New 'Justice League' Trailer Hints An Epic Return For Superman

What’s a superhero league without its leader? Throughout the marketing for “Justice League,” we’ve only seen a number of DC’s flagship superheroes—namely Batman (Ben Affleck), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Flash (Ezra Miller), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher). We all know that Superman died, yadda yadda, and that the movie will feature his return at some point. However, the latest trailer—aptly titled “official heroes,”—does hint at a grand return for the Man of Steel, with Bruce even saying, “the world needs Superman.”
So how exactly will Superman make his return? Before we dive into it, check out the trailer first:

Justice League: Superman Reborn

In 1992, DC came up with a comic book storyline that shows SUperman at his lowest, even killing him off entirely towards the end. “The Death of Superman” was a multi-issue story that covered the death and return of Superman. In the original story, Superman tries to stop Doomsday from going on a rampage and killing spree. TOwards the end of their battle, both of them die. This is when we see that famous panel where Lois Lane holds Superman in her arms, while Jimmy Olsen looks on.

Taking from this scene, “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice” established a faithful adaptation of Superman’s death towards the end of their fight scene. This time though, it features a more sorrowful ambiance, with Batman, Wonder Woman and Lois Lane standing together in complete shock at Superman’s passing. In the comics, Superman re-emerges with a brand new costume—a black and silver combination of his Kryptonian suit. It’s unclear if the movie will adapt this costume, but Cavill did tease it in an Instagram post back in August.
So how exactly will he rise from the dead? It could only be one of two things—through the fortress of solitude or by Lois Lane.

The Regeneration Matrix

In the comics, Superman’s grave was robbed. His body was stolen by Project Cadmus in an attempt to clone him. While in Cadmus’ possession, the body was recovered by Lois and Supergirl. It was stolen again by the Last Son of Krypton (or the Eradicator), a Kryptonian alien dedicated to preserving his culture. He brought Superman’s body in the regeneration matrix of the Fortress of Solitude, where the Eradicator used it as some kind of a power source for him to gain Superman’s likeness.

While all of this is happening, four other Supermen emerge and claims to be the real one. There’s Steel AKA John Henry Irons, Cyborg Superman (a body double AKA Hank Henshaw), Cadmus’ own creation Superboy and the Eradicator. Each of them makes it a point to save the Earth from threats and also to eliminate their co-Supermen. A battle for the ultimate title ensues—and the real Superman finally comes out. While the battle is ongoing, Superman’s powers are restored and he wipes out the four false Supermen, finally making his official return as the one true Man of Steel.
It’s a great scene to see in the comics, but the movie is very unlikely to use this as its resurrection narrative. Which brings us to the most logical and often-teased theory…

Lois Lane is the key

The new “Justice League” trailer opens with Lois dreaming about Clark’s return. Lois’ engagement ring is mentioned, and she wakes up to a reality where Clark is gone.
Now let’s backtrack a bit. In “Dawn of Justice,” the Knightmare sequence shows a time-traveling Barry Allen randomly appear to Bruce and shouts that “Lois Lane is the key.” Back then people were left puzzled, and wondering how the hell this connects to the greater narrative of Batman and Superman’s fight. Some thought that she was the key to winning over their dispute, which was seen towards the end when that “Martha” word was uttered.

However, with “Justice League” looming around the corner, one might think, “what’s the greater role of Lois Lane in the story?” It turns out that she might just be the one to bring Clark back to life, seeing how their relationship is deeply rooted into each other. During Clark’s funeral, Lois dropped a handful of dirt into his grave. This dirt floats and signals Superman’s imminent return.
In one way or another, Lois is indeed the only way that Supes could be brought back to life. It’s established in the DCEU that Lois is a huge part of Superman’s life, and it’s impossible for him to exist without her. Whatever the case may be, Superman lives, and we’ll see him in all his glory once “Justice League” premieres November 17.