The Justice League Dark, or JLD, is a

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

team appearing in

American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...

s published by

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. ( doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with the ...

. The team would make their debut appearance in ''Justice League Dark'' #1 (September 2011). The Justice League Dark team features some of the more supernatural characters in the

DC Universe The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green L ...

, handling mystical threats and situations deamed outside the scope of the traditional

Justice League The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived b ...

. Similarly to the ''Justice League'' title, the team features well-known characters such as

John Constantine John Constantine () is a fictional character who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Constantine first appeared in ''Swamp Thing'' #37 (June 1985), and was created by Alan Moore, Stephen R. Bissette, Rick Veitch, and John To ...

Zatanna Zatanna Zatara () is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson, and first appeared in ''Hawkman'' #4 (November 1964). Zatanna is a stage magician with actu ...

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...

Doctor Fate Doctor Fate (also known as Fate) is the name of multiple superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original version of the character was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, debuting in ''More F ...

, and

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byrne, are credited as bein ...

while also bringing exposure to lesser-known supernatural characters. The Justice League Dark has been adapted several times, appearing in both the animated movies '' Justice League Dark'' and '' Justice League Dark: Apokolips War''.

Publication history

''Justice League Dark'' was announced on May 31, 2011, as a First Wave title of

The New 52 The New 52 is the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the " Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC canceled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new serie ...

. The title and team was created by Peter Milligan, with art by Mikel Janín. The title launched on September 28, 2011. The title brought several of DC Comics'

occult The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism a ...

and offbeat characters, something which had been a trait of sister imprint

Vertigo Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...

, back into the main

following Vertigo's editorial change to publish purely new, creator-owned content. ''The Search for Swamp Thing'', a three part

miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format ...

released between June and August 2011 which led up to The New 52 relaunch, and followed the events of the ''

Brightest Day ''Brightest Day'' is a 2010–11 crossover storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of a year-long comic book maxiseries that began in April 2010, and a number of tie-in books. The story is a direct follow-up to the ''Blackest Night'' storyli ...

'' maxiseries, follows Constantine's search for the resurrected Alec Holland as the new

Swamp Thing The Swamp Thing is a superhero in American comic books published by DC Comics. A humanoid/plant elemental creature, created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, the Swamp Thing has had several humanoid or monster incarnations in v ...

, involving the cooperation of

and

Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book '' Action Comics'' #1 ( cover-dated June 1938 and pu ...

. In addition, the '' Flashpoint: Secret Seven'' miniseries, written by Milligan as part of the " Flashpoint" crossover storyline, included Enchantress and Shade and introduced the character Mindwarp in the lead-up to the start of the series. Peter Milligan stated in an interview that he got the job for the book from his work on the 2011 ''Flashpoint: Secret Seven'' miniseries, and that he hoped to write something "emotionally dark" set in the DC Universe, comparing his characters to detectives, who struggle to cope with the things they see and have to do. The initial anticipation for this title has been good, with critics celebrating the fact that DC are willing to bring back some of the darker elements which had moved over to Vertigo in the 1990s. The opening storyline involves Enchantress' defeat of the

, leading to the necessity of a more supernatural team to assist in these events, and detailing how they have come together. There is also a minor crossover story with '' I...Vampire''. From issue #9, '' Sweet Tooth'' and ''

Animal Man Animal Man (Bernhard "Buddy" Baker) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. As a result of being in proximity to an exploding extraterrestrial spaceship, Buddy Baker acquires the ability to temporarily "borrow" th ...

'' writer Jeff Lemire became the principal writer on the series. In his first story arc, the Justice League Dark took residence in their new base, at the

House of Mystery ''The House of Mystery'' is the name of several horror, fantasy, and mystery Comics anthologies published by DC Comics. It had a companion series, ''The House of Secrets''. It is also the name of the titular setting of the series. First se ...

