Justice League: Final Crisis

**Justice League: Final Crisis** is a 2018 superhero film based on characters from DC Comics. The film is a sequel to *Justice League*, *Justice League: Brainiac*, *Justice League: Darkseid*, and *Supergirl '85*. It was directed by Zack Snyder and stars Tom Pelphrey, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Andrew Garfield, Tessa Thompson, Charlie Hunnam, Emma Stone, Hayden Panettiere, Jace Norman, James McAvoy, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Keri Russell, and Josh Brolin. It was released on April 27, 2018 and grossed $3.089 billion, becoming the highest grossing film of all time. It ran 181 minutes and received praise from critics for its direction, acting, musical score, visual effects, and emotional weight, with critics lauding its culmination of the 24-film story.

## Plot

Following Darkseid's transformation of half of all life into his army, Bruce Wayne/Batman, Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, Barry Allen/The Flash, Dinah Lance/Black Canary, Oliver Queen/Green Arrow, Barbara Gordon/Oracle, and Brainiac 5 have returned to the Justice League headquarters in Metropolis. Wayne, Lance, Queen, and Gordon's fugitive status has been lifted, and the government has been attempting to take a census. Kara Zor-El/Supergirl receives Amanda Waller's signal and returns to Atlantis, where she learns from Arthur Curry that the Justice League is in Metropolis. Kara identifies herself to the Justice League, who are shocked to learn that there are more Kryptonians. They send Kara into space, where she finds Clark Kent/Superman, Billy Batson, and Lashina on the Moon. Reuniting with Clark, her cousin, they return to Earth. Diana learns the black hole that sent her to the Fourth World was reactivated after Darkseid's invasion, meaning he went back to Apokolips. The group finds Darkseid on the planet and they ambush him. Darkseid, however, manages to overpower them, due to his army. He forces them out, and closes the black hole, making them unable to redo the transformation.

Three years later, Wayne runs the remnants of Wayne Enterprises, with Gordon and Ryan Choi secretly developing time travel technology, which would divert the timeline into two to prevent the consequences of time travel from affecting the present. Clark has settled down with Lois Lane, though due to his Kryptonian heritage, he is unable to conceive children. Diana and Billy remain in the Justice League headquarters, keeping in contact with the other heroes of the universe. Barry reconciled and settled down with Iris West. Queen returned to being a senator, helping keep the government running. Kara has been helping the other planets of the universe, while Brainiac and Lashina returned to the Moon and have been living there. When Gordon and Choi make a successful "time watch", they present it to Wayne, who realizes that travelling back to reverse the transformation is now a possibility. Recruiting Diana and Billy, they test out the model by sending Billy back to 2017, where he nearly reunites with Mary Bromfield before being brought back. Sending a signal to Arthur, Barry, Queen, Lance, Kara, Brainiac, and Lashina, Wayne and Diana finally go to Smallville, where they inform Clark of their plan. Clark, after being encouraged by Lois, agrees, and returns to Metropolis with them. As a team, they make four destinations: Fawcett City 2015, Atlantis 2012, Themyscira 2009, and Oa 2017.

Wayne, Clark, and Billy go to Fawcett City 2015, where Billy poses as his past self to the wizard Shazam, who bestows him with his power, along with his staff. Billy is happy to have his power back, until Black Adam shows up. While they get ready to return to 2020, Billy accidentally makes a remark about knowing Adam is evil, causing him to attack Billy. Billy and Adam fight over the staff, which leads to it getting destroyed. Clark and Bruce, unable to to continue in the timeline now that the staff has been destroyed, decide to go back to 2011, when Sinestro invaded Earth to steal the third Mother Box from him. In 2011, they arrive and replace their former selves. They allow Sinestro to locate and steal the Mother Box from Shazam, and then overpower him and steal it for themselves. In 2012, Arthur and Barry have gone back to collect the Mother Box before Arthur's past self gives it up to A.R.G.U.S. The two are attacked by 2012 Arthur and Mera, but they escape with the Mother Box. In 1944, Diana and Gordon have gone back to Themyscira to find the Mother Box before past Diana takes it for herself. Diana reunites with Hippolyta and Antiope, who realize she is from the future. Hippolyta tells her that the alternate timelines are now real, and without Mother Boxes to protect the various realities, they will die. Diana promises to return the Mother Boxes. In 2017, on Oa, Lance, Queen, and Lashina make it to Oa before Darkseid. After being delayed in finding the holder, Darkseid invades. Lashina stalls him, but Queen is forced to sacrifice himself to allow Lance to escape with the holder. Lashina is captured by Darkseid, who has Desaad reverse engineer Lashina's time watch to allow them to take the technology for themselves.

In 2020, Kara and Brainiac have stayed behind to ensure everyone gets there and back safely. Kara is alerted that the black hole to the Fourth World has reopened, with Darkseid sensing their time travelling. They are attacked just as everyone returns. After mourning Queen's loss, Diana uses the Mother Boxes to restore everyone, leaving Darkseid without an army. However, 2017 Darkseid and his army travel to 2020 to help. 2020 Darkseid kills his past self to command his army himself. With Diana nearly unconscious due to the power of the Mother Boxes, the Justice League is under prepared. Everyone except Clark is easily defeated. Clark manages to put up a fight, but Darkseid gains the upper hand and kills Clark. As Darkseid prepares to wipe out the rest of the universe to have total control, Cindy Reynolds, Tinya Wazzo, Mera, Steve Trevor, Amanda Waller, and the Atlantean army arrive, as do Mari McCabe, Jaime Reyes, Shazam, Rokk Krinn, and Garth Ranzz from the Moon, and the armies of Themyscira, the various Lantern Corps, the Time Masters from the 25th century led by Booster Gold, and the New Gods of New Genesis. After overpowering the heroes, Darkseid takes the Mother Boxes from Diana and, with the power of six Mother Boxes, begins wiping out the rest of the heroes. Before he is killed, Wayne takes a time watch and goes back to 2017.

In Atlantis 2017, Darkseid's army has invaded to take Victor Stone/Cyborg's Mother Box. Wayne appears and convinces the past Justice League of his identity. Wayne realizes he is dying from his 2020 injuries, but tells Reynolds to use her powers to open a portal to the Moon, which Clark, Billy, McCabe, Reyes, Rokk, and Garth step through, as well as the sudden arrival of Selina Kyle/Catwoman, who 2017 Wayne had signaled about the battle, but she was transformed by Darkseid before her arrival. Together, they manage to stop Darkseid before he performs the transformation and Wayne takes the Mother Boxes to finally kill Darkseid. As he is dying, Wayne apologizes to Clark for everything that happened and revealed he left him a present—Clark is now mortal, something he always wished for—before saying a final goodbye to Selina. Wayne is given a memorial, while Diana returns to New Genesis and reunites with the New Gods, Barry finds Iris and they reconcile, Arthur stays in Atlantis, Queen returns to being a Senator, while Lance returns to A.R.G.U.S, due to both having their fugitive status lifted, along with Gordon, who learns from Nuidis Vulko that there may be a way to bring Stone back. The Legion returns to the 31st century, while Billy returns to Fawcett City and reunites with his family, having his Shazam abilities back. Reyes goes back to El Paso to take a break, and McCabe and Reynolds join A.R.G.U.S. Clark returns the three Mother Boxes to 2011, 2014, and 2009, before settling down with Lois to have a family.

## Cast

* Tom Pelphrey as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Bruce Wayne/Batman (2011)
* Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman and Clark Kent/Superman (2011)
* Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (2011)
* Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry/Aquaman, Arthur Curry/Aquaman (2011), and Arthur Curry/Aquaman (2012)
* Andrew Garfield as Barry Allen/The Flash and Barry Allen/The Flash (2011)
* Tessa Thompson as Dinah Lance/Black Canary and Dinah Lance/Black Canary (2011)
* Charlie Hunnam as Oliver Queen/Green Arrow and Oliver Queen/Green Arrow (2011)
* Emma Stone as Barbara Gordon/Oracle
* Hayden Panettiere as Kara Zor-El/Kara Danvers/Supergirl
* Jace Norman and Zachary Levi as Billy Batson/Shazam and Billy Batson (2015)
* James McAvoy as Brainiac 5
* Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Lashina
* Keri Russell as Lois Lane
* Josh Brolin as Darkseid and Darkseid (2017)
* Joivan Wade as Victor Stone/Cyborg
* Genesis Rodriguez as Cindy Reynolds/Gypsy
* Kylie Bunbury as Mari McCabe/Vixen
* Chasen Parker as Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle
* Alden Ehrenreich as Rokk Krinn
* Evan Peters as Garth Ranzz
* Pom Klementieff as Tinya Wazzo
* Mark Wahlberg as Hal Jordan
* Sterling K. Brown as John Stewart
* Adrianne Palicki as Mera and Mera (2012)
* Chris Pine as Steve Trevor and Steve Trevor (2011)
* Angela Bassett as Amanda Waller and Amanda Waller (2011)
* Scarlett Johansson as Selina Kyle/Catwoman
* Zac Efron as Michael Jon Carter/Booster Gold
* Kevin Bacon as Nuidis Vulko
* Chyler Leigh as Iris West
* Jon Hamm as Sinestro (2011)
* Djimon Hounsou as Shazam (2015)
* Connie Nielsen as Hippolyta (1944)
* Robin Wright as Antiope and Antiope (1944)
* Meghan Markle as Big Barda
* Matt Barr as Scott
* Grace Fulton as Mary Bromfield and Mary Bromfield (2017)
* Jared Gilmore as Freddy Freeman

## Reception

### **Box office**

**Justice League: Darkseid** grossed $948.4 million (30.7%) in the United States and Canada and $2.141 billion (69.3%) in other territories for a total of $3.089 billion. Worldwide, it is the highest-grossing 2018 film and the highest grossing film of all time. It achieved a worldwide opening weekend of $1.304 billion, the highest of all time. *Deadline Hollywood* calculated the net profit of the film to be $1.360 billion, making it the most profitable release of 2018.

### **Critical reception**

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 94% with an average score of 8.29/10, based on 479 reviews.