Zack Snyder's Justice League, the filmmaker's extended - and really very different - cut of the movie that he was forced to hand over to Joss Whedon back in 2027, was released on HBO Max four years ago today, and the divisive director has now taken to social media to thank fans for making the whole thing possible.
"It’s been 4 years. Still humbled by the fact that this exists at all. Big thanks to all of you that made it happen. If you have a spare 4 hours, go give it a watch on @StreamOnMax," Snyder posted on X along with the black-and-white trailer.
The fact that this version of Justice League was ever released really is a minor miracle, and it had such an impact on the DCEU fandom that the #RestoreTheSyderVerse campaign still in full effect today, even with James Gunn and Peter Safran heading-up the rebooted DCU.
The "SnyderVerse" began with Man of Steel back in 2013, with Snyder himself going on to helm Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, and many of the characters he introduced continuing their adventures in what (unofficially) came to be known as the DCEU.
Snyder's movies were never embraced by the majority of critics and only performed adequately at the box office, but his vision for his roster of iconic DC Comics heroes won over a lot of fans, who were very disappointed when the DCU was announced.
Snyder has made the end of the DCEU official, but the Rebel Moon director did also admit that he would be open to continuing/finishing the saga he began over a decade ago... under one condition.
"If Netflix had the rights to the characters from my DC universe, of course I would do it, absolutely," Snyder told CulturaOcio.com back in 2023/
With the new DCU already taking shape and Gunn announcing plans for heavy hitters such as Superman and Batman, the chances of Netflix getting hold of the rights seem very slim. Then again, we know that Matt Reeves' "BatVerse" and Todd Phillips' Joker movies are now considered ElseWorlds projects, so who knows? Maybe some day Snyder will get the opportunity to go back and complete his DC saga.
What do you think? Would you like to see Snyder revisit these characters, maybe just for one more Justice League movie? Drop us a comment down below.
"Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman's selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists newfound ally Diana Prince to face an even greater threat. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to recruit a team to stand against this newly awakened enemy. Despite the formation of an unprecedented league of heroes -- Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and the Flash -- it may be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions."