Shoehorning too many villains into a comic book blockbuster is a trap that many titles have fallen into in the past, with the onslaught of antagonists only stealing screen time from each other in the long run, and one well-rounded bad guy is usually vastly superior to a handful of paper-thin nemeses.
The theatrical version of Justice League only had a single villain, but then again, Steppenwolf was pretty terrible in all respects, and barely left an impression. Everything about the Snyder Cut promises to be bigger, bolder, badder and better, though, so it isn’t a surprise to discover that there are going to be at least six foes for the titular superhero team to deal with at various points.
Zack Snyder recently confirmed that the opening scene of the movie will feature Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor, while Joe Manganiello’s Deathstroke and Jared Leto’s Joker were both late additions to the ensemble for the final batch of reshoots. And while the last trailer may have made it look as though the Clown Prince of Crime has forged a tenuous alliance with Ben Affleck’s Batman, this is still the Joker we’re talking about, so he’ll no doubt have some nefarious scheme in mind.
Darkseid is also making his entry into the DCEU, and it seems like he’s brought a handful of New Gods with him for good measure. Desaad has already been glimpsed in the promotional footage, while Snyder has hinted at some more of the characters who will be along for the ride. That means the various members of the Justice League will need to contend with at least Steppenwolf, Darkseid, Desaad, Lex Luthor, Deathstroke and the Joker throughout the four-hour running time, which is a lot more villainy than they had to combat the first time around.