Zack Snyder Confirms That His Cut Of 'Justice League' Will Be Released In Four Parts, One Hour Each

“The Snyder Cut” has been a hot topic among DC fans for the last few years. Joss Whedon took over directorial duties for 2017’s Justice League when Zack Snyder had to step away due to a family tragedy. The response to the finished product was...not kind. Some found that the film felt inconsistent and could have been much better. In fact, it sparked a fan campaign to have Zack Snyder finish his interpretation of the film as he had envisioned it.

Earlier this year, it was officially announced that the Snyder Cut would be released on HBO Max sometime in 2021. Saturday, at DC FanDome, Snyder himself even thanked a couple of supporters of the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement. Furthermore, he confirmed that his take on Justice League would be released in four parts, with each part being one hour in length. He added, “Don’t worry if you don’t have HBO Max, because we’re working on a distribution plan.” Oddly, however, the trailer ends with, “Only on HBO Max.”

That is right, we got a trailer for the Snyder Cut at this virtual panel. Visually, the aesthetic looks like what one would expect from Snyder’s previous work on DC films. There is some dark and grittiness, with very few bright moments. The trailer is also set to the song “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen. Those who have watched Zack Snyder’s film adaptation of DC’s Watchmen may remember that this song was used for that film as well. In light of that knowledge, this trailer may come across feeling too self-referential to some. Maybe the trailer is impressive enough to some. As for the quality of the end result, only time will tell how everyone ends up feeling about the whole thing. At the very least, curiosity over which cut ends up seeming better (an opinion that can vary, of course) will be satisfied.

The Snyder Cut virtual panel at DC FanDome also included Justice League cast members appearing via video to send questions to Snyder. Ben Affleck asked, “Who is your favorite superhero of all time?” Snyder said that, apart from Batman, Doctor Manhattan from Watchmen is his favorite, partially due to how he can manipulate space and reality very easily. Perhaps this answer is not that big of a surprise, given that the man directed 2009’s Watchmen.

Henry Cavill asked, “As a storyteller, what is a dynamic for the Justice League that is important for you to present on the screen?” Snyder then went on to talk about how, when you get right down to it, the Justice League members are loners. For example, Batman hangs out in his cave. Cyborg especially feels alone given how the lab accident affected his physical appearance, making it difficult for him to be out and about. Snyder would later say to Cyborg actor Ray Fisher that Cyborg is the hero whom he is most excited to flesh out fully. It makes sense that Snyder would want to explore this aspect of the heroes. In fact, it was a heavy theme in his first DC Extended Universe film, Man of Steel, in which Kal-El feels very alien and out of place among the humans on Earth.

There was also a moment when Gal Gadot thanked Snyder for Casting her as Wonder Woman. Plus, Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins asked Snyder whether there is anything that he can reveal about his cut of Justice League. Without spoiling too much, Snyder revealed that we would see something to do with Flash’s abilities that has not been seen before. Judging from his wording, it sounds like it might have to do with time travel. Just speculating, this could potentially explain a scene in Batman v Superman in which the Flash seems to have time traveled to tell Bruce Wayne that Lois Lane “is the key.” We will just have to wait and see. At one point, Snyder told Ezra Miller that his Flash would have “a little bit more of his emotional arc” in the new cut. This could potentially be interesting, as some felt that there was not much depth to Barry Allen in the theatrical cut of Justice League.

Once Snyder’s interpretation is released on HBO Max next year, fans will be able to compare and contrast both versions of Justice League and decide for themselves which version they prefer. For now, they have gotten a glimpse of what is to come.

Written By Steven Shinder

Syndicated From Culture Slate