Justice League Unlimited

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Justice League Unlimited
Genre	Superhero Science fiction Action Adventure
Based on	Justice League by Gardner Fox
Developed by	Bruce Timm
Written by	Stan Berkowitz (seasons 1-2) Dwayne McDuffie (seasons 1-3) Matt Wayne (season 3)
Directed by	Joaquim dos Santos Dan Riba
Voices of	Kevin Conroy George Newbern Susan Eisenberg Phil LaMarr Michael Rosenbaum Carl Lumbly Maria Canals
Theme music composer	Michael McCuistion
Composers	Kristopher Carter Michael McCuistion Lolita Ritmanis
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	39 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Sander Schwartz Sam Register (for Cartoon Network)
Producers	Dwayne McDuffie Bruce Timm James Tucker Shaun McLaughlin (line producer)
Editor	Joe Gall
Running time	21—23 minutes
Production companies	DC Comics (2005—2006) Warner Bros. Animation
Distributor	Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Release
Original network	Cartoon Network
Picture format	1080i (16:9 HDTV)
Original release	July 31, 2004 (2004-07-31) – May 13, 2006 (2006-05-13)
Chronology
Preceded by	Justice League
External links
Website

Justice League Unlimited (JLU) is a 2004—2006 American superhero animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the previous Justice League animated series and picks up where Justice League left off. Like its predecessor, the show is also a prequel to Batman Beyond. JLU debuted on July 31, 2004, on Toonami and ended on May 13, 2006. It is the eighth and final series of the DC Animated Universe, which started with Batman: The Animated Series in 1992.

Boomerang reran the series from June 3, 2007 to March 26, 2010, as part of Boomeraction. The series also aired as part of The CW's Vortexx Saturday morning block from August 25, 2012 to August 23, 2014.

Overview[]

According to animator Bruce Timm, the series finale of Justice League, "Starcrossed", was originally planned to be the final episode of the series; however, Cartoon Network ordered the production of a successor, titled Justice League Unlimited. Taking place shortly after its predecessor ended, it features a greatly expanded League, in which the characters from the original series—now referred to as "founding members"—are joined by many other superheroes from the DC Universe; in the first episode, well over 50 characters appear. A number of these were heroes who had made guest appearances in Justice League, but many heroes and other characters made their first animated appearances in this series. The general format of each episode is to have a small team assemble to deal with a particular situation, with a focus on both action and character interaction. This extension of the Justice League was originally planned to be explained in a planned direct-to-video feature film, but the project never materialized.

Stan Berkowitz, a member of the production team, left the show later for the TV series Friends and Heroes, and writer Matt Wayne was contracted to replace him. Most episodes tell a self-contained story, but the series also features extended story arcs, the first involving the building conflict between the League and a secret government agency known as Project Cadmus. This plot line builds upon events that occurred during the second season of Justice League (which in turn built upon events in Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, Static Shock, and The Zeta Project), and has affected the plotlines of most of its episodes. It was resolved in a four-part story at the end of the second season of Justice League Unlimited. The third and final season story arc focuses on the new Secret Society (which is based on the Legion of Doom of the Challenge of the Super Friends season of Super Friends) as the main villains, a loose-knit organization formed to combat the increased superhero coordination of the first season. However, the Secret Society was never referred to as the Legion of Doom, although it was originally planned to use the original name used by the Flash as his comical way to refer the Society, but the idea was rejected.

The series, along with the entire DC animated universe, was originally planned to end after the second-season finale "Epilogue", but a third season was greenlighted by Cartoon Network. The third season started in 2005 with the episode "I Am Legion" (which was written before the announcement of a third season) and ended in 2006 with the episode "Destroyer". According with Matt Wayne, if the show had been renewed for a fourth season, he would have liked to write more episodes focusing on Superman and Wonder Woman.

Towards the end of the series, certain characters became off-limits to the show, like Blue Beetle and Hugo Strange. Characters associated with Batman and those who appeared in Batman: The Animated Series (aside from Batman himself) were restricted due to the unrelated animated series The Batman and Christopher Nolan's live-action theatrical The Dark Knight Trilogy to avoid continuity confusion (although the villain the Clock King did make an appearance, although he appeared as a member of Task Force X and did not appear with Batman). Aquaman and related characters were unavailable due to the development of a pilot for a live-action series featuring the character as a young man (planned to be a spin-off of Smallville), which wasn't picked up at the end. Characters from DC's "mature readers" Vertigo imprint were also not allowed, like Swamp Thing and Phantom Stranger. No characters from the Teen Titans animated series appeared in JLU until after that show had been canceled (when Speedy appeared in the third-season episode "Patriot Act", which referenced the Seven Soldiers of Victory). The Joker, Batman's archenemy, was restricted to appear in the series, unlike its predecessor, like Riddler and Scarecrow, which were supposed to be members of the Secret Society as a nod to the original Legion of Doom.

