The DC Extended Universe is an interesting place. Still very much in its infancy, the bourgeoning shared universe has had its share of divisive films and behind the scenes drama. And while Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman was the DCEU's first critical darling, the impending Justice League movie is in constant flux. After Zack Snyder departed the project in the wake of a family tragedy, Joss Whedon took over and seemingly began making changes to the film. And now another possible red flag has been revealed: Steppenwolf actor Ciarán Hinds didn't actually film alongside any of his co-stars.
Ciarán Hinds recently did an interview at BBC Radio about his various projects, including his villainous role in Justice League. It's in this conversation that he revealed how he never actually met the cast while filming, as all of his motion capture work was done alone behind a green screen. He said:
No, I don't know whether they're all afraid to come and meet me-- no, no they weren't, really. Because it's imaginary, you do it with green screen... That was another challenge, you could say, yeah.
Well, this seems a bit off. While it makes sense that Ciarán Hinds might not have been able to film in a costume that would eventually resemble Steppenwolf's appearance, it seems extremely challenging and a bit alarming that the entirety of his work on the film was independent of the starring cast. Let's break down what this could mean for Justice League.
One possibility regarding Ciarán Hinds's comment might be that Steppenwolf is just not that large of a role in Justice League. While he's certainly the villain that the titular group is gearing up to battle, smart money says he physically shows up a bit later into the film's runtime. There's a ton of groundwork to be laid when properly introducing The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg, so Ciarán Hinds' character probably isn't that major of a role.
But Ciarán Hinds filming completely separate from the rest of the actors may be cause for alarm. While Zack Snyder's projects are typically extremely CGI heavy, at least the actors are together filming in their green screen set. But if the main cast of heroes was unable to film opposite Hinds, then the performances might not be as strong as they could have been. Actors generally need their scene partners in order to perform well, and now it looks like their battle against the villain was filmed without actually having anyone to play to. If the scene is all action like the fight against Doomsday then that's one thing, but Steppenwolf will presumably have some dialogue as well.
Justice League will arrive in theaters November 17, 2017. In the meantime, check out our 2017 release list and plan your next trip to the movies.
