The DC Animated Universe gave DC fans one of the best TV adaptations of their beloved characters. Originally starting in 1992 with Batman: The Animated Series, this series would grow and spawn into a whole universe, culminating in the release of the Justice League in 2001.
In addition to introducing more heroes and villains, the show also reached a wider audience and became legendary in its own right, with fans still clamouring for its return to this day. Despite the popularity of the series, there are some lesser known behind the scenes facts that fans should know.
10 Bruce Timm Almost Gave the Justice League A Uniform
Bruce Timm is considered a legend among DC fans, with Timm creating Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, and Batman Beyond; however, he almost made an error with Justice League. Timm had ideas to make the Justice League wear a uniform. This strange notion was knocked back by DC president Paul Levitz. Levitz said that while the rest of the League could wear a uniform, DC’s Trinity of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman cannot do so.
9 Justice League Of America
Originally, the plan was for the series to be called Justice League of America. Not only did this tie into the original name for the Justice League, but also into Grant Morrison’s popular run on the comic series at the time. However, studio executives believed that simply naming the show Justice League would offer the series a more universal tone.
8 No Sidekicks
It’s no secret that Justice League wasn’t the first animated TV show to feature the Justice League. One of the more notable of these earlier TV shows was the Super Friends, a campy TV series that followed the lives of the Justice League from 1973-1985.
In order to separate their show from Super Friends, the creators of Justice League insisted that no sidekicks would appear in the series.
7 Big Season Finales
When writing and planning the first season of Justice League, Bruce Timm and co. decided that they wanted their seasons to end with a bang, making use of exciting finales rather than ending without fanfare. This helped give the series a more linear outline than the shows in the DC Animated Universe used to have, as well as something exciting to look forward to at the end of the season.
6 Cartoon Network Perks
It comes as no surprise that the creators of Justice League couldn’t just write any story they felt like. They were restricted by censorship laws due to the target audience of the show being children. That being said, Bruce Timm has gone on record saying that he was pleased that the show was airing on Cartoon Network as they allowed him far more creative freedom than the executives at Fox Kids.
5 New John Stewart Backstory
Despite not being the Green Lantern at the time the show was created, the makers of the series opted to make John Stewart their Green Lantern. However, they didn’t adapt the character in his entirety from the comics.
Rather than having Stewart be an architect, they opted to have the Green Lantern’s origin lay in the United States’ Marine Corps, a change that would also bleed into the DC Comics themselves. In the show, the creators would also give him a very compelling relationship with Hawkgirl.
4 The Flash's Voice Actor Played Lex Luthor In Smallville
The Flash was one of the most memorable characters in Justice League. Rather than going with Barry Allen, the creators instead opted to have their Flash be Wally West and they chose Michael Rosenbaum to voice him.
Fans of other DC properties, particularly Smallville, will know that this was the actor who portrayed Lex Luthor in the series. The Flash and Lex Luthor even shared a memorable scene in the series. When Lex took over the Flash’s body, he took off his mask and said ‘I don’t even know who you are’.
3 Cheetah Was Supposed To Have Been Killed
Cheetah was one of the most prominent villains in Justice League, with the Wonder Woman villain appearing as part of the Injustice Gang. However, this wasn’t always the plan, as the character was supposed to be killed at the end of the Injustice For All arc.
That said, the character was able to return in Justice League: Unlimited because an animation error had Cheetah appear alive and well at the end of the episode. Cats definitely have nine lives!
2 Captain Marvel Was Unable To Appear
A quick read of the above subheading may leave one confused, as of course Captain Marvel wouldn’t appear in this DC series. However, Marvel’s Captain Marvel isn’t the only superhero to go by this name.
Originally, Shazam went by the name Captain Marvel and this name was the subject of a drawn out legal dispute that kept Shazam out of the first seasons of Justice League.
1 John Stewart’s Eyes
Fans of Justice League will know that John Stewart has a very distinctive feature. The Green Lantern’s eyes are a vibrant, bright shade of green that matches his own Green Lantern uniform and constructs. The reason for this, according to Bruce Timm, is that extended exposure to Green Lantern radiation has infected his blood stream and turned his eyes green.