While there's plenty of excitement surrounding the planned release of Zack Snyder's Justice League on HBO Max next year, there's also been a lot of criticism about the decision. Many feel that it sets a dangerous precedent which will leave fans under the impression that if they complain enough, they will be able to influence what we see in theaters.
There are good and bad things about that possibility, of course, and demands for Warner Bros. to #ReleaseTheAyerCut of Suicide Squad shows how fans have been empowered by what's happened.
During a recent interview with The Verge, HBO Max boss Tony Goncalves was asked about the decision to #ReleaseTheSnyderCut, and made it clear that this should not be viewed as the new norm.
"Look, definitely not a precedent. And you’re right. There’s different types of fandoms. There’s the fandom you just described, and there’s other fandoms," he explained. "My reference to the fandoms is the fact that we’re in a space where consumers are loud. Consumers guide, and we absolutely have to listen as industry. I had a boss that once said, 'Industry and consumers aren’t always aligned, but consumers do tend to win.' It’s a fine balance."
"And I think when it comes to video, when it comes to entertainment, when it comes to content, consumers have never had more choice, and they’ve never had more of a voice. But that doesn’t mean that we will go and invest our dollars in every single fandom that exists. But I think the reference to the Snyder Cut and the Friends fandom is the fact that consumers are speaking, and we have to listen. It doesn’t mean that we’re going to go redo every movie ever made. But I think that we definitely have to have our ear to the ground. And I think we do."
"I just go back to look at the buzz that the Harry Potter library brought us yesterday. It was a wonderful surprise and delight. It’s because consumers are passionate about these franchises."
Does this close the door on the "Ayer Cut" seeing the light of day? Not necessarily, but Goncalves has made it clear that HBO Max will only consider something like Zack Snyder's Justice League when the situation calls for it. After all, the demand for that will surely drive subscribers to the platform, and it's hard to say whether the same can be said for Suicide Squad.