The Injustice franchise of video games and tie-in comics have received mixed reviews from fans and critics, specifically when it comes to the brutality of that version of Superman and his fall from grace as he evolved from hero to an evil tyrant. Despite many of these views, the Injustice universe has intrigued fans for over a decade at this point, and the last game, Injustice 2, came out all the way back in 2017, with no concrete news as to the fate of a Injustice 3 down the line.
However, it's always fun to just let the imagination run wild and theorize what a potential Injustice 3 storyline could look like. So, come with me through a world where some of our greatest heroes have become mankind's greatest enemies.
Injustice 2's two endings explained
Injustice 2 had two possible endings to the game's story campaign. After the defeat of Brainiac, the remaining heroes decide where they should go from that point, since they put their differences aside to fight Brainiac and afterward it would be "business as usual". Unfortunately, any chance for peace between Team Batman and Team Superman is shattered when things went back to the way they were, as the two sides clashed once again.
The player at this point in the game can choose to either play as Superman or Batman, and each decision has its own ending to the overall story mode of the game. For those who picked Batman, they are treated to a bittersweet ending where Team Batman wins, and Superman, for all his crimes against humanity, was permanently de-powered with the use of gold kryptonite and banished to the Phantom Zone, with the remaining heroes left to pick up the pieces of Brainiac's attack and Superman's Regime. Players who chose Superman during the final act were treated to a very bleak ending, where Superman's side wins, and the Man of Steel takes control of Brainiac's technology to become even stronger, and with his new powers takes mental control of all the heroes who opposed him, including Batman, where it's assumed that Superman went on to conquer the Earth and the universe at large.
It's been common practice with multiple endings to video games that the "good" ending is the one that a sequel follows up on, so using that philosophy for Injustice 2, let's take a look at what a potential third movie could look like in this franchise.
Injustice 3 could be a story of legacy
With the defeat and banishment of Superman in Injustice 2, the world is finally free from the tyranny of his regime, but what happens next? That's what we've all been asking since the game came out, so what could a third game look like?
Taking that into account, I think Supergirl should be one of the main focal points to the story of a potential third Injustice game, partially due to the fact that she's the only link between what Superman was before he turned to evil. Imagine the Girl of Steel l trying to be the hero she wants to be, but because of the actions of her cousin, her symbol, her powers have caused distrust and downright fear in the eyes of humanity. This plot point was briefly touched upon in Injustice 2, but for the sequel it should be developed further. Batman could also serve as a mentor figure to Supergirl, trying to instill in her the virtues that Superman used to live by before his turn, and to keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn't become corrupted by guilt and anguish as Superman did.
The Wonder Woman character in the Injustice universe also fell hard from grace, being the second in command of Superman's Regime and devout follower to the Man of Steel, so that would be a good story opportunity to introduce members of Wonder Woman's supporting cast. Diana would be stripped of her titles as both Queen of the Amazons and as Wonder Woman, allowing for a new Wonder Woman coming in to take her place.
There are several characters who would fit the bill, such as Artemis who became Wonder Woman in the '90s era of comics, but with the overall theme of this hypothetical version of Injustice 3 being the passing of the torch to new heroes, there is another option. Young heroes were introduced in Injustice 2, such as Jaime Reyes as Blue Beetle and Jefferson Jackson as Firestorm, and with that, a new character to the Injustice universe could take the mantle of Wonder Woman.
Donna Troy would be a good fit here. She served as Wonder Woman's sidekick, Wonder Girl, in the comics for decades, and I think she would fill Diana's shoes nicely. It would allow her to carry on the legacy of what Wonder Woman once stood for and attempt to redeem the mantle's reputation after Diana's recent actions in Injustice 2.
There are so many ways the story of Injustice could continue, and that's just one of them! How do you think the next chapter of this franchise should play out? Stay tuned for more theories on Injustice 3!