, and have started to show their links with the wider DC Universe, dealing with

Steve Trevor General Steven Rockwell Trevor is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Wonder Woman. The character was created by William Moulton Marston and first appeared in ...

and A.R.G.U.S. In August 2013, it was announced that J. M. DeMatteis would take over as series writer from Lemire in November 2013, after a solo issue by Ray Fawkes in October. The series ended publication in March 2015. In March 2018, a new volume of ''Justice League Dark'' was announced. Spinning out of the "Justice League: No Justice" storyline, the title debuted in July 2018, written by James Tynion IV and drawn by Alvaro Martinez, Raul Fernandez and Brad Anderson. The team features Zatanna, Swamp Thing, Man-Bat, and

Detective Chimp Detective Chimp is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. A common chimpanzee who wears a deerstalker hat (à la Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional sleuth Sherlock Holmes), Detective Chimp has superhuman-level in ...

, and is led by

. Additional magical characters from the DC Universe appeared in the series, like

and

although initially not as members of the League. The second volume ran regularly for 29 issues from July 2018 to February 2021. The team would continue to appear as a back up feature in the mainline

series from issue 59 in May 2021 to issue 71 in March 2022 with guest appearances throughout issues 72 to 74.

Fictional overview

Members

Volume 1

Early in the run, Peter Milligan stated that he was, "ruling no-one out" for future appearances, amid speculation that both the Ragman and the

Spectre Spectre, specter or the spectre may refer to: Religion and spirituality * Vision (spirituality) * Apparitional experience * Ghost Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Spectre'' (1977 film), a made-for-television film produced and wri ...

may feature in future comics. However, writer Jeff Lemire did not include either during the series, having added Black Orchid and

Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific ...

, among others, to the team. All members joined in issue #1 unless otherwise noted. *

Madame Xanadu Madame Xanadu is a comic book mysticism, mystic published by DC Comics. The character is identified with Lady of the Lake, Nimue, the magician (fantasy), sorceress from Arthurian mythology made popular by Thomas Malory, Sir Thomas Malory's ''Le Mo ...

– A mystic and

fortune teller Fortune telling is the practice of prediction, predicting information about a person's life.J. Gordon Melton, Melton, J. Gordon. (2008). ''The Encyclopedia of Religious Phenomena''. Visible Ink Press. pp. 115-116. The scope of fortune telling ...

. Originally featured in ''Doorway to Nightmare''. She was also featured in '' One Year Later'' and ''Flashpoint''. She has previously dealt with John Constantine in the plot of

Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gra ...

's ''

Books of Magic ''The Books of Magic'' is the title of a four-issue English-language comic book mini-series written by Neil Gaiman, published by DC Comics, and later an ongoing series under the imprint Vertigo. Since its original publication, the mini-series has ...

'' miniseries, where their relationship is fraught, as he has deceived her in the past. She brought the team together. She was captured as part of Project Thaumaton for the Crime Syndicate. *

– A working class Liverpudlian magician. Originally from ''

'' and protagonist of long-running Vertigo title ''

Hellblazer ''John Constantine, Hellblazer'' is an American contemporary horror comic-book series published by DC Comics since January 1988, and subsequently by its Vertigo imprint since March 1993, when the imprint was introduced. Its central character is ...

''. John became the leader of the group in key issue #9. Ousted as team leader in issue #30, and replaced by Zatanna. *

– A stage magician. First appeared in ''

Hawkman Hawkman is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, the original Hawkman first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1, published by All-American ...

'' #4 (November 1964), many other appearances, in 2010 had a solo series, was part of the Secret Seven during ''Flashpoint''. She has previously been romantically involved with John Constantine. After assisting the Justice League during the "

Throne of Atlantis "Throne of Atlantis" is a 2012–2013 comic book storyline created and published by DC Comics. The story arc consists of six issues from DC's ''Justice League'' and ''Aquaman'' publications, functioning in part as a larger buildup towards the "T ...

" storyline, she sides with the JL again in issue #22 for " Trinity War". She left the Justice League Dark after issue #18. She was captured as part of Project Thaumaton for the Crime Syndicate. She became the leader of the team in issue #30. * Deadman – The

ghost A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to re ...

of an assassinated acrobat who can possess the bodies of the living. Originally featured in ''Strange Adventures'' #205 and in ''

Blackest Night "Blackest Night" is a 2009–10 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous central miniseries, written by Geoff Johns and penciled by Ivan Reis, along with a number of tie-in issues. ''Blackest Ni ...

