Well I’ll be damned. After two years of conspiracy peddling by (really, really passionate) fans, it turns out there really is a Snyder Cut of Justice League.
Most of us had written the mythical Snyder Cut off as Hollywood’s version of the Loch Ness monster or Bigfoot; lots of unreliable witness accounts and enthusiastic speculation backed by zero concrete evidence. And in all honesty, hearing about it every two minutes-even years after Justice League’s release-was driving plenty of us nuts.
Supporters were prone to spreading their convictions in its existence and demands for its release everywhere. Literally.
Reading an article on Avengers: Endgame slaughtering every box office record in it’s path? There’ll be comments claiming the Snyder Cut is better. Reading about Joker joining the billion dollar club? Release the Snyder Cut! Perusing a list of 2020’s anticipated blockbusters? They forgot to include the Snyder Cut!
Every time there was a convention or film showcase, DC and Snyder’s fans would trip over themselves proclaiming that this was when the embattled director would step onto the stage to proclaim that he was rewarding his fans’ loyalty and patience by finally releasing his vision of Justice League. And the angels would sing and peace would settle over the land and the multitudes would forget their hunger. Snyder was their messiah and his cut of Justice League their Holy Grail. Frankly, it was getting exhausting.
But during the final weeks of 2019, it became clear that there was definitely something out there. Whether it was Jason Mamoa claiming that he’d watched the whole thing or previously unseen images popping up on Twitter, even the bravest skeptic had to admit that there was some alternative version of the movie that we saw back in 2017. Snyder, replying to a Warner exec who called the Cut a pipe dream, tweeted out an image of film canisters allegedly containing over two hours of Justice League footage.
There’s even a hashtag on Twitter; #releasethesnydercut. Talk about a mouthful.
And while talk has cooled the past month, the closer summer movie season gets (particularly comic book blockbusters), demands to liberate the Snyder Cut will heat back up and be deafening by the time school’s done for the year.
Celebrities have joined legions of fans the world over demanding that Warner Bros. release the Snyder cut, putting the studio in a very precarious position. Because while all that fan anticipation may sound great, Warner has to take great care in how they handle the Snyder Cut from here on out. Especially after they spent the better part of the last two years denying it even existed.
First, they have to manage expectations. We’ve been hearing about the Snyder Cut ever since Justice League bombed in 2017. According to legend, Zack Snyder had virtually completed his version of Justice League before stepping away from the project following the tragic suicide of his daughter. DC loyalists (and Marvel haters) bristled at DC’s decision to bring Joss Whedon (who helmed the first two Avengers films) on board to complete the movie, a decision that included substantial (and expensive) reshoots that changed the entire tone of the film.
The movie bombed regardless, it was the first DCEU movie to lose money (those expensive reshoots didn’t help) and it was generally shunned by both critics and movie-goers.
As a result of Justice League’s enormous failure, DC seems to be focusing strictly on solo films these days, there are no immediate plans for another team up movie and J.J. Abrams has been brought on board to rescue the DCEU’s sinking ship.
And you’d be forgiven for being skeptical of the Snyder Cut’s existence. After all, wouldn’t Warner Bros would have jumped at the chance to make a few extra dollars by releasing it in some form or another? The DCEU has been a constant source of failure and embarrassment for the studio, so if releasing the Cut would have made them some more money and washed some of the egg off their face, wouldn’t they have had that on as many screens or DVD shelves as possible? Especially considering how rough 2019 (pre-Joker) was for them at the box office.
Now that the cat is definitely out of the bag, DC and Warner Bros. have little choice but to release it. They owe it to the fans who never lost faith that the Cut did indeed exist despite repeated claims to the contrary by studio brass. And if Warner and DC refuse to release the Snyder Cut or acknowledge the fans who have kept their collective candles lit for the past two years, it could definitely hurt them at the box office if insulted fans avoid any cineplex playing a DCEU film.
