Screenwriter Will Beall is taking a trip down memory lane to 2012, the year Warner Bros. enlisted him to write the script for Justice League. In a recent interview, Beall, known for his work on Gangster Squad, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, disclosed that an early draft of the Justice League screenplay drew significant inspiration from the 1989 film Back to the Future Part II.
Beall’s script featured a second act set in a version of the Knightmare timeline, a dystopian future ruled by the villain Darkseid. This timeline was later depicted in Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and the four-hour director’s cut of Justice League, known as the Snyder Cut, released in 2021. Even before Joss Whedon took over and extensively rewrote and reshot the version of Justice League that hit theaters in 2017, Beall’s script was markedly different.
“The biggest difference with mine, I think, was that much of the second act was that little sort of coda that was on the Snyder Cut, where it’s this post-apocalyptic sort of dream sequence or flash forward, and there’s good guys and bad guys, they’re forced to team up. Much of my second act was taken up with that,” Beall explained to TheWrap. “My version of it owed a lot to Back to the Future II.”
In Back to the Future Part II, time-traveler Marty McFly, played by Michael J. Fox, finds himself in an alternate-reality 1985 after Biff, portrayed by Thomas F. Wilson, steals and misuses Doc Brown’s DeLorean time machine to amass wealth and power. The only way to fix the present and prevent a disastrous future is to go back to the past, to the moment when the timeline diverged, creating Biff’s “Hell Valley” nightmare reality.
Although Beall’s script for Justice League was never fully realized, it wasn’t entirely lost. While the 2017 theatrical release of Justice League credited Whedon and Chris Terrio, Beall received a “story by” credit alongside Snyder and Terrio for Zack Snyder’s Justice League. This version restored and expanded the Knightmare sequences with new footage shot by Snyder.
Beall later co-wrote the script and story for 2018’s Aquaman, which became the only film in the DC Extended Universe to gross over one billion dollars at the box office. Reflecting on his work, Beall expressed pride in his Justice League screenplay. “I’m proud of the script that I wrote and I’m happy that it helped. I feel like I did my job,” he said. “So your first job as a writer, working with any of these things is to be a good steward. Right, it’s sort of to ‘do no harm.’ And so you have to respect the fans and you have to respect the characters and what makes them great, and not try to outsmart it.”
Beall’s comments offer a fascinating glimpse into what could have been a very different Justice League film, one that might have explored more deeply the dark, alternate future hinted at in Snyder’s vision. The idea of heroes and villains being forced to team up in a post-apocalyptic world ruled by Darkseid is a compelling one, and it’s intriguing to think about how this storyline might have played out on the big screen.
The comparison to Back to the Future Part II is particularly interesting, as it suggests a narrative structure involving time travel and alternate realities, themes that are rich with potential for dramatic storytelling. In Back to the Future Part II, the characters’ journey through different timelines creates a complex and engaging plot, and it’s easy to see how similar elements could have added depth and excitement to Justice League.
While the final version of Justice League that audiences saw in theaters was significantly different from Beall’s original vision, his contributions to the story were not entirely lost. The Snyder Cut, with its extended Knightmare sequences, offers a glimpse of what might have been, and Beall’s influence can still be felt in the broader narrative of the DC Extended Universe.
In the end, Beall’s reflections on his work highlight the collaborative nature of filmmaking, especially in the world of big-budget superhero movies. Multiple writers, directors, and producers often contribute to the final product, and each brings their own unique vision and ideas to the table. While not every idea makes it to the screen, each one plays a part in shaping the final story.
Beall’s experience with Justice League is a testament to the challenges and rewards of working on such a high-profile project. Despite the changes and challenges, he remains proud of his work and grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the legacy of these beloved characters.
Source: TheWrap
