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Justice League: War

Justice League: War

A time when heroes became legends.

Video201479 minPG-13Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Director
Jay Oliva
Starring
Michelle Monaghan, Alan Tudyk, Sean Astin, Shemar Moore

The world is under attack by an alien armada led by the powerful Apokoliptian, Darkseid. A group of superheroes consisting of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Cyborg, and Shazam must set aside their differences and gather together to defend Earth.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Justice League: War?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Justice League: War streaming on HBO Max and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about Justice League: War?

Justice League: War earns 2 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Fun.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Justice League: War worth watching?

Justice League: War's Midcredits score is the 88th percentile of all films, from 119K ratings across 4 sources. 79% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

88th percentile

Better received than 88% of films

81st percentile among Animation88th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)83rd
Approval (how many liked it)89th

71 /100

83rd percentile of all films

76th percentile among Animation83rd percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.4 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

79% liked it

89th percentile of all films

85th percentile among Animation90th percentile among 2010s
79% rated it 7–1021% rated it 1–6

Critics 57% · Audience 79%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

84th percentile

119K ratings across platforms

69th percentile among Animation86th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 25% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$3.5M

What reviewers say

Fans praised

  • relentless action with impressive set pieces
  • humorous character banter, especially Batman and Green Lantern
  • Darkseid as a menacing and formidable threat

Detractors panned

  • unlikable and grating characterizations, especially Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern
  • weak, simplistic plot with no depth or character development
  • contrived and convenient ending with no real stakes

What stands out

Effects and spectacleDivisive70

impressive action sequences and Darkseid's destructive presence

PacingDivisive60

non-stop action makes it brisk but rushed and exhausting

ActingDivisive55

voice cast is competent but lacks iconic gravitas; Superman and Wonder Woman miscast

HumorDivisive55

funny for some, but often cringe-inducing and overly crude

DialogueDivisive45

witty banter works for some, but often crude, forced, and juvenile

Plot and storyDivisive35

bare-bones invasion story with no character arcs or logical motivation for villain

Originality30

derivative of The Avengers and rehashed DC tropes; lacks fresh ideas

CharactersDivisive28

heroes portrayed as arrogant, unlikable, and out-of-character, especially Superman and Green Lantern

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 7 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 3 points apart
  • Critics vs users 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US 8 points apart

Watch experience

What is Justice League: War like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Fun ride: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want a fun ride.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you entertained.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Fun ride.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseThrillingHopeful
Heaviest: late
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Adventurous · 11% of filmsEpic · 2% of films: Vast in scale: big landscapes, big stakes, a long span.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its superhero origin story straight, balancing action and character banter without undercutting the stakes.
The rideThe film maintains a constant tension of an impending alien invasion, punctuated by action sequences, and builds to a heavy, all-hands-on-deck climax and a more hopeful resolution.
StructureConventional linear narrative following the origin of the Justice League from first encounter to climactic battle.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Entertained.

The answer rests on this: FunHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayThe film ends with the heroes celebrated and united, leaving a sense of hopeful victory and enjoyment.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterInvasion
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% (this title) · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Invasion: An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).

21% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe film chronicles the first meeting of Earth's major superheroes as they unite to repel an alien invasion led by Darkseid.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfLoyaltyBonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4% (this title)
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% (this title) · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% (this title) · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Loyalty · 4% of filmsAmbition · 7% of filmsSacrifice · 4% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film centers on these disparate heroes learning to trust and fight for one another, setting aside individual pride to unite against a common threat.
StanceThe film celebrates the idea that disparate heroes can overcome their differences and work together for the greater good, affirming the value of teamwork and sacrifice.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalScience fiction
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Kevin Kliesch
SettingA modern-day Earth with established superheroes, moving from Gotham and Metropolis to S.T.A.R. Labs and the alien world of Apokolips.
MusicThe score is a serviceable superhero orchestral work that underscores the action without being particularly memorable.

Content guide

Is Justice League: War okay for kids?

PG-13

Justice League: War is rated PG-13. As of August 19, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (57/100), sexual content at minimal (15/100), language at moderate (35/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (0/100) and frightening material at moderate (51/100). Overall it is heavier than 45% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 7 other countries
  • UK12
  • FranceU
  • Ireland12
  • Brazil12
  • Hungary16
  • MexicoB
  • Spain12
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 29% of all filmsHeavier than 45% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 64%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 20%
Profanity
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 31%
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 1%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 57%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is violence, heavier than 64% of PG-13-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Justice League: War have?

MovieCove's classifier found no content warnings in Justice League: War's parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

Cast and crew

Who is in Justice League: War?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Michelle Monaghan
as Wonder Woman
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Alan Tudyk
as Superman
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Sean Astin
as Shazam
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Shemar Moore
as Cyborg
Christopher Gorham
as The Flash
Justin Kirk
as Green Lantern
Jason O'Mara
as Batman
George Newbern
as Steve Trevor
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Steve Blum
as Darkseid
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Zach Callison
as Billy Batson
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Justice League: War?

Movies like Justice League: War include Justice League: Throne of Atlantis (2015), Superman: Unbound (2013) and Wonder Woman: Bloodlines (2019). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films written by Geoff Johns, and most are sci-fi films.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

All 12 share its world: superhero. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Justice League: War?

569 other films share the rarest tag below, premise: origin story. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.