DCEU Post Snyder CutThe DCEU hit a homerun with Zack Snyder’s four-hour cut of Justice League, (The Snyder Cut,) and it has given mainstream audiences a peek into Jack Kirby’s Fourth World and three characters with potential for the upcoming New Gods.

The Cut Seen Round the World

The Snyder Cut is grabbing all the comic headlines, and mainstream audiences have fallen in love with the DCEU. Only months ago, the official word from DC and Time-Warner was that JL’s HBO Max premiere was Snyder’s DCEU swan song. WB executive Ann Sarnoff has gone on record saying Snyder’s Justice League is the completion of his trilogy, and that there are no plans to continue on that path. But I recall WB executives delivering a similar message about the Snyder Cut three years ago, so anything is possible.

DCEU Post Snyder CutAt this point, fans are ravenous for more JL. The cliffhanger ending of a horrific timeline in which Darkseid and Apokolips conquered Earth, dubbed the “Knightmare” world, clearly was meant to lead into a sequel. The Time-Warner heads may have initially said this would be the end of the Snyder-verse. Still, they could be seeing dollar signs, since everyone suddenly loves the DCEU.

That could open the door not only for “Knightmare,” but also for a host of new characters that were teased in JL

Even if this truly is the end of the Snyder-verse, anything from the Fourth World has the potential for large profits. With Ava Duvernay and Tom King’s New Gods film on the horizon, Darkseid and his Elite are bound to be featured on the screen once again. With that in mind, here are three characters from the Fourth World with bright DCEU futures.

DCEU Post Snyder CutDESAAD

First Appearance: Forever People #2

Next to Steppenwolf, DeSaad had the most screentime of all Darkseid’s minions in the Snyder Cut. He is an imposing and horrifying figure with the potential to be an important part of either New Gods or a Snyder Cut sequel.  

Plus, DeSaad has a tragic backstory that would lend well to a movie. He wasn’t always an evil sadist. It was Darkseid who manipulated DeSaad as a child into killing his two beloved pets. This scarred him so badly that he left New Genesis and fled to Apokolips.

 

KALIBAK

First Appearance: New Gods #1

Even if we never get a Snyder Cut sequel, which would be a travesty at this point, odds are that we will see Kalibak in New Gods. He is a natural antagonist to the most famous New God, Orion, and the two are actually half-brothers. 

Kalibak is Darkseid’s son, and he is one of Apokolips’ most decorated warriors. Personally, my favorite version of Kalibak came from Grant Morrison’s Final Crisis. Toward the end of the crossover, he is given a humanoid-tiger form. It was an evil, primal reflection of Talky Tawny from Captain Marvel/Shazam lore.

GRANNY GOODNESS

First Appearance: Mister Miracle #2

Granny Goodness was only a background character, but she carried a major presence in her brief time on the screen. You can see her in the closing moments of Justice League, holding her staff as Darkseid prepared to invade Earth. She serves Darkseid as an elite trainer for Apokolips, torturing and brainwashing potential warriors to serve in his army. 

A GRIM FUTURE

After the Snyder Cut, everything in the DCEU has been elevated in the eyes of fans. While the most recent DC films have been more on the lighthearted, action-comedy side, the reception for Snyder’s R-rated Justice League could move the DCEU away from the family-friendly comedy realm and open a dark world where characters like DeSaad, Granny Goodness, and Kalibak can be featured in all their horror-themed glory.

In fact, Darkseid and his Elite are interesting and visually appealing. They could carry an entire movie or HBO Max series by themselves. 

Do you have concert posters hanging on your walls? They might just be worth money!