(Image Source: Warner Bros. Discovery)
The ultimate goal for the most idealist heroes is to see their enemies reformed. Comic books and the movies and TV shows based upon them are full of redemption arcs. However, these hopes rarely pan out; Audiences love a good villain and rarely want to see them go straight. Nevertheless, several villains are about to join the Justice League in 2026.
The announcement of the Justice League expansion came in a DC Comics press release regarding DC All-In Act II. The first act of the initiative gave several DC series a new status quo in 2024. That trend will continue into 2026 following DC K.O., with “a big status quo shift for the villains of the DC Universe.” This shift is based around one big question: “Who will join Wonder Woman and Batman in leading the new JLU?”
What villains are joining the Justice League?
The answer may lie in the main cover of the upcoming Justice League Unlimited #17 by Mark Waid and Clayton Henry. The cover by Dan Mora shows several villains standing alongside some clearly displeased heroes. The villains include Lex Luthor, Cheetah, Harley Quinn, Lobo, King Shark, and Starro the Conqueror.
(Image Source: DC Comics / Dan Mora)
It should be noted that all of these villains have a history of working with heroes for a greater good. Harley Quinn and Lobo could even be read as antiheroes rather than full-time villains. Even Lex Luthor, with some rare exceptions, is willing to work with Superman if the Earth itself is at stake. (After all, what good is proving he’s the better man if no one survives to see it?) It should also be noted that Lex Luthor and Harley Quinn have both been Justice League members in the recent past.
In any case, it will be interesting to see how this sudden shift changes the villains and the Justice League itself. The tensions are sure to be tight, particularly between arch-enemies like Wonder Woman and Cheetah. However, there is a chance, albeit a small one, that some of the villains may find they like being heroes more than doing dirty deeds.
