Zack Snyder's Justice League is going to be a vastly different movie to the one that arrived in theaters back in 2017, but like it or not, Joss Whedon's creative decisions ultimately factored into what we saw in movies like Aquaman and Shazam!. It's too late to make whatever we see in the "Snyder Cut" canon, of course, and that's something the filmmaker is acutely aware of.
During a recent interview with the DC Cinematic podcast, Snyder was asked how his movie fits into the wider DC Extended Universe, and admits that his vision will never truly be "canon."
"It's interesting, sort of in the DCEU, or whatever it's become, that that trilogy (comprised of Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, Justice League) sort of insulates itself in some ways [and] becomes its own thing now. I famously said, and it's true, this isn't controversial, my Justice League is not canon, right? Canon for Warner Bros. is the Joss Whedon version of Justice League."
"In their mind, that's canon. And what I'm doing is not. Everything is not," Snyder continued. "So it's just an interesting, that relationship. And I'm fine with it because I feel like the only way that I could have made this film with autonomy was because of that, because of me admitting and agreeing to the fact that it is not canon."
The filmmaker then admitted that he's "frustrated" by it, adding: "The grander, greater concept for the DCEU is on another road. And there's nothing I can do about that. That is just, it is what it is. It's not my decision."
We already know that Zack Snyder's Justice League will make some big creative decisions largely ignored in later DC movies, like Aquaman's first meeting with Vulko, for example. It's also likely Kiersey Clemons' Iris West will be recast by the time The Flash rolls around, so it is what it is at this stage.
Of course, there's really no reason why the "Snyder Cut" can't still be enjoyed as a standalone story.
Click on the "Next" button below for 10 recent
Justice League reveals from Zack Snyder!
10. Why An Episodic Release Was Scrapped
When news broke that WarnerMedia would release Zack Snyder's Justice League through HBO Max, it was reported that the film would be released as six individual episodes.
Transforming it into a TV series made sense from a business perspective (bringing back subscribers on a weekly basis is a better way of driving up subscribers than a film), but something changed. According to Snyder, it "got complicated," potentially because of contractual issues with the cast.
He also admitted that fans "would've been mad if they had to wait weeks" for each installment, but confirmed the film will still play out with a six-chapter structure.
That will make it much easier to watch, especially with a mammoth runtime.
9. Chapter Titles
Justice League producer Deborah Snyder has said that these chapters will make watching the #SnyderCut an easier experience, and Zack has shared the titles of the first two.
Chapter 1 is "Don't Count On It Batman," and Chapter 2 is titled "The Age of Heroes."
Unfortunately, he didn't reveal any more than that, but we can probably figure out what how the first two acts will play out. The first chapter likely follows the Dark Knight as he attempts to assemble his team, while the second probably revisits the first time Uxas and Steppenwolf attacked Earth.
It's unclear whether additional chapter titles will be revealed prior to the film's release.
8. Martian Manhunter's Role In Superman's Life
Actor Harry Lennix submitted a question to Snyder during this panel, and Snyder responded by elaborating on the ties between Martian Manhunter's dual identity as both an alien and General Swanwick.
"In my mind, Swanwick and Martian Manhunter, it's like his alter-ego," the filmmaker explains. "That's kind of the way I see it. If you notice the way he's manipulated both Lois and Clark to do their best, to be the best they can be, because in this incarnation he wants humanity to do it themselves and/or this new hero in Superman."
"I think that that's kind of the way I see it – that they have the same voice," Snyder added.
Martian Manhunter is likely to have a small, but pivotal role in Zack Snyder's Justice League, but it seems we shouldn't expect him to be portrayed that differently to Swanwick in Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
7. Darkseid's Place In The Film
Snyder's plan was for Darkseid to be the lead villain in a Justice League sequel, but with that unlikely to happen, the director has assured fans that he has a key role to play in the #SnyderCut.
Explaining that the villain has "tons of human motivation" and not just a singular mission, Snyder adds: "He operates on another plane, but certainly something happened to him in the past and he's not happy about it, and it's really hurt him" (that's likely an allusion to his defeat the first time around).
"It's shaped him and he's looking to make it right, and so I think there's a lot of nuance in him and Ray [Porter] does a great job of voicing him."
We've yet to hear what Porter sounds like as Darkseid, so that praise from Snyder should reassure fans.
6. The Film's Runtime
Zack Snyder's Justice League has been touted as a four-hour epic, but we now have a specific runtime for the film.
It's been confirmed that the #SnyderCut will clock in at a whopping four hours and two minutes. We're assuming a good ten to fifteen minutes of that will be credits, but that's still the longest superhero film ever made (sorry, Avengers: Endgame).
There's been chatter about Cyborg getting a 15-minute origin story, a sign perhaps that there will be a lot of padding and fluff in the film. However, if it all fits together when all is said and done, the four-hours could be justified.
For fans of the filmmaker, however, they're bound to love every minute of this version.
5. The Importance Of Cyborg
Ray Fisher's Cyborg remains an incredibly important character to Snyder, and he explained during the panel that, "To me, [Cyborg’s backstory is] such an important part of the movie, and his whole arc and journey is so important. There was just really cool stuff that we shot and that we created that I was really excited for fans to see."
He then reiterated how pivotal the character is to his #SnyderCut.
"Everything turns on him, everything turns on the stakes that are presented to him, the events that befall him within the context of the film." Snyder also feels that the character has serious future potential despite the recent news about Fisher not starring in The Flash.
"You're going to realize that Cyborg is [the] tip of the iceberg, in my opinion, so who knows?" the filmmaker pondered about the cinematic future for the hero.
4. What Steppenwolf Brings To The Table
Steppenwolf was a forgettable part of Joss Whedon's Justice League, but he'll get significantly more screentime in Snyder's.
We'll also learn more about what the filmmaker describes as his "very complicated" relationship with Darkseid. "I'm not going to give it away but the dynamic between the two of them, some things happened in the past," he said, again alluding to their first invasion of Earth.
"There's a bunch of issues between them and so, yeah, I think that all plays out. Yes, the answer is there's quite a complex relationship there."
It appears Steppenwolf failed Darkseid thousands of years ago, and his return to Earth is likely an attempt to make that right.
3. Two Versions Of Zack Snyder's Justice League
Zack Snyder's Justice League is being released in a 1:33:1 aspect ratio, and reiterated that a black and white version is also in the works which has been dubbed the "Justice Is Gray" edition.
Snyder explains that he's a "huge advocate of and a huge admirer of" what he calls his "favorite version of the movie."
That's going to be released on HBO Max "at some point" says Snyder, but the filmmaker's ultimate goal is for fans to be able to watch the #SnyderCut of Justice League on an IMAX screen.
That will feature a "beautiful intermission, Junkie XL intermission." Snyder adds: "It’s an afternoon and into evening experience that’s pretty cool."
2. Black Suit Superman
When he was in charge of Justice League the first time around, Snyder had long discussions with Warner Bros. about putting Superman in his black suit from the comics.
"I was a big advocate [of the black suit]," the filmmaker reveals, "they were not so much, and we would go back and forth. I said, ‘Okay, let me just at least do some tests to see if I could put him in the black suit and what it would look like.’ We devised a method in which we could easily turn the suit, using the existing suit, to the black and silver suit that you see in the movie."
Snyder says it was always his intention to include that suit, and shared his first reaction to seeing it.
"We all just sat back like, wow, are we really doing this?" the director, a fanboy at heart, explains.
1. The Empty Kryptonian Pod
Since Man of Steel was released in theaters in 2013, fans have speculated wildly about who or what was inside the open pod in the Kryptonian ship Superman discovers.
One popular theory is that Supergirl emerged from that thousands of years ago, becoming the first Amazon in the process. Unfortunately, Snyder is keeping quiet when it comes to what the truth behind that apparent Easter Egg.
"It definitely is in Justice League," Snyder says of the pod. "They pass it and they look at it. They don't talk about it but, yeah, that is an open question, and I would hope at some point to find out who was in there, what's going on."
Fingers crossed the filmmaker one day reveals all.
h/t IGN