When somebody says the word “superhero”, who do you think of? Wonder Woman? Batman? Superman? If those three heroes popped into your mind, you have most likely heard of the DC Cinematic Universe (DCEU), a cinematic universe made up of blockbusters like Man of Steel, Wonder Woman, and now, Justice League.

The universe’s newest movie is about Batman and Wonder Woman, along with three other heroes, are working together to save the world from an evil threat called Steppenwolf. Casual viewers are most likely already familiar with Batman and Wonder Woman, but some may not know the other heroes like Aquaman or Cyborg. Join me, in discovering who these heroes are before you go see Justice League!

Batman
Real Name: Bruce Wayne
Occupation: Billionaire Businessman
Powers/Abilities: Advanced technology, peak-human strength, and peak-human agility
Played by: Ben Affleck
After the tragic murder of his parents, the billionaire Bruce Wayne swore that he would prevent the deaths of more innocents by becoming the Batman. In the cinematic universe, he had first butted heads with Superman but eventually came to respect the Man of Steel after his sacrifice. Now, in Justice League, Wayne has decided to work with other heroes in order to save the world and continue to enforce the message Superman shared with the world.

Wonder Woman
Real Name: Diana Prince
Occupation: Curator at the Louvre
Powers/Abilities: Enhanced strength and agility, a golden lasso, and bullet-proof gauntlets, immortality
Played by: Gal Gadot
Wonder Woman, or Diana Prince, is the daughter of the Greek god Zeus and the queen of the Amazons Hippolyta. She trained in combat since her youth, but only during World War I, when she traveled to the human world and fell in love with a spy named Steve Trevor, did she learn about compassion. However, she became apathetic to humans during her long lifespan because she learned of the cruelties they were capable of. But the death of Superman spurred Prince to fight for humanity once again, and in Justice League, she joins Batman in order to save the world.

The Flash
Real Name: Barry Allen
Occupation: College Student
Powers/Abilities: Super Speed
Played by: Ezra Miller
Barry Allen is a regular student at Central City College, studying criminal justice to free his incarcerated father. He is also gifted with incredible speed and energy, which he had shown off in the movies Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad. He eagerly joins the Justice League for companionship and guidance.

Aquaman
Real Name: Arthur Curry
Occupation: Heir to the Atlantis Throne
Powers/Abilities: Super Strength, Super Speed, Super Endurance, and telepathic communication with sea life
Played by: Jason Mamoa
Arthur Curry is half-Atlantean, half-human, as his mother was the ruler of the underwater kingdom Atlantis, while his father was a human who raised him. Because of his mixed heritage, Arthur could never fit in with humans nor Atlanteans and became resentful to his mother, who had abandoned him. However, as he is still the rightful heir to the Atlantean throne, he joins sides with Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, and Cyborg in order to defend his underwater kingdom.

Cyborg
Real Name: Victor (Vic) Stone
Occupation: Former star football player
Powers/Abilities: Super strength, various cybernetic weapons
Played by: Ray Fisher
Once, Vic Stone was a star football player at Gotham City University. However, he got into a tragic car accident that almost killed him, but was saved by his brilliant scientist father, Dr. Silas Stone. Silas replaced injured parts of his son’s body with cybernetics, saving Vic but also trapping him in a metallic body that he hated. Diana Prince, or Wonder Woman, encourages Vic Stone to help the Justice League because of the incredible abilities his new body provides him, and with reluctance, Vic does so.

These colorful heroes have such vibrant and different backgrounds, it will be interesting to see their interactions and teamwork in the upcoming movie. Now that they’ve made the jump from comic to movie, the Justice League is sure to have a vibrant future in the DCEU.