One of this year's most anticipated films is undoubtedly Warner Bros.' superhero team-up, Justice League, which will bring Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash and Cyborg together on the big screen for the first time. As a followup to Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the film is not only expected to be a huge hit at the box office but also star a large cast of comic book characters. Other than the superheroes, fans can expect to see a lot of old and new faces this November.
Some old fan-favorites already on tap for Justice League, including Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, Alfred Pennyworth and Martha Kent. Yet there are also quite a few new characters entering the DC Extended Universe very soon: This summer, Connie Nielsen and Amber Heard will make their debut as Queen Hippolyta and Mera in Wonder Woman, before reprising the roles this fall. Meanwhile, Willem Dafoe as Nuidis Vulko, Kiersey Clemons as Iris Went, and J. K. Simmons as James Gordon are all set to appear in Justice League, followed by starring roles in Aquaman, The Flash and 2019's The Batman, respectively.
However, someone who will be noticeably missing in Justice League is Laurence Fishburne's Daily Planet Editor-in-Chief Perry White. The actor has played the part in both recent Superman movies, Man of Steel and Dawn of Justice, but according to the LA Times, he'll be sitting this next one out due to scheduling conflicts. In an interview about his role in John Wick: Chapter 2, Fishburne admits he's not upset about how the situation turned out:
"They asked me to come for a day, but I couldn’t work it out, schedule-wise. And really, what do you need the newspaperman in Justice League for? You want to see the Flash. You want to see Aquaman. You want to see Wonder Woman. You want to see the Lantern. We’ve been waiting 35 years for these [characters] to show up on the screen. What were they doing over there? Marvel has been kicking their ass. This is the comic-book geek in me, who has a collection of comic books. I’ve been waiting to see these people on-screen forever."
Now, the astute eye may notice that Fishburne mentioned superhero Green Lantern, who is not known to be in the movie. While it's possible, the actor may know something we don't, since he was of course originally supposed to be in the film, it's more likely he's just rattling off names of famous Justice League members. Regardless, it sounds like Fishburne is a big fan who is just excited that these iconic heroes will finally be on the big screen, whether or not he gets to be a part of it.
Fishburne was also asked for his opinion on Dawn of Justice, which, despite doing well at the box office, was railed by critics. He says that he doesn't understand the complaints, then cites casting Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor a "genius move" and the story with Martha Kent and Martha Wayne as "sentimental" and "heartwarming." In the end, Fishburne says he loves "what Zack Snyder does," so it's safe to say there's no hard feeling and it's just a matter of time before the Daily Planet boss returns to the DC Extended Universe.
Source: LA Times (via HeroicHollywood)
