Did the DC Universe have the perfect Deadman sitting in its grasp? Guillermo Del Toro gives fans new details on his cancelled Justice League Dark project.
In many ways, the old DC Universe was defined more by what projects were cancelled than the ones that made it to the screen: Ben Affleck’s Batman, Cyborg, even a Deadshot movie. However, perhaps the biggest missed opportunity was the fact that legendary director Guillermo Del Toro was set to helm a Justice League Dark adaptation.
Sadly, after about five years of development, Guillermo Del Toro had to step down as director due to scheduling conflicts. And after the project was tossed around for a few more years, it was eventually scrapped for a Justice League Dark series on HBO Max helmed by J.J. Abrams (which, too, was cancelled). When reflecting about the project on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast, the director revealed new details about the story.
“I loved that screenplay. I was in love with [it]. I thought it brought everyone in effortlessly,” Del Toro explains “The plot made absolute perfect sense. I really loved how they got tangled. We had the Floronic Man as one of the villains. It was really great because Swamp Thing was very fleshed out.”
Who Would Have Played Deadman In Justice League Dark?
While Justice League Dark never got far into development, it seems as though Guillermo Del Toro was already planning far ahead. The director reveals that he was eyeing frequent collaborator Doug Jones to take on the role of Deadman in the DC Universe. And while the movie was cancelled before any concept art was made, there is one scene featuring the character that stands out in his mind.
“No, I was not casting yet. I knew I wanted Doug Jones to be Deadman, only because physically he could do the suit, and I knew his mannerisms…” Del Toro explains “The screenplay is there. It was a couple of years of development. We never got to the art. It had great set pieces. My favorite one was a chase with Deadman jumping from one body to the next.”
It’s certainly a shame that fans will likely never see a Justice League Dark adaptation helmed by a director as legendary as Guillermo Del Toro. However, as with many cancelled franchise films, the script for the movie has (allegedly) found its way online. From there, all it takes is a couple of keen artists to bring his vision of the DC Universe to life.
Justice League Dark is a cancelled project formerly helmed by Guillermo Del Toro. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the DC universe.
