Rather than simply share the latest image from Justice League, which you’ve likely seen on the internet by now, I’ve decided instead to make the argument on why those who were disappointed with Batman v Superman should find hope in this film, as hinted by in this latest image. First off, how awesome is it to see The Flash (Ezra Miller), Batman (Ben Affleck), and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) standing together in battle? I have no idea what they’re staring at, but reports from previous set visits lead me to believe it could be parademons (you know, those flying creatures that Batman fought in his desert knightmare sequence).

Anyways, I’m not here to speculate on the plot, I’m here to to talk about this latest hint at how things are going to be different, in a good way, for Justice League. As you may know, Zack Snyder received harsh criticism for his directorial effort on Batman v Superman. Reasons for the disappointment among fans and critics included a incoherent plot, a failure to adapt a particular character properly (in their eyes), and most importantly… the lack of fun they had watching the film due to its dark, depressing tone. Snyder’s movies have always had its own style of visual color palette in order to bring a higher sense of realism. This move turned off quite a few fans, and for some it led them to create their own fan edits of the movie (see Man of Steel re-done on Youtube). But what were we to expect? The very first teaser images for Batman v Superman hinted towards Snyder making a very dark film (see the first two images of Batman v Superman above showing Batman standing near the Batmobile and Superman standing in the dreary Gotham City weather).

Once the negative criticism for the film rained down on Warner Bros., they were forced to re-think their strategy on Justice League. Snyder remained on board as director, but with many eyes watching over his shoulder. The fans demanded a lighter tone, and when you hear the name Zack Snyder, that isn’t exactly something that comes to mind. However, the first footage of Justice League that was shown at Comic-Con this past summer put a heavy emphasis on humor and fun. Now, Snyder is following up on that footage with this brightly colored image of The Flash, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Look at the new image and then look back at the images above from Batman v Superman. What a difference!

Now just because the image is lighter and more colorful doesn’t mean the film will be great, that’s not what I’m saying (I know better now). My whole point is that Justice League has heard its fans, and promises to deliver hope, fun, and even more incredible action to its loyal fan base.Whether or not Snyder’s DC films have delivered a coherent story is up for debate. But the bottom line is that I feel like this image is yet another hint that change is coming for the DCEU. The good kind. Justice League hits theaters on November 17th, 2017.