Against all odds, the Snyder Cut actually became a reality. What started as a pipe dream following Joss Whedon’s massive reshoot of Justice League (2017) has set a precedent for cinema where Hollywood blockbusters can truly be redefined through a director’s cut. Zack Snyder’s vision for the DCEU was once thought lost, but Justice League (2021) proves that the franchise might still have a future.
While WB is holding firm that the Snyder Cut won’t influence the future of the DCEU, it’s clear the Snyderverse has staying power. The Snyder Cut has the potential to change the DCEU for the better and fix the franchise’s identity. WB just needs to let it happen.
10 A Franchise That Doesn’t Live In The MCU’s Shadow
Arguably the greatest flaw of the DCEU is that it lives in the shadow of the MCU. While Zack Snyder had a clear tone in mind with Man of Steel and Batman V Superman, WB’s rush to have an interconnected universe with DC’s greatest heroes on-screen led to rushed storytelling that was made so much worse on the cutting room floor.
The Snyder Cut in its final form is (mostly) free of WB’s meddling and it’s all the better for it. Justice League (2021) carries a classically epic tone with it that doesn’t rely on quips to sell a scene to audiences. The DCEU takes itself serious, which leads to emotionally charged moments that are downright rare in the MCU. Future movies in the franchise should look at the Snyder Cut as an example.
9 Darker Storytelling (With Heart)
On that note, it’s worth pointing out how much darker the DCEU’s storytelling is compared to MCU. Keep in mind that this has nothing to do with narrative maturity, and more to do with tone. The DCEU’s cynical world clashes with the comic book offerings of the MCU, but that’s intentional and Snyder’s vision for the franchise was always rooted in Frank Miller’s Batman.
Which is to say that the DCEU is at its best when it’s dark, but still aware of its heart. Batman V Superman’s theatrical cut fails because nearly half an hour of Clark Kent is removed from the movie, gutting the story’s heart. This isn’t the case in the Snyder Cut, where both The Flash and Cyborg’s character arcs exemplify heroism at its very best.
8 Into The Multiverse
DC has a dense multiverse that’s never really been touched upon in the movies. While this makes sense considering how young the DCEU is, it’s still a bit suspect. DC’s multiverse is key to the greater franchise’s identity – something Zack Snyder actually thought to address in Justice League.
The Knightmare sequence in the Snyder Cut actually directly references multiple timelines. Not just that, Batman V Superman already features The Flash time traveling – perhaps retroactively setting up the DCEU for branching timelines. According to The Joker, Batman is destined to destroy every timeline he’s in, which sounds like clear set up for a narrative sacrifice.
7 Continued Use Of Jared Leto’s Joker
Jared Leto’s stint as The Joker in Suicide Squad wasn’t exactly well received, but he wasn’t working with the best material either. While fans were apprehensive to see Leto in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, the actor actually captures The Joker’s essence fairly well. More importantly, Leto has fantastic chemistry with Ben Affleck’s Batman. Their one conversation in the Knightmare is short, but it’s one of Justice League’s signature scenes and offers some fascinating insight into how Robin died.
6 Hope For Ben Affleck’s Batman
While Robert Pattinson is shaping up to be an incredible Bruce Wayne, it’ll be sad to see Ben Affleck’s Batman go. The Snyder Cut showed Bruce in a new light, genuinely trying to grow from the mistakes he made in Dawn of Justice. Batman ends up with one of the most compelling character arcs in Justice League as a result, with more than enough room to grow.
Ben Affleck more than deserves his own solo movie as Batman, especially if it pits him against Deathstroke as originally intended. Although Ben Affleck is slated to appear in The Flash solo movie, his future in the DCEU seems unsure. Losing Ben Affleck’s Batman without so much as a solo outing would be a massive shame.
5 A Complete Arc For Superman
As would letting Henry Cavill go without locking him down for at least a Man of Steel sequel. Cavill’s Superman is contentious, but mainly from a writing perspective. As far as acting goes, Henry Cavill nails Superman’s character and has done incredible justice to Zack Snyder’s intended arc.
Zack Snyder originally envisioned Superman becoming the main villain of the DCEU only to eventually turn into Earth’s greatest champion, leading the final fight against Darkseid in light of Batman’s sacrifice. This would also force Superman to become the leader of the Justice League while also serving as the main character. Superman’s arc isn’t complete until he fulfills this role, so WB should lock down Cavill while they can.
4 Making Junkie XL’s Score The Sound Of The DCEU
Junkie XL’s music is fantastic and lends the DCEU a sense of personality that the MCU is desperately lacking across its many soundtracks. The Snyder Cut has one of the most energetic scores a comic book movie has ever seen, picking up the momentum from Batman V Superman’s excellent music.
With Wonder Woman 1984 outright lifting “Beautiful Lie” for one of its key scenes, it’s clear that Junkie XL’s score is becoming the sound of the DCEU. Hopefully this will stick and movies beyond the Snyder Cut will continue lifting Junkie XL’s tracks for key moments.
3 Giving Cyborg His Rightful Place In The DCEU
The Snyder Cut set up Cyborg’s character so well that it’ll be downright criminal if Ray Fisher never gets to play the role again. Cyborg is the heart and soul of Zack Snyder’s Justice League with the potential to become one of the strongest heroes in the DCEU. WB needs to recognize all the work Snyder and Fisher put into Cyborg’s characterization. With Cyborg apparently cut from The Flash solo movie, it’ll be nothing short of disappointing for his role to be confined to Justice League. Cyborg deserves better.
2 Set Up For Multiple Supporting Characters
Joss Whedon’s Justice League removed several characters from the theatrical cut, in turn trimming the branches for the DCEU’s future. Ryan Choi (who would eventually become The Atom,) Iris West (The Flash’s main love interest), and Darkseid’s entire court were omitted. Not just that, Silas Stone’s character arc was heavily changed, consequently influencing Cyborg’s.
The Snyder Cut restores every character (giving them actual purpose in the movie) while fixing up character arcs. The end result is a movie that not only stands better on its own, but actually sets up several supporting characters for a future in the DCEU without coming off jarring. Optimistically, Kiersey Clemons is reprising her role as Iris in The Flash solo movie.
1 Restoring The Snyderverse
If nothing else, Zack Snyder had an actual vision for the DCEU. It’s been painfully evident since Batman V Superman’s theatrical release that WB is content winging the grand narrative from movie to movie, changing their plan based on audience reactions. Unfortunately, all signs point that audience reaction would have been overall positive if BvS released in its complete form and Zack Snyder got to complete Justice League as intended.
The Snyder Cut proves that fans are still interested in his vision of the DCEU. Not just that, Justice League shows that there’s a clear heart to Snyder’s madness. Yes, the Knightmare will happen and eventually destroy the DCEU, but only for it to be fixed and the Justice League to rise stronger than ever. Hopefully WB recognizes that there’s still value in the Snyderverse, if only to finish the story Man of Steel started telling.
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