As they say, ‘You can not please everyone’. This is never more apparent than in the realm of superhero movies, where audiences’ expectations can soar to uncontrollably higher levels. And, right in the middle of this ongoing debate, director Zack Snyder has resurfaced by hinting at another (we mean, second) director’s cut of his super-popular superhero film, Justice League.
In 2017, the first Justice League featuring Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg was released. Reviews for the flick were unfavorable, primarily because it was obvious that two directors worked on it. Why? Well, as most fans know, Warner Bros. brought in Joss Whedon to complete the 2017 $657.9 million film after Snyder was forced to step away from the project due to a family tragedy.
After years of fan petitioning, the Snyder Cut was released as Zack Snyder’s Justice League in 2021.
Zack Snyder Teases a Second Justice League Director’s Cut?
Zack Snyder has returned to the spotlight after his 2021 film, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, cemented its place in superhero movie history. Encouraged by the reception his director’s cut received, the filmmaker recently made a suggestion about a potential sequel. In a recent interview with Wired, the director expressed his opinions:
“It’s an interesting, mythological sort of place that I have found for myself. The way I make the movies now is that I have this concept of the director’s cut. I think nearly every movie I’ve made, except for Man of Steel, has a director’s cut, maybe two director’s cuts. Unlike my friends who make movies.”
The director, 57, does pretty much anything he wants, but he manages to keep his soul and game the system. For now, that means trying to turn his space opera, Rebel Moon, into a massive Netflix franchise. Snyder shared the following when discussing why it was so important to bring Rebel Moon to Netflix:
“They understood from the beginning, “Oh, you’re gonna want to do a director’s cut. The director’s cut was a prerequisite for making the movie for the first time ever, so my joy at making the two-hour PG-13 version was much greater.”
So perhaps he is looking forward to yet another Justice League Director’s Cut while this revelation has sent ripples through the already divided DCEU fandom.
What Was Zack Snyder’s DCEU Controversy All About?
In 2017, a complicated and widely reported tale centered on the creation of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) movie Justice League took place between Zack Snyder and Warner Bros. Following a family tragedy in 2017, Snyder abandoned the Justice League project; Joss Whedon was brought in to complete the movie. The former’s original plan was significantly altered by Whedon, and the theatrical version was eventually deemed unsatisfactory.
The Snyder Cut, also referred to as Zack Snyder’s Justice League, is the adaptation of the Justice League film that was released in March 2021. Snyder, for his part, has nothing but love and respect for the people who made the DCEU films. He said in an interview with The New York Times:
“I couldn’t be happier. It doesn’t sting for me at all. Those movies are cool, and they’re really well-made and excellent. But “BvS,” love it or hate it, it’s probably the most mentioned movie in hashtags and references. It’s the closest thing to a cult film that could exist at this level of pop culture. Am I a provocateur? A little bit. Is my job to make some pop-culture piece of candy that you eat and forget about the next day? Nah. I would rather [expletive] you up in a movie than make it nice and pretty for everybody.”
It is not that Snyder is wrong but his films often, though not always successful, seek out controversy. In 2004, he and his spouse Deborah Snyder, along with producing partner Wesley Coller, established The Stone Quarry (production company), which was previously known as Cruel and Unusual Films.
Rebel Moon, his upcoming flick, will have a limited theatrical release in the United States on December 15, 2023. The sequel, Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver, is set to release on April 19, 2024.
Meanwhile, watch Zack Snyder’s Justice League on Max.
