Zack Snyder's Justice League

This article is about an upcoming production. Please just add confirmed information.

## Information

### **Producer**

Charles Roven
 Deborah Snyder

### **Production**

Warner Bros. Pictures
 Warner Max
 DC Films
 Atlas Entertainment
 The Stone Quarry

### **Starring**

Ben Affleck
 Henry Cavill
 Gal Gadot
 Ezra Miller
 Jason Momoa
 Ray Fisher

### **Genre**

Action
 Superhero
 Adventure
Fantasy

> "*This guy probably has fought hundreds of thousands of other super-beings on the other planets he's destroyed, right? And we have to assume he's won*."
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> "*I don't care how many demons he's fought and how many hells, he's never fought us. Not us **united**.*"
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> ― Barry Allen, to Bruce Wayne
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***Zack Snyder's Justice League (***commonly referred to as the **"Snyder Cut")** is the director's cut of the American superhero film, *Justice League* (2017)—the fifth film of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) and based on the DC Comics superhero team of the same name—as director Zack Snyder had intended it before he left the production and Joss Whedon took over his duties.

The film features a (returning) ensemble cast that includes Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen and, J. K. Simmons.

*Zack Snyder's Justice League* was released on March 18, 2021 on HBO Max. It was released as a four-hour long film.

## **Synopsis**

Following the death of Superman in *Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice*, Batman and Wonder Woman recruit the Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg to form the Justice League and protect the world from Steppenwolf and his army of Parademons, who seek the three Mother Boxes.

## **Cast**

Further information: *Cast of Justice League (film)*

* Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne / Batman
* Henry Cavill as Kal-El / Clark Kent / Superman
* Gal Gadot as Diana Prince / Wonder Woman
* Ezra Miller as Barry Allen / The Flash
* Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry / Aquaman
* Ray Fisher as Victor Stone / Cyborg
* Amy Adams as Lois Lane
* Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth
* J. K. Simmons as Commissioner James Gordon
* Diane Lane as Martha Kent
* Connie Nielsen as Hippolyta
* Ciarán Hinds as Steppenwolf
* Joe Morton as Silas Stone
* Amber Heard as Mera
* Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor
* Kiersey Clemons as Iris West
* Willem Dafoe as Nuidis Vulko
* Zheng Kai as Ryan Choi
* Karen Bryson as Elinore Stone
* Julian Lewis Jones as King Atlan
* Marc McClure as Officer Ben Sadowsky
* Peter Guinness as DeSaad
* Ray Porter as Uxas / Darkseid
* Joe Manganiello as Slade Wilson / Deathstroke
* Jared Leto as Joker

## **Production**

### Summary

As details surfaced about the *Justice League*'s troubled production and its state before initial director Zack Snyder stepped down, many fans expressed interest in an alternate cut more faithful to Snyder's vision. Fans and members of the cast and crew petitioned for the release of this, which they nicknamed the Snyder Cut. At the time, industry insiders regarded the release as unlikely. However, Warner Bros. decided to move ahead with it in February 2020; the following May, Snyder announced that the original cut would be released as *Zack Snyder's Justice League* via the streaming service, HBO Max. The restoration will cost around $70 million to complete the visual effects, score, editing, and additional shooting.

## **Release**

*Zack Snyder's Justice League* was released on March 18, 2021 on HBO Max. It was released as a 4-hour long film. Snyder also confirmed that DC and WB are currently working on other distribution plans for the cut in international markets where HBO Max is not available. The cut was released in a 1.66:1 aspect ratio.

### Marketing

Alongside the announcement of *Zack Snyder's Justice League*, HBO released posters depicting the six members of the Justice League. Although these posters had previously been used for the theatrical film's marketing campaign, the HBO ones featured a black-and-white filter and strongly emphasized Snyder's name. Chris Agar of *Screen Rant* called the filter "a stark contrast from the colorful *Justice League* posters that were prevalent in the buildup to the theatrical release, which is most definitely an intentional choice to separate the two versions of the movie."

Snyder announced on May 22, 2020, that a trailer was in the works. A brief teaser, featuring Wonder Woman, a voiceover of Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, and the reveal of Darkseid, was released on June 18. On July 25, 2020, an official clip was released with the reveal of black suit Superman during Justice Con 2020. On August 22, 2020, the first teaser was released during the DC FanDome event. It was well-received by audiences and critics alike.

## **Reception**

### Reactions

The announcement of *Zack Snyder's Justice League* was celebrated by the #ReleasetheSnyderCut movement, with many fans expressing their enthusiasm on social media. Some Snyder fans uploaded videos of them destroying their DVD and Blu-ray copies of the theatrical cut. Many industry figures, such as cast members of *Justice League*, expressed their gratitude to the fans who supported the release of Snyder's version of the film. However, some journalists expressed concern that WarnerMedia was conceding to fans who had engaged in forms of harassment and trolling during the movement, which they feared would set a negative precedent. *Screen Rant* wrote that it sent the message that fan pressuring can work to influence film studios, networks, and streaming services. In response to this concern, CEO of HBO Max Tony Goncalves reiterated the passion of the fandom and denied such claims, affirming that as a business they listen to demand from consumers.

## **Differences from the Theatrical Cut**

Further information: Production of Justice League (film) § Significant changes to the theatrical cut

There are many differences between the theatrical *Justice League* and *Zack Snyder's Justice League*. While the basic framework of the story is the same, dozens of additional scenes, backstories, mythos, worldbuilding elements, new characters, and teases for upcoming films are present in Snyder's version but not the theatrical release.

*Zack Snyder's Justice League* will not include any scenes shot by Whedon for the theatrical cut. Snyder has also stated that his version of *Justice League* will be set in a different continuity to Whedon's version. In August 2020, Jason Momoa confirmed that James Wan's *Aquaman* (2018) took place right after *Zack Snyder's Justice League* rather than Whedon's version.

Due to the initial length of the director's cut, Warner Bros. and Zack Snyder decided to release *Zack Snyder's Justice League* as a series rather than a full-length film. The series will premiere on HBO Max in early 2021 as a 4-part episode series.

## **Trivia**

* Snyder redesigned Steppenwolf for *Zack Snyder's Justice League*.
* #ReleaseTheSnyderCut was the most tweeted hashtag for an unreleased movie.
* The film's official teaser thematically uses Leonard Cohen's widely famous song, "Hallelujah".
	+ Snyder previously used the song in his DC Comics film, *Watchmen*.
	+ The song served a silent tribute to Snyder's late daughter, who died during the early production of the theatrical cut, as it was her favorite and concurrently played at her funeral.
* Snyder's second movie for a major streaming platform.
	+ Netflix's '*Army of the Dead*' is his first.
* Darkseid did not appear in the theatrical cut of *Justice League*, meaning *Zack Snyder's Justice League* will mark the character's first appearance in a live-action film.
	+ Actor Ray Porter played Darkseid through the use of motion capture and "went through a few different vocal gymnastics trying to figure out the voice".
	+ Porter was also unfamiliar with the Darkseid character upon being cast, but Snyder and screenwriter Chris Terrio helped guide him with their knowledge of the comic book lore.