Justice League premiered on Cartoon Network in 2001 as part of the DC Animated Universe, following Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series. Its opening, composed by Lolita Ritmanis, used a full orchestral arrangement instead of a sung theme, matching the show's more serious tone. The series ran until 2004 and continued as Justice League Unlimited, helping the music become closely associated online with heroic team-ups, DC edits, and nostalgic posts about early 2000s cartoons shared by fans who grew up watching the show together years later.