JUSTICE LEAGUE Director Zack Snyder Admits He's Considering Watching Joss Whedon's Theatrical Cut

JUSTICE LEAGUE Director Zack Snyder Admits He's Considering Watching Joss Whedon's Theatrical Cut

Zack Snyder has said on multiple occasions that he hasn't watched Joss Whedon's cut of Justice League, but following the release of the Snyder Cut, it seems that's something he's now seriously considering.

By JoshWilding - Mar 24, 2021 02:03 AM EST
Filed Under: Justice League
Source: IMDb

It was recently revealed that both Deborah Snyder and Christopher Nolan walked out of a screening of Justice League in 2017 and vowed never to let Zack Snyder watch that version of the movie.

Now, though, with the Snyder Cut streaming on HBO Max, it seems the filmmaker might finally consider checking it out.

Talking to IMDb, Snyder reiterated that he's never watched the theatrical cut before expressing some curiosity about how Joss Whedon handled the various members of the League.

"You know, because I haven't seen the theatrical version of the movie and how it ended up, I was never really sure - and I'm still not - maybe, at some point, I'll take a look at it, but I'm still not exactly sure what roles were maybe diminished or removed," he explained. "Of course, number one on the list - you know, for me - is Ray Fisher's Cyborg story being released. Central to the entire movie."

In the same interview, Deborah weighed in with her take on the differences between her husband's cut of Justice League, and the one which played in theaters across the globe four years ago. 

"I feel like in the shorter version, you got a snapshot of who they were," the Zack Snyder's Justice League producer explained, "and I think in order to care about them at that end, in order for the arcs to be completed, you have to understand, really, what their conflicts were, what they went through to finally become the heroes that we see at the end of the movie."

The two movies are, without a doubt, very, very different, and anyone looking for the definitive take on Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Aquaman, and the Flash really should watch the Snyder Cut.

Needless to say, Snyder's reaction to Whedon's cut, if he does ever watch it, should be very interesting...


Click on the "Next" button below to check out some of the
best new moments included in Zack Snyder's Justice League!

10. Superman Returns

JL2

After reuniting with Lois and Martha at the farm, Clark points out he was brought back for a reason and has no choice but to once again become Superman. 

Heading to the Kryptonian ship in the middle of Metropolis, Kal-El dons his black costume and hears the voices of both his fathers before taking flight. With that, Hans Zimmer's Superman score kicks in for a throwback to Man of Steel which is a real "stand up and punch the air" moment. 

Charging himself in front of the sun, Superman stretches out his arms in an almost Biblical moment. 

This is peak Snyder, and perhaps not a scene which will resonate with everyone. However, it's a striking piece of imagery, and one which plays into the mythological side of the character.
 

9. Don't F*** With Wonder Woman

JL23

Wonder Woman 1984's depiction of Diana Prince wasn't to everyone's liking, particularly as her sword and shield were sidelined for...a gentler Diana? 

While the Wonder Woman we saw in Justice League's theatrical cut was fine, this version is a badass, fearsome warrior who takes no prisoners. Her fight with Steppenwolf is a highlight, while the way she deals with him during the final battle will definitely stick the landing with many of you.

However, it's the way Diana deals with those crazies taking hostages early on in the film we loved. 

Brutally dispatching them one by one, Wonder Woman proves herself a true force to be reckoned with, and earns that awesome Hans Zimmer score we first heard in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
 

8. Darkseid's Defeat

JL233

The Snyder Cut's version of the war between Apokolips and the combined might of men, Amazons, Atlanteans (and more) is vastly different in this cut of Justice League. 

Gods like Ares and Zeus see a little more action, as does Yalan Gur. There's also no sign of Steppenwolf; instead, Uxas's humiliating defeat is entirely his own doing. The entire sequence is far more-action packed and feels much grander and mythological in terms of scale. 

Honestly, we'd have been happy to see an even longer version of this. 

It's a standout sequence in the film, and one which better explains Darkseid's present day motivations. It never made sense to have Steppenwolf leading the attack, and this film makes that right.
 

7. Barry Allen Rescues Iris West

JL2333

Warner Bros. completely cut Kiersey Clemons from 2017's Justice League, so her scene in this film being restored is undoubtedly one of the best things to come out of the Snyder Cut.

Iris West and Barry Allen strike up an immediate attraction when their paths cross, and the Flash noticing what's about to happen to her in that car wreck is a great way to show off the Scarlet Speedster's powers. So too is the way he races into action to save Iris. 

