Fans are petitioning to “Restore The Snyder Verse” and make Justice League Director’s Cut a DCEU canon.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League cut is undeniably the hottest property in the superhero hemisphere. Initially called mythical, believed-in by fans, now being pieced together by the director – The Snyder Cut sees the light of the day thanks to its fans.
The fan-led movement #ReleaseTheSnyderCut propelled Warner Brothers to announce a four-part series in favor of their new streaming platform HBO Max. While fans were expecting this to be a DCEU canon, a recent statement by DC Films head Walter Hamada says the studio sees the Snyder Cut as a dead-end. This has now got the fans demanding to #RestoreTheSnyderVerse on social media. Can the fan-led movement make Justice League Director’s Cut a DCEU Canon?
WB’s Plans For DCEU Canon
After the release of Wonder Woman 1984, Hamada sat down with The NYT to discuss the new direction DC is heading in. In the past year, many exciting developments have come in terms of WB’s new strategy. Wonder Woman 1984 was its first hybrid release debuting on HBO Max and domestic theatres simultaneously. The streaming service has taken a front seat ever since the pandemic shifted consumer behavior. WB announced a host of shows like the Green Lantern, Peacemaker series, a Batman spin-off exploring GCPD, The Snyder Cut and more.
Along with the release model, WB plans to hold two separate universes, DCEU, that consists of Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman, Suicide Squad, Shazam and more. And DC Film multiverse – for its standalone titles like Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker, Robert Pattinson’s Batman and more.
Furthermore, as per DC FanDome event, Ezra Miller’s The Flash 2022 is set to kickstart the DC Multiverse. With an ensemble cast of Batmen Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton reprising their roles certainly, WB has a different plan for DCEU. Hence, Hamada called HBO Max project ‘a storytelling cul-de-sac’ meaning a dead-end for Snyder-verse.
Watch: The True Story Behind the Snyder Cut
Can The Snyder-verse Be Restored?
Zack Snyder’s original Justice League plan had a 5-story arch. With the director’s cut, Snyder is rounding off the story in four hours. The four-part HBO Max series might also see a theatrical release with an R rating. Furthermore, WB has invested a $70 million to finish post-production, VFX and additional photography of the Justice League Director’s Cut. Along with the main cast, Justice League Director’s Cut is bringing back unseen characters and a plethora of new villains. Furthermore, Jared Leto is reprising his Joker and Amber Heard is coming back as Mera.
With many plot points to tie in and giving fans a Justice League feature they deserve – Snyder has left no stone unturned. However, sine Justice League’s theatrical release DCEU has come a long way from Snyder’s original story. Characters like Wonder Woman, Shazam, Aquaman etc. share the same universe but do not refer to each other. In fact, much of the storytelling will contradict Snyder’s story. For example, in Wonder Woman 1984, we see Gal Gadot taking a flight. However, in the Snyder-verse (set in present day) she never once displayed the ability. This is much like WB’s plans for characters like Flash, which will contradict the DCEU canon. Not that the storytelling or continuity is flawless as of now!
Perhaps, Justice League Director’s Cut should be seen as an Elseworlds tale rather than a DCEU canon.
The Big Decision
Nonetheless, the cast of Justice League has once again come out in support of the fan movement. Cyborg actor Ray Fisher has lent his support for restoring the Snyder-verse along with Ray Porter who will make his Justice League debut in March.
With all that going on and fan’s interest spiking to see more of the Snyder-verse, making it a one-time event is certainly leaving money on the table for WB. There have been strong rumors about a JL sequel in works at WB and many spin-off stories as well. However, Hamada’s statement put all those to rest.
Whilst fans demand for restoration of Justice League Director’s Cut as DCEU cannon, it’s a strategic decision for WB. The one that heavily depends on how HBO Max subscription turns out when Justice League Director’s Cut will come out in March 2021.