'' and ''

''. Constantine found him soon after he was lost after the Crime Syndicate appeared, bound to the Sea King. *

Shade, the Changing Man Shade, the Changing Man is a comic book character created by Steve Ditko for DC Comics in 1977. The character was later adapted by Peter Milligan and Chris Bachalo in one of the first Vertigo titles. Both versions of Shade are distinct fr ...

– A hero with the power to warp reality. Originally featured in his own title, by

Steve Ditko Stephen John Ditko Page contains two reproductions from school yearbooks. A 1943 Garfield Junior High School yearbook excerpt lists "Stephen Ditko". A 1945 Johnstown High School yearbook excerpt lists "Stephen J. Ditko" under extracurricular act ...

, and was later 'rebooted' in Peter Milligan's run on the series in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was featured in a crossover event in ''Hellblazer'' in 2010, also written by Peter Milligan, although it is unclear if this will affect events in this title. He was also a member of the

Secret Seven Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. Secrecy is often controvers ...

during the '' Flashpoint'' storyline. He is tasked with bringing the team together at the behest of Madame Xanadu. Left the team in issue #8. after losing control of the M-Vest. * Mindwarp – An original character created by Peter Milligan for ''Flashpoint''. In the event, he was a member of the Secret Seven. Jay Young is a man who possesses the powers of telepathy and astral projection. He may be aware of the

Fourth Wall The fourth wall is a performance convention in which an invisible, imaginary wall separates actors from the audience. While the audience can see through this ''wall'', the convention assumes the actors act as if they cannot. From the 16th cen ...

as evidenced by his reading Peter Milligan's ''Secret Seven'' miniseries and the ''Flashpoint'' title '' Deadman and the Flying Graysons''. Introduced in issue #3 and left in issue #5. He is killed in ''Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger'' #15 by Felix Faust and Nick Necro during testing of Project Thaumaton. * Andrew Bennett – A centuries-old

vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...

from the title ''I, Vampire''. Becomes a member of Justice League Dark as a favor to Constantine and is forcibly induced permanently by him. Left the team in issue #14, rejoined in issue #35. * Black Orchid – A new shapeshifting version of Black Orchid. Revealed to be Alba Garcia, an A.R.G.U.S. agent who worked under Col. Steve Trevor. Joined in issue #9. She was captured as part of Project Thaumaton for the

Crime Syndicate Organized crime (or organised crime) is a category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally th ...

. Left the team in issue #30. *

Doctor Mist Doctor Mist is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He was created by E. Nelson Bridwell and Ramona Fradon, first appearing in a cameo in '' Super Friends'' #12 (June–July 1978). Hailing from the mythical realm of Kor, Nommo was a po ...

– The A.R.G.U.S. supernatural expert and consultant, he is tasked alongside Black Orchid to keep watch on Constantine. He is later revealed to be a spy working for Felix Faust. He tries to redeem himself by opening a portal to another dimension to save Tim Hunter and Zatanna. Joined in issue #9 and left the team after it was revealed he was working for Faust in issue #11. *

– An erudite creature created by Viktor Frankenstein, Frankenstein first assists the team in ''Justice League Dark Annual'' #1. He chooses to stay with the team in issue #14, out of a sense of responsibility towards Zatanna and Tim Hunter. He was captured as part of Project Thaumaton for the Crime Syndicate. Left the team in issue #30. * Princess Amaya of House Amethyst – A fantasy princess from the world of Nilaa, and the main character of the ''Sword of Sorcery'' series. She is summoned to Earth in an effort to reconnect Tim Hunter with magic in ''Justice League Dark Annual'' #1. Last seen with the team in issue #14. Afterwards, she returned to Nilaa. *

Timothy Hunter Timothy Hunter is a fictional character, a comic book sorcerer published by DC Comics. He first appeared in ''The Books of Magic'' #1 (January 1990), and was created by Neil Gaiman and John Bolton. Publication history Tim Hunter was created by ...

