Justice League Dark: Apocalypse War – Trailer and Release Date for DC Animated Movie

Since the title was announced for Justice League Dark: Apokalips War, the biggest question in some fans’ minds was “hang on, who now?” Justice League Dark, the team of magical heroes that includes Constantine, Zatanna, Swamp Thing and a rotating cast of lesser-known mystics, has always had a very specific lane and focus: the supernatural. Not typically included in that mystical lane are Darkseid, Desaad, Apokalips, or the rest of the Fourth World heroes or villains. But the new trailer for the upcoming DC Animated feature sheds some new light on that puzzling “why:” because they’re all that’s left.

Here’s everything you need to know…

Justice League Dark: Apocalypse War Trailer

Watch the trailer for Justice League Dark: Apocalypse War here…

From the looks of it, Apokalips War takes place some time after the post-credits scene in Reign of the Supermen. That movie revealed Cyborg Superman to be an Apokaliptian plant, working to destroy Earth on Darkseid’s behalf. In fact, an all-out invasion was only averted when Hank Henshaw’s ego overrode Darkseid’s programming, and he tried to take down Superman himself and closed the boom tube he had opened for Apokalips. In the post-credits scene, Luthor (voiced terrifically by Rainn Wilson) joined the League to take the fight to Apokalips. Here…yeah they’re all captured. Bad call.

So that leaves the rest of the world this shared continuity has built. As a reminder, that includes Damian’s Teen Titans (as seen in Justice League vs. Teen Titans and The Judas Contract); the Suicide Squad (from the terrific Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay); and the assorted Bat-friends like Batwoman (from Batman: Bad Blood) and Bat-foes like Lady Shiva (from Batman: Hush). And, of course, it includes the members of Justice League Dark. 

Constantine returns and appears to be leading the magical League, and he is thankfully still voiced by the perpetually delightful Matt Ryan. Twenty years ago, this would have set younger me abuzz the same way that Mike Erwin voicing Speedy in Teen Titans and Justice League Unlimited did, but cold, grizzled dystopian future me is just happy the best Constantine gets to keep being the best Constantine everywhere there is a Constantine. 

The only evidence in the trailer for this being the end of the shared continuity is the general vibe of a “final battle” the trailer has. This doesn’t feel like the start of a new chapter for the DC Animated Feature Universe that’s been developing for 13 movies now. It feels like the last chapter of that story. The official synopsis plays into that vibe as well..

” Culminating a six-year animated journey that began with the release of Justice League War in 2014, Justice League Dark: Apokolips War finds Earth decimated after intergalactic tyrant Darkseid has devastated the Justice League in a poorly executed war by the DC Super Heroes. Now the remaining bastions of good – the Justice League, Teen Titans, Suicide Squad and assorted others – must regroup, strategize and take the war to Darkseid in order to save the planet and its surviving inhabitants. This is truly the war to end all wars, and only the victor will live to enjoy the spoils.”

It’s worth noting that the only DC movies announced for after Apokalips War are Superman: Man of Tomorrow, about Superman’s early days and very possibly not in that continuity, and Batman: The Long Halloween, a movie that, barring a Hush-esque miracle, will probably only exist in a vague continuity space. So it remains to be seen if this is just the next step, or the DC Animated equivalent of the Twilight of the Superheroes.

Justice League Dark: Apocalype War Release Date

Justice League Dark: Apocalypse War arrives on digital on May 5, and Blu-ray combo pack on May 19. It also features an Adam Strange animated short, which should be really cool.

We’ll update this with more information as it becomes available.