To compensate for this, the producers focused some stories on previously overlooked DC Comics characters. These included characters like Deadman, Warlord, and an unnamed modern equivalent of The Seven Soldiers of Victory.

DC Comics created an ongoing monthly comic book series based on the TV series, as part of its Johnny DC line of "all ages" comics, which did not have the same restrictions regarding character appearances.

Justice League Unlimited, like the second season of Justice League, is animated in widescreen. The show also features new theme music and intro (nominated for an Emmy).^[1] The two-part series finale was aired in the UK on February 8 and 18, 2006, and in the United States on May 6 and 13, 2006.

Some romantic relationships develop as in Justice League. Some of these relationships are Question and the Huntress, Black Canary and Green Arrow, and the love-triangle between Green Lantern, Hawkgirl and Vixen (further compounded with the later addition of Hawkman). Additionally, the series continuously hints at a mutual attraction between Batman and Wonder Woman.

Episodes[]

Cast[]

• Amy Acker – Huntress
• Tomas Arana – Tharok
• Ed Asner – Granny Goodness, Hephaestus
• Dee Bradley Baker – Blockbuster
• Adam Baldwin – Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), Jonah Hex, Rick Flag, Bonk
• Jason Bateman – Hermes
• Morena Baccarin – Black Canary
• Michael Beach – Mister Terrific, Devil Ray
• Jeff Bennett – Rick Wilson, Nazi Scientist
• Powers Boothe – Red Tornado, Gorilla Grodd
• Ben Browder – Bat Lash
• Clancy Brown – Lex Luthor, Guardians of the Universe
• Corey Burton – Aztek, Brainiac, Key, Sonar, Weather Wizard
• Maria Canals-Barrera – Hawkgirl, Justice Lord Hawkgirl, Fire
• Néstor Carbonell – El Diablo
• Seymour Cassel – Chuck Sirianni
• Jeffrey Combs – Question, Doctor Moon
• Kevin Conroy – Batman, Bruce Wayne (in future timeline), Batman (Justice Lord), Atom Smasher, Commander Steel, Crimson Avenger, Joe Chill
• Bud Cort – Toyman
• Chris Cox – Captain Atom (2nd Voice), Shining Knight, Aztek (1st Voice)
• Matt Czuchry – Brainiac 5
• Olivia d'Abo – Morgaine Le Fey
• Dana Delany – Lois Lane
• Alexis Denisof – Mirror Master
• Grey DeLisle – Downpour, Shifter
• John DiMaggio – Dreamslayer, Lord Havok
• Michael Dorn – Kalibak
• Robin Atkin Downes – Gentleman Ghost, Sinestro (in "Alive")
• Douglas Dunning – Deimos
• George Eads – Captain Atom (in "Initiation")
• Héctor Elizondo – Hath-Set
• Robert Englund – Felix Faust
• Susan Eisenberg – Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman (Justice Lord), Rampage
• Mike Erwin – Speedy
• Dennis Farina – Wildcat
• Oded Fehr – Doctor Fate
• Nathan Fillion  – Vigilante, Spy Smasher
• Farrah Forke – Big Barda
• Robert Forster – The President of the United States
• Robert Foxworth – Professor Hamilton
• Will Friedle – Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner), Batman (Terry McGinnis)
• Donal Gibson – Captain Boomerang
•  – Bouncing Boy
• Ioan Gruffudd – Mister Miracle
• Paul Guilfoyle – Warlord
• Kim Mai Guest – Linda Park, Silver Banshee
• Jennifer Hale – Zatanna, Bernadeth, Giganta, Killer Frost
• Mark Hamill – Trickster
• Jason Hervey – Dove
• Michael Ironside – Darkseid
• Arte Johnson – Virman Vundabar
• Jonathan Joss – Pow Wow Smith
• Bob Joles – Hades
• Daniel Dae Kim – Metron
• Phil LaMarr – Green Lantern (John Stewart), Green Lantern (Justice Lord), Steel, S.T.R.I.P.E., Machiste, Static
• Juliet Landau – Zatanna (in "The Balance" Backward Voice), Plastique, Tala
• Lex Lang – Atomic Skull, Blue Devil, Captain Cold, Heat Wave
• Ted Levine – Sinestro
• Giselle Loren – Stargirl
• Lori Loughlin - Tracy Simmons
• Carl Lumbly – Martian Manhunter, Martian Manhunter (Justice Lord)
• Peter MacNicol – Chronos
• Virginia Madsen – Roulette
• Tim Matheson – Maxwell Lord
• Christopher McDonald – Jor-El
• Malcolm McDowell – Metallo
• John C. McGinley – Atom
• Dick Miller – Oberon
• George Newbern – Superman, Superman (Justice Lord), Bizarro, Evil Star
• Jerry O'Connell – Captain Marvel
• Peter Onorati – B'wana Beast, Warhawk
• Scott Patterson – King Faraday
• Ron Perlman – Orion
• Robert Picardo – Amazo
• Jeremy Piven – Elongated Man
• CCH Pounder – Amanda Waller
• Alan Rachins – Clock King
• Gregg Rainwater – Long Shadow, Tye Longshadow
• Sheryl Lee Ralph – Cheetah
• James Remar – Hawkman, Shadow Thief
• Eric Roberts – Mongul
• Michael Rosenbaum – Flash, Flash (Justice Lord), Vigilante (in "Task Force X"), Deadshot, Doctor Polaris
•  – Aquaman
• Tom Everett Scott – Booster Gold
• Fred Savage – Hawk
• Raphael Sbarge – Deadman
• Glenn Shadix – Steven Mandragora
• Armin Shimerman – Professor Milo
• Kin Shriner – Green Arrow
• James Sie – Wind Dragon
• J. K. Simmons – General Wade Eiling, Mantis
• Mindy Sterling – Enid Clinton
• Susan Sullivan – Hippolyta
• Bruce Timm – Solomon Grundy
• Lauren Tom – Doctor Light, Green Lantern (Kai-Ro), Dana Tan
• Nicholle Tom – Supergirl, Galatea
• Gina Torres – Vixen
• Hynden Walch – Ace
• Michael T. Weiss – Etrigan the Demon
• Joanne Whalley – Emerald Empress
• Michael Jai White – Doomsday
• Marc Worden – Parasite (future version)
• Jose Yenque – Copperhead
• Michael York – Ares
• Rachel York – Circe