– First introduced in issue #11, Timothy is a boy destined to wield and open the Books of Magic. He gave up his magic to save his father, but it was brought back when he shook Amethyst's hand. Timothy decides to stays in the alternate dimension as a wizard-king with his father, at the end of issue #18. *

– First joined the team in the "Horror City" storyline, issues #19–21, and continues to aid them in their fight against

Blight Blight refers to a specific symptom affecting plants in response to infection by a pathogenic organism. Description Blight is a rapid and complete chlorosis, browning, then death of plant tissues such as leaves, branches, twigs, or floral orga ...

and subsequent threats for the remainder of the run. * Nightmare Nurse – Joined to help fight Blight during Forever Evil. A mysterious woman capable of healing even the most grievous mystical or supernatural wounds. Tried to clone Swamp Thing to help the JLD but the clone died leaving the real Swamp Thing in its place. Her name may be Asa. * The Phantom Stranger – One of the Trinity of Sin, joined to help fight Blight during " Forever Evil". *

Pandora In Greek mythology, Pandora (Greek language, Greek: , derived from , ''pān'', i.e. "all" and , ''dōron'', i.e. "gift", thus "the all-endowed", "all-gifted" or "all-giving") was the first human woman created by Hephaestus on the instructions ...

– One of the Trinity of Sin, joined to help fight Blight during " Forever Evil". She unleashed the Seven Sins on Earth and has been fighting them for thousands of years. Her Box was a gateway that let the Crime Syndicate come from Earth-3. She is the mysterious figure who appeared at the end of Flashpoint when then the DC, Vertigo, and Wildstorm universes merged into one. She later appeared throughout the DC Universe, seemingly observing all the characters. Left the team in issue #29. * Zauriel – An angel who is a guardian of Heaven. He joined to help fight Blight during " Forever Evil".

Volume 2/Backup feature in Justice League Vol 4

A different line-up was announced for

DC Rebirth DC Rebirth is a 2016 relaunch by the American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles. Using the end of The New 52 initiative in May 2016 as its launching point, DC Rebirth restored the DC ...

and Infinite Frontier:

Villains

Other versions

Futures End

From a possible future, the roster consists of Zatanna, Etrigan, Cassandra Craft, Black Orchid, Nightmare Nurse, Madame Xanadu, Frankenstein, John Constantine, Amethyst, Blue Devil, Deadman, and Andrew Bennett.

DC Bombshells

Several former Suicide Squad members formed a new team. This roster consists of Zatanna, John Constantine, Raven, Enchantress, Killer Croc, and Ravager.

Flashpoint Timeline

Prior to the Justice League Dark from the New 52, there was similar version of the team called the Secret Seven in the Flashpoint Timeline. The team consists of Shade, the Changing Man; Abra Kadabra, Amethyst, Enchantress, Mindwarp, Raven, Zatanna, Black Orchid, Klarion, Miss X, Simon Magus, Stiletto, and Trigon.

Sorcerer Kings

A storyline in Superman/Batman shows a possible future version of the Justice League that consists of some supernatural members. The team includes a future Batman, Scream Queen, Traci 13, Klarion and Teekel; Stanley and his Monster; Aquaman, and Etrigan.

Earth 13

Introduced in The Multiversity, a Justice League team from Earth 13 known as the League of Shadows (no relation to the League of Assassins offshoot) is similar to Justice League Dark. The team consists of Etrigan, Annataz, Deadman, Enchantress, Fate, Hellblazer, Ragman, Swamp-Man, and Witchboy.

Countdown to Adventure

On Earth-33, the League of Shamans is a similar team to Justice League Dark. The team consists of Bat-Mage, Super-Mage, Green Lantern, Black Bird, Terra, Lady Flash, The Shade, and Kara Zor-El.

Future State

From a possible future, the team consists of John Constantine, Zatanna, Madame Xanadu, Doctor Fate (Khalid Nassour), and Detective Chimp, the latter becoming the new host to Etrigan. They all work together to fight Merlin.

Collected editions

The series has been collected into the following trade paperbacks:

Volume 1 (New 52 series)

Volume 2 (DC Universe series)

In other media

Television

* Members of the team were scheduled to appear in an episode of '' Constantine'', but that series was cancelled before those episodes were produced. * Before the cancellation of the 2019 ''

'' series, there were plans to introduce Justice League Dark and create a spin-off series based on that team. * In January 2020, Warner Media and Bad Robot were working to create a Justice League Dark universe in film and television. In April 2020, a television series centered on the Justice League Dark characters was moving forward for

HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Ne ...