Put another way, if you thought the chatter was annoying when the Snyder Cut was little more than a fairy tale, could you imagine the mounting outrage now that we know the it does exist but may still not see the light of day? Warner Bros. has to tread carefully and simply can’t afford to mess this up.
The faithful speak of the Snyder Cut in reverential tones. Not only is Snyder’s Cut miles better than Joss Whedon’s, they will tell you, but it is far superior to anything else produced by DC, Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy and Richard Donner’s original Superman films included. And, they will add, the Snyder Cut is far superior to anything from the despised MCU and is destined to take it’s place among the best movies made in the history of human civilization!
A large part of this certainty, of this faith, is that it’s redemption for the approach DC took in its early days. Fans believe Whedon’s failure to salvage Justice League is proof that the DCEU’s darker and grittier approach (Snyder apparently wanted to create a world so dark and violent that Batman himself could be raped) is superior to the “Marvel formula” (which they insist is really just dumb jokes and one liners aimed at the lowest intellectual denominator).
The Snyder Cut has become their security blanket, something they can cling to and seek comfort in whenever their ideas or fandom is challenged. Just wait for the Snyder Cut, they scream, and then you’ll all see! Then you’ll all be sorry!
But while Warner pretty much has to release the Snyder cut, the truth is we don’t even know what it currently looks like (assuming it is in fact, real). It could be anywhere from a finished version complete with polished FX shots to a collection of raw black and white footage. There are claims that there may be as many as six different cuts. So DC needs to take a good hard look at what they currently have on their hands. And depending on what they’ve got, cut Snyder cheque and give him six months to complete and/or polish it up. This wouldn’t include any reshoots (those would be impossible for a number of reasons) but if the rumours are to be believed (including those spread by Snyder himself), they might not be necessary.
Then toss it on HBO Max.
While I am definitely not the first person to suggest Warner’s new streaming service as a home for the Snyder Cut, I think others who have suggested it are being more than a little unrealistic regarding the timing. A quality product simply would not be ready for HBO Max’s launch this May, but that would allow DC to give fans what they have always wanted.
Toss a quick teaser in front of Wonder Woman 1984 (opening June 5) and then a week later, have Zack Snyder himself walk out onto stage at San Diego Comic Con and announce it in person. Couple that announcement with a completed trailer that you upload to the Internet post haste and drop the Cut on Labour Day weekend.
No matter what Disney or any one else did the entire weekend, that one single announcement would guarantee DC owning the media buzz from Comic Con. Hands down.
That would give fans the entire summer to drool over and share the trailer. Warner could drop a few more images and morsels here and there, driving media outlets nuts. The anticipation meter would be cranked to a ten within seconds. And when it was finally unleashed on the world, regardless of quality, thousands of fans would be euphoric. Christmas would come four months early and it would give plenty of kids something to look forward to during their final weekend before a new school year. In fact, both Warner and DC could release Snyder Cut exclusive merch just in time for the Holidays (maybe even a limited edition DVD/Blu-Ray with bonus content?).
For this to work the suits at Warner would have to keep their hands off. Snyder would have to have complete autonomy. If fans sniffed even the slightest trace of executive fingerprints on the final product, or if there was even the subtlest whisper of studio interference, they would rejected the Cut faster than the Flash could deliver a pizza.
And they would never forgive anyone involved, even Snyder.
Warner has an opportunity here. Not only to give fans what they want, but to offer an apology to the most loyal (and arguably the most fanatic) among them and offer them an olive branch. But perhaps most importantly, they have an opportunity to put this entire thing to bed. To close this largely unhappy and messy chapter in their history and move on. Because if they choose to leave this particular story unfinished, if they leave the “to be continued” sign dangling at the end of this particular tale with no end in sight, they’re going to hear about it until the sun goes out. More importantly, they will never be forgiven by said fans.
But if they do wisely decide to bring this saga to an end, not only should appease fans, but the rest of us will finally get a reprieve from hearing about it.
It would be a win-win for everyone.
Image via buildingintocomics.com
