UPDATE: The same contract problem is now in a Supreme Court filing. Iowa and Montana told the Court that Warner Bros. is “frozen” and needs Paramount’s approval for certain decisions, with the result being “movies that are not made.”
Peter Safran keeps pointing to the Justice League as the future of the DCU.
However, the Paramount merger contract says Warner Bros. cannot build one alone.
That is not speculation. It is written into the existing deal.
As I reported Thursday, the merger agreement already gives Paramount veto power over DC’s long-term future.
It is also why DC cannot lock down its Batman.
Now apply that same contract problem to the entire Justice League.
Warner Bros. Cannot Lock Down A Justice League Roster on Its Own
Casting one Batman requires multi-picture options. Any deal extending beyond the merger’s closing date plus two years puts Paramount at the table.
A Justice League multiplies that problem across the entire roster.
Superman. Batman. Wonder Woman. The Flash. Aquaman.
Every role requires an actor locked into multiple films for years, complete with options, salaries, bonuses, and backend points, exactly the kind of agreement Warner Bros. can no longer approve by itself.
Only one DCU lead already has that kind of deal: David Corenswet.
His Superman contract was signed in 2024, before the Paramount merger agreement existed.
Every major casting deal after Corenswet requires paperwork Warner Bros. can no longer write alone.
Look at the rest of the roster.
Batman has not been cast. Wonder Woman has not filmed a single frame. As I previously broke down, the growing list of Man of Tomorrow cameos creates its own contract problem.
No other Justice League member has been announced.
DC has not even announced a feature film to follow Man of Tomorrow, while the contracts for DC’s current leadership expire in 2027.
This is not a cinematic universe preparing to assemble the Justice League.
It is a cinematic universe waiting for permission.
The Next Owner Gets To Choose The Justice League
The merger agreement does not ban Warner Bros. from assembling a Justice League.
It prevents Warner Bros. from assembling one without Paramount’s approval.
The studio could begin signing the roster tomorrow, but David Ellison would have to co-sign every major deal.
Why would Ellison approve the long-term roster of a DC regime his own board reportedly wants removed?
So the Justice League waits until DC has a permanent owner.
If the merger closes, it becomes Ellison’s Justice League, assembled by whoever he installs to run DC. We’ve been told Zack Snyder is back in play to restore the SnyderVerse.
If the deal dies at the March 2027 trial, it remains under David Zaslav. According to my reporting, Zack Snyder, Ben Affleck, and Christopher McQuarrie have already been circling with pitches.
Either way, the same rule that applies to Batman applies to the Justice League: watch the contracts.
The first actor signed to a real multi-film Justice League deal during the merger limbo will show that Ellison has started casting his version of DC.
Meanwhile, James Gunn’s future at DC could be exposed through court paperwork before the trial even begins.
Safran can keep talking about the Justice League.
The Justice League is not merely delayed.
Right now, it does not have an owner.