, with J. J. Abrams and

Ben Stephenson Benjamin Stephenson is a television executive, formerly controller of drama at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and currently Head of Television at Bad Robot Productions in the United States. Personal life Stephenson attended The H ...

serving as executive producers.

Film

Animated

An animated Justice League Dark film was first announced in June 2016, as the next film in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies series. During the 2016

San Diego Comic-Con International San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California since 1970. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is c ...

, both John Constantine and Swamp Thing were confirmed to appear.

, Deadman,

Etrigan the Demon Etrigan the Demon is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jack Kirby, Etrigan is a demon from Hell who, despite his violent tendencies, usually finds himself allied with the forces of good, mainly bec ...

, and Black Orchid would also appear as members of the team. Initially given a release window of Fall 2016, a sneak peek, with interviews by some of the creators, was provided as a bonus feature for the DVD and Blu-ray release of '' Batman: The Killing Joke''. The film was digitally released on January 24, 2017, then on DVD and Blu-ray on February 7, 2017. In the film, Batman and Constantine recruit Zatanna, Boston Brand / Deadman, Jason Blood / Etrigan the Demon, and Alec Holland / Swamp Thing to fight against a supernatural threat later revealed to be conducted by Doctor Destiny. At the 2019 San Diego Comic Con a sequel titled '' Justice League Dark: Apokolips War'' was announced and has been released in 2020. In the film, the remaining heroes and villains of Earth following Darkseid's successful conquest of Earth team up to finally end Darkseid's war.

Live-action

Rumors in November 2012 suggested that

Guillermo del Toro Guillermo del Toro Gómez (; born October 9, 1964) is a Mexican filmmaker, author, and actor. He directed the Academy Award–winning fantasy films ''Pan's Labyrinth'' (2006) and '' The Shape of Water'' (2017), winning the Academy Awards for ...

was working on a Justice League Dark film titled ''Heaven Sent''. It would feature Deadman, the Spectre, Swamp Thing, John Constantine, Phantom Stranger, Zatanna,

Zatara Giovanni "John" Zatara is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He debuted as a superhero, starring in his own stories in '' Action Comics'' during the Golden Age of Comics. He first appeared in the fi ...

Sargon the Sorcerer Sargon the Sorcerer is the name of several fictional characters, the first incarnation of the character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics during the Golden Age. The original incarnation of the is John Sargent, son of archae ...

, and

. Del Toro later confirmed in January 2013 that he was working on such a film, with the

working title A working title, which may be abbreviated and styled in trade publications after a putative title as (wt), also called a production title or a tentative title, is the temporary title of a product or project used during its development, usually ...

, ''Dark Universe'', and was hiring a screenwriter. Del Toro revealed Swamp Thing, Constantine, The Spectre, Deadman, Zatanna and Zatara were characters in the story. In March 2013, del Toro gave an update on the film at

WonderCon WonderCon is an annual comic book, science fiction, and film convention held in the San Francisco Bay Area (1987–2011), then—under the name WonderCon Anaheim—in Anaheim, California (2012–2015, 2017–present), and WonderCon Los Angele ...

2013, while talking about his film ''

Pacific Rim The Pacific Rim comprises the lands around the rim of the Pacific Ocean. The '' Pacific Basin'' includes the Pacific Rim and the islands in the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Rim roughly overlaps with the geologic Pacific Ring of Fire. List of ...

''. He revealed that the story bible was complete and he hoped to start the screenplay soon. Production would begin after his next project, ''

Crimson Peak ''Crimson Peak'' is a 2015 gothic romance film directed by Guillermo del Toro and written by del Toro and Matthew Robbins. The film stars Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, Charlie Hunnam, and Jim Beaver. The story, set in Edwar ...

''. The film's story would center around John Constantine recruiting Swamp Thing, Etrigan the Demon, Deadman, Spectre, and Zatanna. The film would not be an origin story, with each character already established and elements of their backstory coming into play throughout the film. Del Toro also revealed that

Floronic Man The Floronic Man (Jason Woodrue), also known as the Plant Master, Floro, and the Seeder, is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character has been portrayed in live-action by John Glover in the ...

would be in the film. In May 2013, del Toro revealed that his script featured Constantine, Swamp Thing,

, Deadman and Zatanna as the team, with other "in the mix". He also revealed that he was still waiting for the go-ahead from

Warner Bros. Pictures Warner Bros. Pictures is an American film production and distribution company of the Warner Bros. Pictures Group division of Warner Bros. Entertainment (both ultimately owned by Warner Bros. Discovery). The studio is the flagship producer of li ...

