1997 was a truly pivotal year for pop culture. It was the year that gave us Buffy the Vampire Slayer series and DC Comics’ JLA #1, a new version of the Justice League of America, but with writer Grant Morrison at the helm. But it wouldn’t be for another 20 years that these two seminal classics would unite.
Buffy not only gave us Sarah Michelle Gellar as an ass-kicking icon for the ages, but would forever influence nerd culture for the better. In addition to providing the blueprint for every superhero show you currently love on the CW, Buffy creator Joss Whedon would go on to shape the MCU, and, most recently, to help bring the new Justice League movie to life. This got us to thinking about what Justice League might look like if Whedon had handled the project back in his WB heyday in 1997, and thus was born our latest Nerdist Presents![brightcove video_id=”5643745253001″ brightcove_account_id=”3653334524001″ brightcove_player_id=”rJs2ZD8x”]
For years, Justice League had been a moribund franchise, with various different titles that no one cared about anymore. Then Morrison brought back the “Big Guns” to the team— Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman and the Martian Manhunter—and gave their adventures some high-octane big screen flavor, with just a dash of surrealism. The immense popularity of JLA eventually led to the Justice League Unlimited cartoon, and eventually, to the Justice League movie currently headed our way.
Though Justice League isn’t exactly going to take the form of a 1997 WB series, it will undoubtedly have the Joss Whedon touch, as he co-wrote and co-directed the film in company with Zack Snyder. The film hits theaters on November 17, so enjoy our Buffy-fied take in the meantime.
What do you think of our ’90s homage to the world’s greatest superheroes? Be sure to tell us down below in the comments!
Images: Warner Bros