Justice League Snyder Cut has been the talk of the town as the premiere is near for the highly anticipated version of director Zack Snyder's Justice League which happened after fans called for the release of the film for years after the theatrical release of the film in 2017.
Anent the controversy of the film, it has been revealed over the past months that the director left halfway through the production due to the creative differences between him and the production studio where the director fought for his perspective of the film when the studio wanted alterations. Because of this, Joss Whedon filled the role and took over the film and resulted in the theatrical release that we know of.
After years of rattling on social media #ReleaseTheSnyderCut, the film is finally seeing the light of day and it will be a whole lot different than the theatrical release.
According to early reviews, there is only about 10% to 15% of the Snyder Cut in the theatrical release of Justice League in 2017. Considering that the Snyder Cut is a whopping 4 hours long, there is only so little of Zack Snyder's work that made it to the theaters back then.
Table of Contents
- The Runtime of the Snyder Cut
- Dark Theme of Snyder Cut
- Jared Leto's Joker in Snyder Cut
- Superman's Black Suit in Snyder Cut
- Barry Allen and Iris West in Snyder Cut
- Aquaman in Snyder Cut
- Cyborg's Story in Snyder Cut
- DeSaad in Snyder Cut
- Martian Manhunter in Snyder Cut
- Steppenwolf Battle in Snyder Cut
- Overall Difference of the Snyder Cut and Theatrical Release of Justice League
Here are the notable differences between the Snyder Cut and the theatrical release of Justice League.
The Runtime of the Snyder Cut
More or less four hours would be the run of Zack Snyder's Justice League with a staggering 242 minutes for the whole film as compared to the 120-minute Justice League in 2017. It was shared by Zack Snyder that his plans for Justice League would be a two-part film and now that it has been given a chance, the Snyder Cut will be giving it all, a full-length four-hour film.
Dark Theme of Snyder Cut
Zack Snyder will continue the tonal template that he has established in both Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. In the 2017 release of Justice League, it was made less dark and quite light that it would suit younger audiences. The Snyder Cut will likely have an R-Rating as there are more scenes of violence and use of more profane words.
Jared Leto's Joker in Snyder Cut
Jared Leto's Joker was nowhere to be found in the 2017 release of Justice League. His character's presence in the Snyder Cut is one of the many scenes or creative views that did not make it in the theatrical release. Joker's image in the Snyder Cut provides a wider range of a story arc with Joker being one of the most well-known enemies of Batman.
Superman's Black Suit in Snyder Cut
Superman's return in the theatrical release was quite disturbing, to say the least, as he was disoriented and seemed to have a darker persona compared to his previous appearances. Still, his costume remained the same. It was revealed that Whedon had reshot the scenes of Henry Cavill as the whole storyline of Superman changed in the theatrical release.
Barry Allen and Iris West in Snyder Cut
Barry Allen's story was quite chopped off and hurried in the theatrical release in 2017. His story was supposed to have more weight for a better understanding of his character. Kiersey Clemons' Iris West did not make it to the theatrical version and the Snyder Cut will put her back to the narrative as seen in the trailers.
Barry Allen's The Flash is also teased by Snyder to do something more than what has already been seen of his extraordinary powers hinting that The Flash "interacts with time and space."
Aquaman in Snyder Cut
In the theatrical release, it was shown that Aquaman was needed and he called to the heed of the needy town where the main event is happening. There was not much backstory for him in the 2017 Justice League when in the Snyder Cut, the backstory of the Atlantean king would have been highlighted more and introduced better before the release of the standalone Aquaman film.
His backstory in the Snyder Cut features important people in his life as the Atlantean king and his becoming one such as Amber Heard's Mera and William Dafoe's Vulko, and how he got ahold of his armor and trident used in the battle.
Cyborg's Story in Snyder Cut
The theatrical release didn't show much of the story behind the character of Cyborg as it focused more on the popular heroes of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.
In the version of Zack Snyder, he considers Cyborg to be the heart of the film and the one thing keeping the team together. Cyborg is the glue of the Justice League. Basically, born from a Mother Box, his backstory could explain how he could fly, use his weaponry, and his skills. His connection to Victor Stone was totally scrapped off in the theatrical release which could've made more sense why Cyborg is there in the first place.
Also, S.T.A.R. labs scenes did not make it to the big screen where The Atom of Ryan Choi could've been introduced. All these scrapped scenes would be in the Snyder Cut.
DeSaad in Snyder Cut
The right-hand-man of Darkseid, DeSaad, did not see the light of day in the theatrical release. In the Snyder Cut, DeSaad would be playing a role as to how Darkseid would attack and face the Justice League. Peter Guinness will be voicing DeSaad and will be appearing in the upcoming Snyder Cut.
Martian Manhunter in Snyder Cut
Joss Whedon's Justice League totally changed the scenes of Lois Lane and Martha Kent. In Zack Snyder's, it was revealed that Martha is just a mask for the Martian Manhunter who took the form of another person. The Martian Manhunter hides behind the General Swanwick of Harry Lennix. Snyder reshot the scene to blow the minds of fans.
Steppenwolf Battle in Snyder Cut
This was totally changed in the theatrical release with the addition of a Russian family, toning down the capabilities of Superman and Batman. Also, Steppenwolf's end was so anticlimactic that his army turned their backs on him.
In the Snyder Cut, it was revealed that the original version would've had Wonder Woman decapitating Steppenwolf but because it was a violent scene, the theatrical release wouldn't have it as that would mean younger fans wouldn't be able to enjoy the movie.
Overall Difference of the Snyder Cut and Theatrical Release of Justice League
To sum it all up, the theatrical release of Justice League in 2017 is a whole different film than the Snyder Cut. Yes, there would be some minimal similarities as a few of the scenes made it but all-in-all, the essence of the film and the vision is totally different.
There sure are a lot more differences between the two films but because the creative mind behind each of the films is not the same, it makes the two films sui generis to one another.
Zack Snyder's Justice League premieres on HBO Max, March 18, 2021, and DVD/Blu-Ray in April 2021.
Related: DCEU Fans are Already Celebrating Snyder Cut's Success After Positive Reviews Surface
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