. Del Toro revealed in July 2013 that he hoped that the

DC Extended Universe The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films and television series produced by DC Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that ...

, which started with '' Man of Steel'', would become as cohesive as the

Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published ...

, and he added that if there was any correlation to that universe and this film, he would honor it. In October 2013, del Toro stated he felt his film would be able to coexist with the television series, '' Constantine'' and reiterated that the film was still active and in the writing process. In July 2014, del Toro once again stated he was working on the film, and stated it would be independent from the universe established with ''Man of Steel'', saying, "DC and Warners have been very clear that they are trying to keep Sandman''.html" ;"title="The_Sandman_(Vertigo)#Film.html" ;"title="his film and '' Sandman''">The_Sandman_(Vertigo)#Film.html"_;"title="his_film_and_''The_Sandman_(Vertigo)#Film">Sandman''separate_so_when_the_time_comes_they_can_unite_them,_once_they_know_they’re_quantifiable."_Del_Toro_also_added_that_his_Constantine_would_not_adhere_to_the_continuity_established_in_the_television_series,_but_he_would_consider_incorporating_elements_from_it,_and_even_think_about_casting_the_same_actor_(Matt_Ryan_(actor).html" ;"title="The Sandman (Vertigo)#Film">Sandman''">The_Sandman_(Vertigo)#Film.html" ;"title="his film and ''The Sandman (Vertigo)#Film">Sandman''separate so when the time comes they can unite them, once they know they’re quantifiable." Del Toro also added that his Constantine would not adhere to the continuity established in the television series, but he would consider incorporating elements from it, and even think about casting the same actor (Matt Ryan (actor)">Matt Ryan). In November 2014, del Toro confirmed that the script was complete and handed it in to Warner Bros. to be reviewed. In December 2014, he hinted that the film would be part of the DC Extended Universe. In April 2015, del Toro said the script revision has been handed in and if there was availability in his schedule, he would direct it; if not, "somebody else will do it... [The film] needs to fall into the plan of the shared universe." In June 2015, the film was confirmed to still be in development at Warner Bros., with some of their other Vertigo Comics film adaptions moving to

New Line Cinema New Line Cinema is an American film production studio owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and is a film label of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye as an independent film distribution company; later becoming a film studio after ...

. ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...

'' stated that del Toro was no longer attached to the project. In July 2016,

test footage was released directed by Joseph Kahn. In August 2016, it was announced that

Doug Liman Douglas Eric Liman (; born July 24, 1965) is an American film director and producer. He is known for directing the films '' Swingers'' (1996), '' Go'' (1999), '' The Bourne Identity'' (2002), '' Mr. & Mrs. Smith'' (2005), ''Jumper'' (2008), '' Ed ...

would direct the film with del Toro and Scott Rudin producing and Michael Gilio writing, with the film being titled ''Dark Universe''. By May 2017, Liman left the film to focus on directing ''Chaos Walking''. At the San Diego Comic-Con in July 2017, the film's title was announced to be ''Justice League Dark''. In January 2020, Deadline reported that Warner Media and Bad Robot are working to create a Justice League Dark universe in film and TV.

Video games

* Justice League Dark appears in Raiden's ending for '' Injustice 2'', consisting of Raiden,

, and Deadman. * Justice League Dark appears in a self-titled DLC pack for '' Lego DC Super-Villains'', consisting of John Constantine, Zatanna, Etrigan the Demon, Deadman, Swamp Thing, and the

. Additionally, the Enchantress and

are stated to be members as well.

References

External links

*DC page
JLD2011JLD2018Justice League Dark
at Comic Vine
DC Comics The New 52 – Justice League Dark

DC Comics.com DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with their f ...

{{The New 52 Justice League Justice League titles Comics by J. M. DeMatteis Comics by Peter Milligan 2011 comics debuts 2018 comics debuts DC Comics adapted into films