And the hits just keep on coming. Today is a gigantic day for JUSTICE LEAGUE news, and you’re so lucky that you’re here to take it all in!

We’ve now got our hands on a synopsis for the JUSTICE LEAGUE, as well as some fascinating details about the film’s storyline.

Let’s start with the synopsis:

Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes- Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg, and The Flash- it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.

Hey, I may get crap for this, cause I know that everyone and their mother is running with this thing- but I have a sinking suspicion that this may not be legit. Kellvin is going to kill me for saying this (lol). But the writing of the synopsis itself seems a little clunky, and it’s reference to “this newly awakened threat” that is never mentioned, instead of “a newly awakened threat” just seems…off…to me. But hey, what the hell do I know?

What I do know is: We’ve got actual story details thanks to a set report, so let’s dive into those and not harp on whether or not the synopsis is real.

DO NOT READ ON IF YOU WANT TO AVOID *SPOILERS*!!!!

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Like McGuffins? Take Three!

Mc·Guf·fin:

an object or device in a movie or a book that serves merely as a trigger for the plot.

By now, we’ve all grown accustomed to superhero movies having these kinds of plot devices. MAN OF STEEL had The Codex, THE AVENGERS had The Tesseract, and the list goes on and on. According to JUSTICE LEAGUE producer Charles Roven, there will actually be three McGuffins in the film, and they’re all motherboxes.

“These motherboxes are best used when they work in threes. And back before there was a history … mankind, the Atlanteans — before they were under water — the Amazonians and, actually, the old gods, teamed together and decided that — based on an event that happened — these motherboxes were going to be placed in the care of, as I say, the Amazonians, mankind and the Atlanteans. 

“So that allows us to get into some of those environments.”

Please note Roven’s phrasing at the end there. “Allows us to get into” is basically an admission that these things are all a means to an end. The filmmakers want to explore these different realms, so they invented the McGuffins as an excuse to go there, and not necessarily because they came from an organic storytelling place. 

What In God’s Name?

Roven mentioning “old Gods” is no accident. While the rumors of mythical god Ares being a main villain in JUSTICE LEAGUE have seemingly been debunked, it does sound like the film will feature other gods. One of them will be the King, himself: Zeus!

“In terms of Zeus … there’s a history lesson and actually that’s a small section of the film, that we go back and tell the story of the motherboxes so everyone knows the history,” Deborah Snyder said during a set visit. “So he’s in a very small part.“

Where’s Superman?

Obviously, we know Superman won’t stay dead. We also know he’ll be part of JUSTICE LEAGUE, yet the purported synopsis above- and much of what’s been discussed- doesn’t really mention him. According to Deborah Snyder, that’s because Superman may not factor into the story in exactly the way you’re expecting.

“Obviously Superman is part of the Justice League. And we know where we ended up with him. And there wouldn’t be a Justice League without Superman, but I think his way back to us … we don’t want to really spoil that. But he is here.”

Miscellaneous Story Bits:

• There will be a major action sequence in a tunnel that once connected Gotham and Metropolis
• Wonder Woman and Batman will fight Parademons
• The Flash will provide comic relief, with his upbeat, jokey nature being juxtaposed against Batman’s brooding demeanor
• Willem Dafoe will play Vulko- a key figure in the Atlantean aspect of the story

And, lastly, here are comments from Ben Affleck about the challenges of getting the team together. The story of JUSTICE LEAGUE will ensure that it’s no easy task:

“It’s not like any of these characters immediately show up and go ‘Yes sir, what should I do Mr. Wayne?’ It’s about trying to get a lot of disparate people who are used to being very powerful and very independent to try to work together, and it’s about how hard that is.

“There are some characters that really hit it off with each other, some that really don’t hit if off with each other and almost come to blows, and it’s about trying to contain that.

“It’s not an easy ride trying to get this group to come together.”

The toughest of all may end up being Aquaman, who Affleck describes as “a very strong character played by a very strong actor with a very strong personality.”

SOURCE: Mashable / Twitter