Worlds collide in the latest animated crossover movie Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen, Part One. A collaboration between DC Entertainment and Rooster Teeth, the animated film has the iconic heroes of the Justice League in Remnant, the mystical world of the popular series RWBY, where they each find themselves transformed. As the superheroes team up with RWBY to learn what’s exactly going on, they face off against super villains and monsters together while learning to work together.
In an exclusive interview with CBR, screenwriter Meghan Fitzmartin shared the origins of the crossover film, explained some of the deeper themes running through the film and teased what fans can expect as Justice League x RWBY comes to home video this April.
CBR: This movie comes out at the same time as the DC/RWBY comic book miniseries, but is definitely its own thing. How was it coming up with the idea for the crossover in this film?
Meghan Fitzmartin: It was really fun! When it comes to the comic, I really loved [it] and think it's really beautiful, but at the time, I work in both comics and animation and I wanted to really do animation justice and see what pieces we could really take from this that serves both mediums or maybe doesn’t serve animation as much, so we'll leave it in the comic. I think we came up with something really fun!
What was it about starting the movie in media res, with the Justice League already in the thick of the action alongside RWBY?
That's the best way to go, baby. [laughs] Going into this, we knew that a lot of people wouldn't necessarily be as familiar with RWBY as they are with Justice League. I'm a firm believer in trusting your audience and my audience is probably going to be as smart as me or smarter than me, so wanted to cut to the chase and get right in on the fun!
How was it figuring out the initial pairings between Justice League and RWBY, be it Superman with Ruby Rose or Batman at a fancy soirée?
I think they all fell into place really well as I started to envision it. I love a dynamic and started to think of what would be really fun. Bruce knows what a soirée looks like in any reality, no matter if it's his world or not. To see him in that context was really fun. All the rest of the characters fell together in a really beautiful way and sort of found each other, to be honest.
What was it about having Jessica Cruz be the Green Lantern of this film?
A couple of things! I love Jessica, she's just such an interesting Green Lantern that we don't see very much -- she is newer, so there’s that. From a fan's standpoint, I would like to use a cool Green Lantern and I like her a lot, so I put her in. We're also dealing with the Justice League as teenagers and that’s something particularly relevant in our movie because Jessica struggles with anxiety. It doesn’t matter if you're old or young if you struggle with anxiety but wanting to bring that piece of her in to really humanize the story was an important factor as well.
You've also got Victor Stone, the man of science, in a world of myth and magic. How was it juxtaposing Cyborg with the world of RWBY?
He gets very frustrated throughout the movie and I think that is very fair. [laughs] There’s a good reason for him to be frustrated at the whole situation.
This movie sees each of the Justice League get new powers when they arrive in Remnant. How was it figuring out what powers each of the DC heroes would receive?
I think that’s the fun of crossovers, being able to explore the characters that we know really well and putting them in these different circumstances and seeing how they react. We know Superman and what [his] powers are. So coming at it from a place of imagination and having fun is something that I was very honored at being able to do. What would it look like if we could do anything with these powers and maybe give them a little bit of an oomph was part of the fun, it’s the joy of a crossover.
All of RWBY are young, the Justice League are younger in this film and over in Tim Drake: Robin, it’s about Tim finding himself with Bernard. What is it about coming-of-age stories that you find creatively interesting as a storyteller?
I actually went to school to be a youth pastor and clearly did not go down that path, but those stories are very important to me because the whole reason I wanted to be a youth pastor was to tell people that they’re loved, and then I realized I could do that through story. These particular coming-of-age stories really gave me the chance to tell people, "It's okay! Wherever you are, you are loved, it’s important that you exist. These are stories that involve anxiety, sexual identity, personal identity, and you are loved and belong here." I've just been really lucky to tell those stories.
With this Ruby Rose finds herself facing a crisis in leadership. How was it having this story take place at this point in her life, with Superman to guide her through?
Whenever I come to movies like this, my focus is on characters. Even if there are a billion characters in a movie, I still want to make sure that everybody gets their own time to shine and be in the world. Luckily, I was working with the Rooster Teeth team as they were finishing writing Vol. 9 of RWBY. This movie will take place after Vol. 9 of RWBY, which is currently airing. They told me a little about the journey that Ruby had been going on, and I was able to incorporate a little bit of that into this movie with Ruby herself.
It was nice to be able to feel like that’s sort of a continuation but also, on a grander scale, it's something that I really like to explore. The fact that these kids have been warriors their whole lives, what does that do to people? It doesn't mean you're able to be a great leader all the time. You're still a kid and have stuff to process.
Is this the largest cast of characters you've ever written for a single project? If so, how was it giving them all their due for a 90-minute movie?
Stressful! It was very stressful. [laughs] I'm pretty sure this is the most characters I’ve ever written and, at the end, I was really proud of that. I had a lot of fun doing it but, in the middle of it, it was certainly a challenge making sure that everyone had their moment, was serviced and loved within those 90 minutes. I'm very proud of what we did, and I'm very pleased that the stressful moments in between were worth it. [laughs]
With this being a Part One, how was it finding the narrative break here for the larger story?
As we were developing this film, we sort of had an endpoint in mind. The culmination made sense in where we wanted this to end up. Of all the stressful pieces, ending it where it ends was actually not as difficult. [laughs]
The news broke recently that Tim Drake: Robin is coming to an end this summer. How was it redefining and reintroducing the character in that comic book series?
I loved it! It has been an incredibly rewarding experience. I’m sad that it’s ending, but I’m grateful for the opportunity that I had.
Now that the movie is coming out, what are you most excited in getting to share it with the world?
We were really lucky to [have it] premiere at WonderCon and I think that was the first time that I've ever been in a crowded room listening to people watching something that I had written and that was so incredibly special. Everyone laughed and gasped at the right spots and that’s always what you want. I’m excited about those moments to be relived and to see more people experience those moments and if they've never seen RWBY before, to experience that world.
I fell in love with RWBY's world, and I’m excited for others to be a part of it. For those who haven't spent a lot of time in the DC world, that has been my home for a while, and I'm happy to share it with people. Overall, I’m excited for others to experience this with me.
Directed by Kerry Shawcross, Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen, Part One goes on sale April 25 on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and digital HD.