2016 is shaping up to be the year DC really breaks open its world. Two of this year’s hottest upcoming films are undeniably the company’s latest entries in the DC Extended Universe: Suicide Squad is set to offer up the darker side of DC, with its team of anti-heroes and bad guys. But before Harley and crew raise hell, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice will lay the groundwork for the burgeoning film version of the comic book mythos.

Batman V Superman is psyching DC devotees up for a major clash of the superhero titans between Ben Affleck’s caped crusader and Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel. At the same time, the film also brings new threats like conniving Lex Luthor and ultra-menace Doomsday into the fray, forcing the warring superheroes to put aside their differences. And in the face of overwhelming villainy, the two heroes will recognize that even they need some help.

Talking with cast and crew members, USA Today explored the exciting team-up from which the Justice League will emerge. Director Zack Snyder admits that BVS and Suicide Squad are only “the cornerstone of the beginning” for Warner Bros.’ expanding universe. He also tells fans they will get a glimpse of a freshly assembled Justice League:

“I love Batman and Superman and Wonder Woman, but having Flash and Aquaman and Cyborg and to see them all standing together, it’s a pretty dorky and cool experience for me,” Snyder, says. “Basically every one of those characters has a logo that you would recognize without them standing there, and that’s a hard thing to achieve in this pop-culture world. We have history to draw on, but we also have these new frontiers to forge.”

Snyder’s admission alludes to the likely inclusion of a partially assembled Justice League in Batman V Superman, something fans have been wondering about since the full title was announced. Not only will the film offer an outed Superman and a no-nonsense Batman, it will also deliver the first glimpse of heroes like Cyborg (Ray Fisher), as well as larger roles for Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) – who’s rumored to assemble the league – and, of course, Aquaman (Jason Momoa).

Of course in the comics, the full Justice League team is massive, consisting of at times dozens of superheroes. The film version of the League in BVS may only be a teaser of the expansive super team. Snyder’s admission only sets up the original core group, leaving us wondering whether BVS will also include other unmentioned members of the team, including those with upcoming standalone films, such as Shazam and Green Lantern? Does this mean that every established and casted DC heroes will at least see a frame or two in the film, or will it only feature those Snyder refers to?

Depending on where the DC film universe draws its Justice League inspiration from, the upcoming Justice League films could very well take a page from the Marvel Universe and introduce one of the dozens of smaller heroes who could see lesser screen time or even potentially wind up with solo films. It’s unlikely that we’ll see DC’s TV universe in Batman V Superman, but it has been rumored that Justice League Dark will be a part of the DCEU, though it’s still uncertain what role they’ll play in the anthology films.

How big should the Justice League grow in DC/Warner Bros’ film universe? What lesser-known DC heroes would you love to see on the big screen?

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will open in theaters on March 25th, 2016; Suicide Squad on August 5th, 2016; Wonder Woman – June 23rd, 2017; Justice League – November 17th, 2017; The Flash – March 23rd, 2018; Aquaman – July 27th, 2018; Shazam – April 5th, 2019; Justice League 2 – June 14th, 2019; Cyborg – April 3rd, 2020; Green Lantern – June 19th, 2020.

Source: USA Today