The Mediocrity of Justice League: Warworld

• Directed by Jeff Wamester
• July 25, 2023

Voice Cast

• Bruce Wayne / Batman, “Officer Wayne”, “The Mercenary”-Jensen Ackles
• Diana Prince / Wonder Woman, “Angel”, Slave Woman-Stana Katic
• Kal-El / Clark Kent / Superman, “Agent Kent”-Darren Criss
• J’onn J’onzz / Martian Manhunter-Ike Amadi
• Jonah Hex-Troy Baker
• “Old Man”-Matt Bomer
• Machiste-Roger C. Cross
• Bat Lash-Brett Dalton
• Drifter-Trevor Devall
• Lobo-John DiMaggio
• Mongul-Robin Atkin Downes
• Agent Faraday-Frank Grillo
• Mariah Romanova-Rachel Kimsey
• Sheriff-David Lodge
• Deimos-Damian O’Hare
• Warlord-Teddy Sears
• Harbinger-Kari Wahlgren

The Justice League fights to liberate the planet of Warworld. That is pretty much it. Not much else going on.

Maybe it’s because I have watched a few DC films before this with an almost steady weakening of quality. Maybe it’s because I had watched a few other animated films before this and was a bit burnt out on animation but Justice League: Warworld failed to reach the same level quality of previous DCAU offerings.

One thing that jumped out at me early on when watching is that Stana “Kate Beckett” Katic who voiced Wonder Woman in this offering appears to be doing a bit of an impression of Gal Gadot. I’m not mocking Gal Gadot, but rather the choice of imitating her since everything connected to Snyder has been dumped by DC. Previously this comic book originating demigod when voiced possessed a rather North American sounding voice so the change is noticeable.

When it comes to the narrative, amnesia stories have been a mainstay in comics since early on. Some super villain comes along and manages to wipe the memories of the heroes before sticking them in an odd situation. Why not kill them rather than torment people that regularly best you? Oh well…

Television science-fiction television shows and films have even engaged in using this plot. I’m not against that as a plot but getting one like this so close on the heels of Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen made Justice League: Warworld feel a touch like a lazy retread.

And worse, what we get is only part of a story. This is the first arc in what appears to be a multi part set of films with a sequel coming sometime in 2024. With the appearance of Harbinger at the end it’s clear they’re going for some form of Crisis on Infinite Earths event. And if you don’t pick up on it, the Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman we get in this film do not appear to be all from the same reality. Wonder Woman makes a few remarks that certainly allude to that.

They are certainly trying to make it feel like an event film. At least with that bit tacked on at the end which alludes to Crisis on Infinite Earths but until then Justice League: Warworld is just a series of one-off All-Star-type adventures brought together by the revelation of Martian Manhunter’s involvement in it all. There are no clues or elements that hint at the ultimate revelation in hindsight and the hint at Martian Manhunter’s involvement does not feel like it connects to the character.

The characterization seems to rely mostly on familiarity with the characters than it does anything actually presented in the film. Martian Manhunter, who is revealed to play an important part in the story, though does not connect to anything that I have seen before. His whole turn at the end there seemed a bit on the dark side for this character who has been consistently portrayed as among the more sensitive individuals in the Justice League.

The use of Mongul was welcome as he came off as something different in terms of evil for the DCAU. A unique evil, but he doesn’t get enough play and his ultimate disposition means we probably won’t see him again.

This film is not bad, but it’s not great either. As said before Justice League: Warworld is a series of one-off shorts brought together in the closing moments by a revelation of massive death and destruction that’s not even hinted at by anything that goes to the story. Yes, Warworld is a big weapon, but the focus is on Warworld being a weapon and getting it activated.

Justice League: Warworld is okay but not great. The animation is not bad but not great. The story is not bad but not great either. It’s a very mid tier DC offering. Depending on what comes later it might ultimately be worthwhile viewing but at the moment you can hold off if you even consider it at all.