The DC answer to the Avengers has not been having a good week following a disappointing box office opening weekend and yet another negative score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Nevertheless Justice League’s promotion in China appears to be fighting back against the film’s much more successful main rival, Marvel’s Avengers.
Spotted by a fan on Reddit, a poster showing Marvel superheroes being brutally killed by the Justice League has been used by many Chinese cinemas.
This also includes a video hosting website called iQiyi, who promote the film officially, and ticketing app Wanda Cinema – the country’s biggest cinema chain.
The Reddit user wrote: “The graphic poster includes Deadpool on Aquaman’s pitchfork, Batman holding a cut-off head of Thor, Wolverine being stabbed to death, the Flash stepping on Captain America’s head, Superman squishing Ant-Man, and a disembodied Ironman lying on the ground.”
While iQiyi has since replaced the doctored image, the poster still appears in many cinemas, as seen in a video shot in an elevator.
Yet despite the creative advertising and the film showing on 21,000 screens in China, Justice League has made around just $54 million so far according to Forbes.
Just how badly Justice League will flop remains to be seen, as does the effect it will have on planned future DC Extended Universe movies.
Even Ben Affleck has hinted at leaving the franchise, but can it be saved?