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Justice League is a 2017 American superhero film based on the DC Comics superhero team of the same name, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is the follow-up to 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and the fifth installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The film was directed by Zack Snyder, and written by Chris Terrio and Joss Whedon. It features an ensemble cast that includes Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Amy Adams, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen, and J. K. Simmons. In the film, Batman and Wonder Woman recruit The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg after Superman’s death to save the world from the catastrophic threat of Steppenwolf and his army of Parademons.

Plans for the film were announced in October 2014, with Snyder on board to direct and Terrio attached to write the script. It was initially titled Justice League Part One, with a second film (Part Two) intended to follow in 2019. But the second film was indefinitely delayed to accommodate the production of a standalone Batman film with Affleck. Principal photography took place from April to October 2016. After Snyder stepped down to deal with the death of his daughter, Joss Whedon was hired to oversee the remainder of post-production, including directing additional scenes written by himself. Justice League premiered in Beijing on October 26, 2017, and was released in the United States in 2D, RealD 3D, and IMAX on November 17, 2017.

With an estimated production budget of $300 million, Justice League is one of the most expensive films ever made. The film grossed $657 million worldwide, against a break-even point of $750 million, becoming the highest-grossing film (as of 2019) to become a box office bomb: it lost the studio an estimated $60 million. The film received mixed reviews from critics. Although the action sequences and performances (particularly Gadot’s and Miller’s) were praised, the plot, writing, pacing, villain, and overuse of CGI were criticized. The film’s tone was met with a polarized reception, with some appreciating the lighter tone compared to previous DCEU films, and others finding it inconsistent.