Why Martian Manhunter Didn’t Help In Man of Steel Or Batman V Superman

While the Martian Manhunter had a cameo at the end of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, it seems as though he didn’t see his involvement as necessary in prior DCEU films such as Man of Steel or Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Why would such a powerful alien superhero choose not to lend of hand against threats such as General Zod, Lex Luthor, Doomsday, or even Steppenwolf in the Snyder Cut? It’s possible that he actually was working to help in the past, albeit in the shadows.

The basis for this line of thinking comes from the fact that Martian Manhunter is portrayed by Harry Lennix, who played the military general by the name of Calvin Swanwick in 2013’s Man of Steel, who then became a senator by the time of 2016’s Batman v Superman. Martian Manhunter (real name J’onn J’onzz ) is a shape shifter, and the Snyder Cut has confirmed that Swanwick is the Manhunter’s primary human form. Being in such high levels of power and influence within the government, it seems as though Martian Manhunter seemed content to play at being a human while doing good when he could behind the scenes, presumably not wanting to risk being exposed as an alien life form from Mars.

Furthermore, an example of his efforts in Zack Snyder’s Justice League sees the Martian Manhunter taking the form of Superman’s mother Martha Kent in order to encourage a grieving Lois Lane to get back into the world, apparently knowing how important she is for the present and future of the DCEU. Additionally, during his conversation with Batman, he tells Bruce Wayne that he’s here to help with the war that’s coming with Darkseid: “I have a stake in this world, and it’s time I started fighting for it.” This indicates that J’onzz is finally ready to reveal himself to the world as the powerful being and hero he truly is, and his lack of direct assistance in past films came from a reluctance to take more overt action than what he was already doing as Swanwick.

Additionally, J’onn J’onzz revealed to Bruce Wayne that’s he’s taken on many forms and gone by many names, which does suggest that he’s perhaps done much more to orchestrate events for the sake of good beyond what’s been seen on screen or referenced in any of the past DCEU films. In any case, having Martian Manhunter offering to fight alongside the League would normally be very exciting, as far as what that would mean for the team’s dynamics with J’onzz in future Justice League films from Snyder. However, those plans are extremely uncertain at the moment, as they were cancelled in the years after the 2017 theatrical release of Justice League.

At this juncture, it seems unlikely that the rest of the SnyderVerse will be restored, despite the incredible teases made for future Justice League installments at the end of Zack Snyder’s Justice League. However, it’s still an incredible treat to see the Martian Manhunter in all his glory as his true self, even if his time to fight was meant to be later in the DCEU’s future.