The ‘Justice League’ Trailer Features A Slew Of References And Easter Eggs To Raise Expectations For DC’s Iconic Team

The first official trailer for Justice League landed on Saturday and gave fans their first look at the team in action on the big screen. We’ve only united five of the seven, meaning we need a few more movies or trailers before we get a glimpse of the Green Lanterns or the only somewhat dead Superman. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of superhero fun flying around and riding on the top of your suped-up battle car as it is.

The trailer gave us a look at all of the things that we were teased about in our set visit back in the summer and then some. It also included a few more looks at the pieces previewed in the Comic-Con teaser footage, allowing folks to put it all together and figure out what type of movie we’re eventually going to see in November.

Apokolips and the three Mother Boxes are the items at the center of the entire film. It’s what brings Steppenwolf and the hordes of Darkseid’s planet to Earth in the first place and plays a role in the creation of at least one league member. None of this stuff is really secret, but we do get to see what is presumably the first time they attempted to gain control of these items unless we’re in for some sort of amazing finale with the Amazons riding into battle.

We know that the three boxes in the film will be in the control of the Atlanteans, the Amazons, and the humans and we get to see the one belonging to humanity being buried in the trailer. The whole thing just screams of Lord of the Rings when you see it, minus the whole corruption aspect and Gollum running around. It does seem that the film will stray away from the comic origin for the Mother Box, only because it seems strange to bury a sentient mini-supercomputer under the ground.

These are what we saw Steppenwolf fooling with during the deleted scene in Batman V. Superman and also what appears to be the reason Cyborg is alive, appearing during the metahuman highlight reel near the end of the film. This is interesting given his newer origin as part of the New 52 Justice League since the Mother Box might also be the reason he’s in life-threatening shape to begin with thanks to an explosion. The DC Comics continuity is shifting all the time, so who knows what we’ll eventually get, but it’s clear it will play a big part in Cyborg’s being.

We also get to see plenty of Parademons during the trailer, keeping their look from the nightmare in Batman V. Superman and almost looking like they’ve been ripped directly from the comic book pages. They’re also keen to get their asses kicked it seems because they’re usually doing nothing but save for a few moments and an ominous encounter with Silas Stone.

In comparison to the many nameless drones we’ve seen in Marvel movies, these guys are an improvement. Just have to hope that the rest of the film follows suit.

Now when it comes to the Justice League itself, the standouts are definitely Aquaman and Cyborg. One would assume that Vic Stone plays a big part in this film given the connections above, but Aquaman gets an equal share of the standout moments in the trailer. He’s swilling booze, standing up to waves, killing flying monsters with his trident, and hitching a ride on the Batmobile.

Not only that, but Arthur Curry also seems poised to put Bruce Wayne in his place several times across both “trailers” we’ve gotten to this point. He’s got some wit behind him and is far from the joke character that talked to fish on Super Friends. DC Comics’ CCO Geoff Johns had a hand in making Aquaman a far more interesting character in the comics in recent years and you’d have to assume his input has helped create a version of the character that aims to break the stigma. That doesn’t mean he will succeed, but you kinda hope it does. Jason Mamoa deserves a successful run after Conan flopped and he was killed off on Game of Thrones. Let’s let him be a rough talking king of the seas and have a successful solo film down the road.

The Flash is apparently the comic relief of the film according to the set visit, but it seems that Cyborg might be the heart and soul of the team. He was given a major push in the comics as a founding member of the Justice League and you could argue that he’s far more recognizable to a wide audience than folks want to acknowledge. Not only have there been two successful Teen Titans series on Cartoon Network featuring Cyborg, but the character’s initial popularity wasn’t forgotten over the years. A younger audience that might not know the others past Batman and Wonder Woman could be in tune with having Cyborg play a major part in the film.

Also, you have to admit that he looks alright in action.

Outside the baddies and the heroes we’ve yet to meet on the big screen, the Justice League trailer also gives us a look at J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon and showing off his relationship with Batman. Definitely too soon to tell what type of Gordon we’ll be getting in this film, but he should be doing some work judging from Simmons’ physique before filming. He’s at least going to be doing more than Pat Hingle and Neil Hamilton from the original Batman TV series, but maybe not as much as Ben McKenzie. Let’s put him right in that sweet spot with Gary Oldman, let them hang out and have some fun.

The Justice League family members also get some play in the trailer, giving another look at Amber Heard as Mera — Aquaman’s lady love — and Barry Allen’s dad played by Billy Crudup. It would seem that Crudup is the busy guy this year when it comes to blockbusters and his characters aren’t doing very well in either film. Though, this is far better than his situation in Alien: Covenant.

Amy Adams also returns as Lois Lane, providing the trailer’s only connection to Superman aside from the showdown in the sewers connecting Metropolis and Gotham City. We know there are set photos floating around showing Henry Cavill wearing a black costume and the teases by Cavill himself, but that doesn’t mean the big guy is going to hop back from the dead in time to do something in this film.

It is inevitable that we’ll get to see more from the Superman —and hopefully Green Lantern — side of the world here, but the trailer does a good job at introducing the team we know about and creating a tone that people might enjoy. It is definitely not a gloomy march like Batman V Superman but also seems to have more focus than Suicide Squad.

But yeah, this is only the first official trailer. It’s a long summer with plenty of time to speculate.