 2017. Unfortunately, "Justice League" was a critical and commercial failure. In 2021, Warner Bros. released the alternate cut, "Zack Snyder's Justice League," a move they reportedly regretted. While that version of the film was a critical success, it was decided that the DC Extended Universe wasn't viable, and James Gunn was brought in to reboot the entire franchise. With no new Justice League-centric project in sight, YouTuber user stryder HD has created a fascinating concept straight from the '80s to tide fans over.
In the artificial intelligence-generated fan trailer, stryder HD imagines what "Justice League" would look like if it premiered in the '80s, and the results are pretty much perfect. The video casts Harrison Ford as Batman, replacing Ben Affleck. Ford is a brilliant choice for the Caped Crusader, as he has the suave charm to play Bruce Wayne and the physical chops to take on such a demanding role. Stepping into the Man of Steel's shoes is John Travolta, who spent the '80s delivering hits like "Blow Out" and "Look Who's Talking." Closing out the Trinity is Mia Sara as Wonder Woman, who fans might remember from classics like "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and the Tom Cruise-starring "Legend."
The '80s Justice League cast is stacked
The fan trailer is very detailed, teasing key locations like Metropolis, the Batcave, and Themyscira. Unfortunately, it doesn't feature any plot points and it's unclear if this concept would serve as a Justice League origin story or if the team is already operating. Regardless, it's a breathtaking "what if" scenario that has us thinking how great this flick would be. For example, Tom Cruise — Hollywood's last great action star — is seen as the Flash, which is an amazing choice.
An interesting component of this fan trailer is how it recasts former DC-supporting players into iconic superheroes. Kevin Costner, who plays Jonathan Kent in "Man of Steel," is seen as the Green Arrow. Similarly, Diane Lane, who stars as Martha Kent in the DCEU, is aptly cast as Supergirl. Morgan Freeman, famous for appearing as Lucius Fox in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, gets the chance to play Martian Manhunter in what would be a meaty role.
The villains are also getting some love in this "Justice League" AI trailer, as fan-favorite Willem Dafoe is cast as the Clown Prince of Crime. The actor has long been fan cast as the villain, with Dafoe pitching himself to star in "Joker 2." Another casting that can't be ignored is the late Christopher Lee taking on the mantle of General Zod, which would arguably be the best performance in this hypothetical flick.