As time pretty much comes to a stop around him, Flash nabs a hot dog, and manages to carry Iris to safety. 

This was clearly meant to lay the groundwork for Rick Famuyiwa's planned take on The Flash, but that film didn't happen, so who knows what the fallout from this moment was meant to be. 
 

6. "His Name Is Bruce Wayne"

JL23334

Joss Whedon reshot Jesse Eisenberg's side of Lex Luthor's conversation with Deathstroke, and that scene ended up setting the stage for a possible sequel which would have pitted the Justice League against "a League of [their] own."

Well, that's all gone in the Snyder Cut. 

Instead, this scene (which is no longer a post-credits stinger) does exactly what we expected it to do back in 2017: set the stage for The Batman. That film was meant to pit the Dark Knight against Slade Wilson, and to help the assassin get his revenge for that lost eye, Lex reveals that, "His name is Bruce Wayne."

It's a phenomenal tease, but not one we're likely to see pay off now. 
 

5. Into The Speed Force

JL233344

The entire final battle in Zack Snyder's Justice League is absolutely epic. There are plenty of highlights, including the heroes actually working as a team and Superman giving Steppenwolf a beating. 

However, when the team's plan fails and the Mother Boxes unite, they're all evaporated. 

Barry, injured by one of the Parademons, is left with no other choice than to run faster than he ever has before. Tapping into the Speed Force, the Fastest Man Alive travels back in time, and manages to undo the team's defeat at Darkseid and Steppenwolf's hands. 

The visuals are incredible here, and while the Speed Force looks a little different to what you might expect, it's a damn shame Snyder couldn't pass the baton to Famuyiwa as planned.
 

4. Cyborg's Powers

JL2333443

Cyborg was anything but a highlight in 2017's Justice League, but Ray Fisher's second chance is truly a sight to behold in the Snyder Cut. 

The actor delivers a really solid performance, but it's one scene demonstrating the extent of his powers which should make fans of Victor Stone really happy. Listening to a recording his father has left him, Cyborg comes to understand what he could do if he were to put his mind to it. 

That includes unleashing the world's nuclear arsenal or destroying the economy. His father isn't encouraging the reluctant hero to do that; just warning what might happen if he made that choice. 

Instead, Cyborg decides to help a woman down on her luck. Transferring money into her bank account so she can pay her bills, it's a small gesture, but one which is perfectly realized. 
 

3. Superman Vs. Flash

JL23334433

When Superman is resurrected, he again doesn't have his full senses. That leads to a fight with the Justice League, but there are some noteworthy differences which make this version so much better. 

A lot of the terrible dialogue between Superman and Batman (clearly a Whedon idea) has gone, and the Man of Steel attacking the Caped Crusader makes much more sense now. However, an extended fight between Kal-El and Barry Allen is what really stands out to us. 

Instead of tripping over like a goof, the Flash gets to test his powers against the might of Superman. 

It shows that Barry can go toe-to-toe with Clark without a silly race, but also emphasises just how much of a powerhouse Superman is that he can very nearly match Flash's speed. 
 

2. "I Will F***ing Kill You"

JL233344333

The Knightmare scene has its good and bad points. In regards to the latter, we really didn't need to hear any more of Amber Heard's weird English accent as Mera. 

Deathstroke, unfortunately, is also something of a spare part. 

However, Batman's confrontation with The Joker doesn't disappoint. The hatred on the Dark Knight's face as he finds himself forced to work with the Clown Price of Crime is palpable, and his recollection of Harley Quinn dying in his arms and begging Batman to make sure he kills Joker is gripping.

So too is the line which sees the Caped Crusader vow "I will f***ing kill you" before being forced to accept that playing card (which signifies a truce). 
 

1. The Fall Of The League

JL233344333e

When Cyborg taps into the Mother Boxes, he has a devastating vision of the future. 

In that, we see Darkseid forcing the Amazons to watch as he burns Wonder Woman. In Atlantis, he uses the Omega Beam to kill an Atlantean after skewering Aquaman on his own trident. In the Batcave, we see Superman cradling the charred remains of Lois Lane before Darkseid steps forward to put the hero under his control with the Anti-Life Equation.

In the Knightmare future, Superman is seen floating atop the remains of the Hall of Justice with Batman's cowl in hand as Kilowog lies dead at his feet. 

