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Starting with Bruce Timm’sBatman: The Animated Series,the DCAU has emerged as one of the most revered adaptations of the DC Universe to date. Over time, it has expanded to include numerous series and movies, continually introducing a plethora of DC characters across various projects.
However, not all proposed projects saw the light of day, with some being shelved indefinitely. One such project was an animated seriesSuperman’s Justice League, which was ultimately axed by Warner Bros. executives in favor of prioritizingSuperman: The Animated Series.
Bruce Timm Planned to Introduce Justice League Alongside Superman
Following the success ofBatman: The Animated SeriesandSuperman: The Animated Series,Bruce TimmintroducedJustice Leaguein 2001. However, this was not his original intention for the subsequent TV show featuring the superhero ensemble.
During the mid-1990s, while Timm was immersed inSuperman: The Animated Series, he devised plans to introduce Justice League alongside the Kryptonian superhero. The series would have seen Superman collaborating with various members of the Justice League in each episode.
These characters would have ranged from well-known figures like Flash, Supergirl, and Green Lantern to lesser-known heroes such as Black Lightning, Lightray, Dr. Fate, Nightshade, Vixen, Mister Miracle, and the Question.
WhileSuperman: The Animated Seriesdid introduce some of these characters and even flirted with the idea of forming the Justice League, Warner Bros. intervened. DC’s then-President Jenette Kahnreportedlyadvised Timm to abandon the plans.
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Kahn reportedly argued that the series had too many characters to introduce and suggested Timm concentrate solely on developingSuperman: The Animated Series, ultimately leading to the cancellation of theJustice Leagueplans.
Bruce Timm Wanted A Justice Society of America Crossover
Bruce Timm faced another cancellation when he proposed a crossover between the Justice League and the Justice Society of America. And the concern was once again regarding the large number of characters involved in the combined groups.
Talking about his plans for the crossover onToonZone, the animation producer shared that the DC Comics publisher Paul Levitz expressed concerns about the story. Levitz believed that Timm and his team had not appropriately utilized the JSA characters and felt that the story disrespected them.
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“DC Comics publisher Paul Levitz had some concerns with the story. He felt the story as written disrespected the JSA and was overall an inappropriate use of the characters. We pleaded our case, but we could clearly see his point, too.”
Timm acknowledged Levitz’s concerns, particularly regarding their efforts to revitalize the superhero team. As a compromise, they altered the characters’ names and designs slightly, creating the Justice Guild as an homage to the JSA while avoiding direct use of the original characters.
Justice Leagueis available to stream on Max.
Laxmi Rajput
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3449
Laxmi Rajput is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, with over 3,300 articles published covering film, TV, and pop culture. With a degree in Broadcast Journalism and over three years of experience in content writing, she pivoted to entertainment journalism because let’s be honest, superheroes, sitcoms, and Netflix binges are way more fun. Laxmi frequently covers Marvel, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and popular TV shows, offering both fan-first enthusiasm and thoughtful analysis. Her work often dives into Marvel theories, revisits the genius of The Big Bang Theory, or unpacks the Netflix phenomenon of Stranger Things.
