Soon on March 18th, as the sun rises on a Christmas of capes, DC fans will awaken from their anxious slumber and run to the nearest television to bask in the glory of The Snyder Cut. It’s taken a lot to get to this point, with both fans and the actors of the film itself having played a major part in amplifying the rallying cry that forced DC to make this unheard-of turn of events take place. But much like with a tricky genie in a lamp, it can sometimes be a blessing and a curse to get exactly what one wishes for.
The Snyder Cut is on one hand the culmination of the heights of fandom and the phoenix-like rising from the ashes of Zack Snyder. Having had to walk away from the original production of the Justice League and hand the reins to Joss Whedon, fans have since wondered about the version of the film that could have been. With The Snyder Cut debuting on HBO Max this month, they will soon no longer have to wonder. However, all of the hype that’s led to this point may ultimately leave fans feeling unfulfilled for a number of reasons.
First and foremost, it’s important to remember that this is it for The Justice League. After this movie releases, Zack Snyder is moving on to other films and creative projects. If the changes to the original film in the the Snyder Cut make considerable changes to the course of the overall story, it’s likely that fans will never get to see such changes pay off. For example, fans have already noted that the new trailers for The Snyder Cut include villains that were not present in the original film. While it’s likely that these sinister characters will be relegated to a few scenes in which they give the main villain, Steppenwolf, his marching orders, should they speak of any future plans these will never make it to the big screen.
The same could be said of heroes that are said to be introduced in the movie that weren’t invited along for the ride the first time. Heroes like Martian Manhunter and the Green Lantern were rumored to be a part of the original script for Justice League. Seeing them introduced will certainly introduce fans, but to a certain degree that joy will be short-lived, akin to giving someone the most delicious thing they’ve ever tasted but only permitting them to enjoy a single bite.
This problem is also exacerbated by the MCU. Marvel has essentially conditioned the public to constantly expect the next big thing. They’ve gone so far as to announce an entire slate of movies ahead of time to the point that fans will rabidly speculate on what any single entry in the MCU means for the next big team-up event. DC has already established that they will no longer be aiming to create grandiose ensemble cast films, meaning that the new focus on singular superhero experiences like Shazam! are to be the norm. DC fans will never get that next hit of Justice League story.
The world has already begun to see some of the fallout from this shift in DC’s trajectory. The next Superman movie will not feature Henry Cavill as the man of steel. He’s rumored to have even reached out to Marvel, making the imagination run wild at the possibilities his casting could present within the MCU. As the new Superman film is supposedly focused on a version of the hero we’ve never seen on screen before, the diversity isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it also means that fans who loved Cavill’s portrayal will never get to see a full conclusion to that character’s story.
In truth there are only three active threads left within the original DCEU. The Suicide Squad doesn’t technically count, as that’s a reboot of the much-maligned Suicide Squad. While that film’s Joker will return in the Snyder Cut for a philosophical discussion with Ben Affleck’s Batman, it’s definitely the last we’ll be seeing of Jared Leto in these films as he moves on to star in Morbius.
Then there’s Aquaman 2 and The Flash’s solo film that still are planned for release. Aquaman 2 was crafted after the original lackluster box office performance of Justice League, and is almost certainly going to focus squarely on Jason Mamoa’s character in an adventure that does not involve any of other members of the super team. The Flash is rumored to involve the multiverse and is likely to set in motion events that will signal the new approach to DC’s film slate.
Fans are essentially stuck at a fork in the road. Do they embrace The Snyder Cut at the risk of loving it and craving more out of these iterations of such iconic characters? Or do they simply move on? The true answer is actually quite simple though: embrace the slight miracle that the film exists at all and accept the new approach DC is taking for what it is. Like the Joker’s forehead tattoo, this film universe is damaged, but the new singular entries may be exactly what fans need to be made whole again.
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