While the DCEU is still in its infancy, receiving what can only be described as polarising reviews for their most recent efforts meant that the popular superhero franchise was in need of a shot in the arm. That shot in the arm came in the form of Wonder Woman, which hit UK cinemas earlier this year and went on to become both a critically and commercial success, grossing more than $666 million worldwide to date. More importantly, fans of the DCEU can now look forward to the release of Justice League later this year with a sense of optimism, but much will depend on the integration of the new characters alongside what are already firm fan favourites.

The familiarity of the characters to the audience has been proven vital to the success of a superhero film and this was seen in the lead up to the recent Batman Vs. Superman movie. Despite its poor performance at the box office, sales of relevant merchandise skyrocketed and even Cadbury managed to get involved, creating chocolates featuring embossed superhero figures. Both Batman and Superman have also enjoyed success in other arenas, with the latter featuring in a Superman online slot game at Guts featuring iconic symbols and characters from the franchise, while Batman has gone onto to become a success in his own right in the gaming industry with a succession of the best selling Arkham Asylum video games.

Indeed, the success of the Batman film franchise hinges massively on the masterful portrayal of The Dark Knight by Christian Bale and Heath Ledger's turn as the Joker is perhaps the sole reason that the second film in the trilogy remains the most talked about. While Man of Steel received more mixed reviews, Cavill's performance as Superman remains one of the highlights of the movie and seemed to go down well with fans and critics alike when it earned a coveted spot at the Shanghai International Film Festival. Superman enthusiasts no doubt then be pleased to hear that Cavill will reprise the role in the upcoming League, despite perishing due to an act of selflessness at the conclusion of Batman Vs. Superman.

In terms of the new characters being introduced to us in the upcoming Justice League film, It's fair to say that Aquaman is probably one that fans are looking forward to the most. While avid Game of Thrones enthusiasts will recognise Jason Mamoa as Khal Drogo from the popular fantasy series, it's fair to say that this eye-candy version of Aquaman looks to pack a punch and is a far cry from the clean-cut blonde comic book version who was known for mainly being that guy who is able to talk to fish. 

Aquaman Movie via Facebook 

Similarly, the casting of Ezra Miller as Barry Allen - or The Flash, as he's more affectionately known - looks to be a masterstroke. One of the most enthralling aspects of recent superhero films and perhaps the reason they've done so well commercially is the successful crossover from colorful cartoons to complex characters in their own right. As perhaps the most humorous and wisecracking of the bunch, The Flash brings a human level of perspective to the group and once again, it seems that Miller has all the experience in his locker to bring the character into the 21st century.

The following Justice League snippet features specially prepared footage that was debuted in July at the ever popular Comic Con festival and should go a long way towards whetting loyal fan's appetites.

With what appears to be a solid plot and on paper, near perfect casting for the new arrivals, even the most sceptical fans of the DC extended universe must be quietly confident about the release of Justice League on November 17th later this year. With lessons learnt from past mistakes and on the back of the success of Wonder Woman, it's hard to find any reason why Marvel's superhuman posse won't find themselves in a league of their own at the top of the box office charts.