Warning: Justice League spoilers ahead!
Ever since the events of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the derelict Wayne Manor has remained an enigma in the DC Extended Universe. It's a mysterious locale with a distinctly dark past, but the recent release of Justice League has officially given it a bright future. Although it's not explicitly stated in the final moments of Zack Snyder's latest superhero team-up, Bruce Wayne, Alfred and Diana Prince's early plans for Wayne Manor seem to indicate that we're about to see the Hall of Justice enter the DCEU.
We know this because of the phrasing used in Justice League's final montage. Bruce, Alfred, and Diana all enter the burned-out building to assess the damage. Gazing into the main hall, Bruce and Diana talk about adding a large table with six chairs -- as well as "room for more." Using the comics as precedent, this implies that the newly formed Justice League plans to use the old Wayne Manor as its new HQ.
First appearing in the Super Friends TV series in the 1970s, the Hall of Justice has served a wide variety of purposes over the course of its history in DC Comics and DC animation. It has been used as a staging area before battles, a training ground, a place of residence and even a museum open for members of the public to visit.
Introducing the Hall of Justice also paves the way for other vital portions of the Justice League lore to debut in the DCEU as well. In some versions of the DC canon, the Hall has been retired from official use when the Justice League adopted an even more advanced headquarters: The Watchtower.
It's unclear if The Watchtower will ever debut in the DCEU as well, but the final scenes of Justice League imply that the DCEU wants to move in a direction that's more faithful to the comics. With the last Justice League post-credits scene suggesting the eventual creation of the Legion of Doom (a group that often has its HQ in swamps outside Gotham), it makes sense that the League will get its own place to call home.
That's the basic gist as to why Wayne Manor becoming the Hall of Justice is so vital for the future of the DCEU, but there are other aspects of this development worth addressing as well. Specifically, how it relates to Bruce Wayne himself. The Hall of Justice is often a typically well-known location among the people of Earth, and making the former residence of the Wayne Family the new headquarters of the burgeoning group of heroes could obviously raise questions about Bruce's own involvement with the League. If Wayne goes on to become associated with the Justice League, then this could also pave the way for DC to introduce the concept of Batman Incorporated into the DCEU.
Batman Incorporated is a fan-favorite storyline from DC Comics, and it involves Bruce Wayne becoming a public face for The Dark Knight all over the world. He doesn't explicitly come out as the Caped Crusader, but he shows faith in the concept of Batman and uses his wealth to fund a Batman on every continent. Justice League already implies that Batfleck might not be able to physically continue kicking ass in the cape and cowl for much longer, so introducing Batman Incorporated (in addition to the Hall of Justice) could provide a way to segue him out of an action-oriented role while passing the mantle down to others, such as Dick Grayson.
Only time will tell how Wayne Manor will evolve and develop as it becomes the Hall of Justice, as much of the franchise's future will likely be shaped by Justice League's financial performance. That said, it's exciting to see what the future holds. Justice League is now in theaters, so make sure to read CinemaBlend's in-depth review (as well as our handy To 3D guide) and check it out to see these DC heroes in action for yourself!