One cool part after this scene comes when Cyborg says "no" in a bid to stop Barry from using his powers to help bring Superman back, something the Flash mistakes as his signal to "go." Clearly, Victor Stone realizes the ramifications which could come with bringing the Man of Steel back from the dead...
 

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bkmeijer2
bkmeijer2 - 3/24/2021, 2:53 AM
Deborah gets it. For me JL17 and ZSJL are the same movie, only the latter takes more (too much) time to develop the character more.

I'm probably one of the few who actually likes JL17, but now after having seen ZSJL I do see it has shortcomings in those character arcs.

ZSJL also has shortcomings compared to JL17, so I do hope we get a final cut one day that takes the best from both.
Se4M4NSt4ine
Se4M4NSt4ine - 3/24/2021, 2:56 AM
@bkmeijer - Deborah seems to know how to better sell the film than Snyder, Snyder unintentionally seems to always damage his movies the more he speaks about them.
Se4M4NSt4ine
Se4M4NSt4ine - 3/24/2021, 2:55 AM
Waiting for somebody to make an edit of that Flash scene at the end, upon rewatching that scene it really doesn’t age well with Barry weirdly talking to himself, reminded me of that awkward TROS scene when the Emperor was speaking out loud his plan. Takes me away from the moment, the epic music and the fact he’s entered the speed force.

Could easily be fixed if we just hear in the background Barry’s Dad telling him he’s special or whatever he said. Would’ve served better for the build up.
bkmeijer2
bkmeijer2 - 3/24/2021, 3:02 AM
@Se4M4NSt4ine - thats a good point.

The same goes for Superman picks up a new suit. There was a voice-over, but it just felt weird it wasn't one that was immediately recognized.

Should've used Martha's "you don't own this world a thing" speech.
dracula
dracula - 3/24/2021, 3:12 AM
@bkmeijer - man this version of the kents kind of sucks. Suppose to place in Clark the ideals he carries with him as superman.

Tells him to let kids die.

Tells him to screw the world.
bkmeijer2
bkmeijer2 - 3/24/2021, 4:10 AM
@dracula - yeah, I agree they do.

Its just that Snyder said Clark chooses the black suit to get closer to his Kryptonian heritage, whereas the black and red signifies his connection to Earth.

And Martha's quote fits that better than the back-and-forth between the two dads, even when I don't understand why Clark has come to that point in his arc to turn inward (as Zack puts it).
Schme83
Schme83 - 3/24/2021, 5:25 AM
@Se4M4NSt4ine - Yeah that scene really fell flat for me. Especially the dialogue where he says something along the lines of “ dad I just want you to know”, and he’s not talking to his dad lol.
Se4M4NSt4ine
Se4M4NSt4ine - 3/24/2021, 6:32 AM
@Schme83 - Told my buddy and he actually just made this quick edit on his work break lol, bit choppy but far better:
bkmeijer2
bkmeijer2 - 3/24/2021, 7:50 AM
@Se4M4NSt4ine - yeah, that's a lot better. And tell your mate that too.
MadThanos
MadThanos - 3/24/2021, 2:57 AM
It's so good I could watch 2 hours more of that.
RegularPoochie
RegularPoochie - 3/24/2021, 3:04 AM
@MadThanos - I hope you are trolling.
dracula
dracula - 3/24/2021, 3:09 AM
@MadThanos - at least 2 more hours of Whedon's Superman.
MadThanos
MadThanos - 3/24/2021, 4:14 AM
@RegularPoochie - what could be wrong with that?
MadThanos
MadThanos - 3/24/2021, 4:15 AM
@dracula - spot on, I thought there was almost no difference between the two versions of Superman.

Oh, well, except for a mustache.
Hulkh8liars
Hulkh8liars - 3/24/2021, 4:48 AM
@MadThanos - theatrical cut was better(but about two hours too long. This version was about 4 hours too long
RegularPoochie
RegularPoochie - 3/24/2021, 6:59 AM
@MadThanos - because the movie isn't that good.
MadThanos
MadThanos - 3/24/2021, 7:02 AM
@RegularPoochie - being good or not is subjective, I only know that I love it.
RegularPoochie
RegularPoochie - 3/24/2021, 3:01 AM
Go away already. Your cut was better, but just move on, please.

Also, stop milking one fricking interview ffs.
MosquitoFarmer
MosquitoFarmer - 3/24/2021, 6:31 AM
@RegularPoochie - You getting mad at Snyder for news he's not producing makes very little sense.

Getting mad at Wilding for that does though.
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