Non-speaking characters[]

Aside from the voice-cast, numerous DC comics super-heroes are shown as Justice League members (and it is implied that there are even more members not shown). Heroes seen, but not heard, are listed below.

Home media[]

From 2006 to 2007, Warner Home Video (via DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Family Entertainment) released the entire series of Justice League Unlimited on DVD. The series is presented in original broadcast presentation and story arc continuity order. The series was also released on Blu-Ray.

Warner Home Video also released another DVD set titled Justice League: The Complete Series. It contained all 91 episodes of Justice League and Justice League Unlimited on a 15-disc set with the 15th disc containing a bonus documentary. The same episodes were later sold as a 10-disc set without the bonus documentary.

Soundtrack[]

La-La Land Records released a 4-disc Justice League soundtrack on July 29, 2016.^[2] A potential Justice League Unlimited soundtrack depends on how well the Justice League soundtrack sells.^[3]

Adaptations[]

DC Comics published a series of 46-issue numbered comics based on the television series, between 2004 and 2008.

• Justice League Unlimited: Jam-Packed Action! (2005-09-28): Adaptation of episodes 'Initiation' and 'For the Man Who Has Everything'.^[4]

Compilations[]

• Justice League Unlimited Vol.1: United They Stand (2005-05-18): Includes #1-5.^[5]
• Justice League Unlimited Vol.2: World's Greatest Heroes (2006-04-19): Includes #6-10.^[6]
• Justice League Unlimited Vol.3: Champions of Justice(2006-04-19): Includes #11-15.^[7]
• Justice League Unlimited: The Ties That Bind (2008-04-09): Includes #16-22.^[8]
• Justice League Unlimited: Heroes (2009-04-08): Includes #23-29.^[9]
• Justice League Unlimited: Galactic Justice (2020-08-25, ISBN 1-77950-673-2/ISBN 978-1-77950-673-3): Includes #4, 6, 18, 24, 34, 46.^[10]
• Justice League Unlimited: Hocus Pocus (2021-02-02, ISBN 1-77950-754-2/ISBN 978-177950-754-9): Includes #11, 14, 25, 33, 37, 40.

Film[]

In 2019, Warner Bros. Animation released the film Justice League vs. the Fatal Five. While not officially confirmed by the studio, the creator of the DCAU and producer of the film Bruce Timm considers this film to take place in DCAU.^[11][12]

See also[]

• List of Justice League episodes
• Justice League: Worlds Collide, a canceled Justice League DTV feature.
• Justice League Unlimited toyline

References[]

External links[]

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Justice League Unlimited

• DC page: TV series, comics
• Justice League Unlimited at the Big Cartoon DataBase
• Justice League Unlimited at IMDb
• Justice League Unlimited at The World's Finest
• Justice League Unlimited on the DC Animated Universe Wiki, an external wiki