Although we already knew the Man of Steel's sacrifice inspires the Dark Knight to enlist Earth's metahumans to confront a new threat, the events of Justice League are so closely linked to 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice that film is being characterized as "a direct sequel."
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The detail emerges from the latest issue of Total Film (via Cosmic Book News), which reveals Justice League "begins with Henry Cavill's Superman in the ground having sacrificed himself to Doomsday." That's of course not a big surprise, given that the latest trailer depicted a world still in mourning, and the film's marketing has mostly avoided showing the Man of Steel.
Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.
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Arriving Nov. 17, Justice League stars Ben Affleck as Batman, Henry Cavill as Superman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Ezra Miller as The Flash, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, Willem Dafoe as Vulko, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Connie Nielsen as Queen Hippolyta and J. K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon.