Zack Snyder has made no secret of his hopes to bring Superman back from the grave in faithful fashion, but pushback from Warner Bros. made that increasingly difficult for him when he was shooting Justice League the first time around.
The Man of Steel does get his black costume in Zack Snyder's Justice League, but there's no sign of the mullet or beard from the comics.
Unfortunately, it seems the studio was never on board with that comic accurate look from the 90s.
"We actually talked about it a lot, and I was a slight advocate - a little bit, for the mullet -- but I think that there was no way to go back from that and at the time the studio was really leaning on me pretty hard," Snyder tells YouTuber Tyrone Magnus (via ComicBook.com). "I was lucky to be able to figure it out, so I could get the black suit...I had done a lot of research before, so we knew how to turn the color suit black."
"I always said I’d shoot the colored suit, but it’s a mistake," the director continued. "I’m just saying it out loud to you guys, this is bullsh*t. And so they were like, ‘You don’t know what you are talking about, nobody wants a black suit, let's just do the colors.’ And so, you know, I thought, 'Look, in post, you guys are going to change your minds.' But, here we are with the black suit."
Of course, Snyder could have gone ahead and shot Cavill's scenes with the beard and long hair, but that's not something the studio could undo. The filmmaker pointed that out, while taking a funny shot at what happened to the actor's Mission: Impossible - Fallout moustache in the theatrical cut of Justice League.
"Yeah, the beard and the long hair, that was gonna be...there was no way to undo that," Snyder admitted. "We saw how that went last time they tried to do it..."
Given how comical the attempts to cover up the Man of Steel's 'tache were back in 2017, we can't help but wonder what it would have looked like if the studio had a full beard and mullet to CGI over!
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
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
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
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
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"
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
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
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
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"
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
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...