Every Character Fate In The Knightmare Sequence:
So far, we have only seen a few glimpses of the Knightmare sequence that Zack Snyder had planned. First, we got an actual scene in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. Then, we were supposed to get a continuation of it in Justice League, but Joss Whedon had it removed from the film. Now, Snyder has promised that it is definitely going to be a part of the upcoming HBO Max Justice League miniseries/movie. We saw a glimpse of it in the recent Snyder Cut trailer (which has now been removed from the internet). A few details about it were revealed by Kevin Smith, when he talked about Snyder’s original plot of the three Justice League movies on his podcast. Apparently, a lot of familiar characters seem to have died in this horrific future that Snyder has been setting up.
So, let’s jot down the fate of every familiar Justice League character based on the clues that we’ve seen & heard of:
Batman
It’s clear that Bruce Wayne seems to be leading a resurgence against Superman and the Apokoliptic forces of Darkseid. He is possibly the last line of defense against them. That’s why, he was trying to find Kryptonite, but was duped by Superman’s forces. His resurgence army was killed, and ultimately Superman killed him as well.
Superman
Clark becomes this Injustice version of evil Superman, which was exactly what Bruce was afraid of in BvS. Superman seems to have given into the Anti-life equation, and he has become Darkseid’s official right hand man. But why though? The answer is kinda obvious, but I’m gonna let you read further.
The Flash
Barry Allen survives and becomes a part of Batman’s resurgence force during the Knightmare future, which is set 5 years after Batman V Superman. Bruce then sends him back in time in order to warn his younger self about Lois. Apparently, she is the key to everything. Why? Let’s find out?
Lois Lane
When Kevin Smith talked about the plot of Justice League, he revealed that Darkseid will kill Lois Lane in the Batcave. Then, he will escape, which will make Clark think that Bruce is the one responsible for her death. Hence, the dialogues, “She was my world, and you took her from me.” This ploy of Darkseid is what breaks Superman and makes him give into the Anti-life equation. And, this is what Barry warns Bruce about. Lois is the key and Bruce will have to keep her alive.
Cyborg
Cyborg’s fate is revealed through this sketch of Zack Snyder’s original vision of Justice League. Apparently, this is where Justice League 1 might come to an end. Here’s what’s written above the sketch:
“Five years later. Sand dunes. Burning solar graves. Gothic towers that rise above the desert. This was once the city of Gotham. Now, like the rest of Earth, it belongs to Darkseid. Upon arriving at the dune, the apocalyptic Batman (as seen in BvS), with a ragged army of rebels, the surviving members of the Justice League walk on top of a dune to see the dilapidated Wayne Mansion. Batman leads them. Flash drags what remains of Cyborg behind him. Bruce looks up at the sky, gloomy, ‘We have to get in before dark. It is coming’. End of Part One.”
So apparently, Cyborg will really face the wrath of either Superman, or Darkseid himself. Only a few parts of him will be left. This is what we also saw in Justice League Dark: Apokolips War. The animated film took a few story elements from Zack Snyder’s Justice League trilogy, and it flipped those plans to make them unique.
Aquaman
You’d think that with all his might, Aquaman might survive and be at the side of Batman. But no. The recent Snydercut trailer hinted at the fact that he will also fall. Aquaman’s trident can be seen inverted, and you have to keep in mind that it is not the worthless Quindent that he used in Justice League & the first half of his own movie. It is his actual Trident. So, he must have surely been killed by Darkseid, or who knows, even Superman.
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman’s shield has also been laid waste to. So, the princess of Amazon & the daughter of Zeus also seems to have perished. It will really be interesting to see how she will die. The Justice League movies are supposed to build up to this Knightmare timeline. So, we might actually see how everyone will be killed off in this future. Maybe it could be a quick montage at the beginning of Justice League, just like the one we saw in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Or half of Justice League 3 could be spent upon Knightmare, until Barry runs back in time and changes everything.
Joker
A Joker card has been seen twice in the Knightmare sequence now. It has to mean that Joker will indeed be dead in this future. Zack Snyder has added him into his upcoming HBO Max miniseries. So, his role here might actually lead to his fate in the Knightmare future. Although, it will be interesting to see who will kill him. Superman is the one who takes his life in the Injustice storyline. But that’s because Joker kills Lois Lane. Since Darkseid is supposed to kill her in the DCEU, it is possible that Batman might kill him. Although, it would be absolutely crazy if Joker joins Batman’s forces and goes up against Superman and Darkseid. That could be the reason for Superman or Darkseid to kill him.
Alfred
We don’t actually know whether Alfred will survive, although it does seem highly unlikely. I’m gonna theorize that Alfred might die even before Lois Lane. How does Lois end up in the Batcave? Maybe, Bruce & Clark might have agreed to hide her there. And when Darkseid somehow finds out about her location, he’d show up to kill her. In this situation, who will be Lois’ first line of defense? It’s obviously going to be Alfred, if some other superhero was not kept there to protect her as wel. So, I’m gonna say that Alfred dies. And then, Darkseid kills Lois.
Martha
Just like Alfred, we don’t have any clue for whether Martha Kent would die in this Apokoliptic future. You’d think that she’d be far away from where all the fighting happens. But, it seems that Darkseid has managed to take control over the entire planet. So, a lot of people end up dead, and one of them could be Martha. The reason why we think that she is dead in this future is because Superman remains evil. If Martha were to survive, then she’d probably have the ability to pull him out of Darkseid’s control. Besides Lois, she is the one who could emotionally reach out to Clark. But because she dies, Superman will be beyond reach. The only way left will be for Barry Allen to run back in time.
There are several other characters that are supposed to come into play. Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Deathstroke, and even the Atom. Who knows, even Shazam & Black Adam might show up. It will be interesting to see what they are up to during this period of time. Another individual that we can’t guess the fate of right now is Lex Luthor. Will he have survived and helped Darkseid? Considering he was the one who rung the bell and sent a signal to Apokolips, there’s a chance that he’d also be on the side of the Lord of Apokolips.
Let’s wait and see how things turn out in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Hopefully, HBO Max will restore the Snyderverse.
