Yesterday saw Warner Bros. release a deleted Justice League scene featuring Henry Cavill in the black Superman suit, but it’s not the first time the black suit didn’t make its way on to the big screen.
Back in 2008 there were plans for a big-budget Justice League Mortal movie from director George Miller. The film got so far as casting the actors and getting ready to film in Australia, but the plug was pulled due to a variety of reasons.
Armie Hammer was set to play Batman, with DJ Cotrona as Superman.
A concept artist has posted art on Instagram for Justice League Mortal featuring not only the black Superman suit, but scenes of Batman’s funeral.
“So about a decade ago I worked on the George Miller version of Justice League. Here’s a black suited Supes way before the Snyderverse. He was floating above a funeral – in that one it was Bats not Suped who’d ‘died’ (but not really)!” Matt Hatton posted.
Additional Justice League Mortal concept art also revealed they thought of the idea to remove the red Superman trunks as well.
“Miller’s Justice League again – I did a Supes sans the red undies too as you see here which caused a bit of consternation! It does streamline him and make him look nice and tall. Also worked on Superman Returns and had some personal/subjective ideas about the balance of that costume too!” Hatton said.
Hatton also posted more art from Justice League Mortal.
“Here’s the wider version- Supes had brought the whole of the Kent farmhouse to the fortress of solitude. That’s Aquaman in the ice block there. The usual pencil then painted in photoshop,” Hatton said.
The Batman funeral scene was faked as the concept art features Batman’s coffin, but the Caped Crusader is watching the scene unfold.
” Flash and Martian Manhunter approach Batman’s coffin…” Hatton offered. “Batman watches his own burial from afar… Batman was the ‘mortal’ of Justice League: Mortal. Maybe a slightly controversial moral barometer for the team, but being human with no powers the best representative/voice of human reason to a group of Gods/immortals.”