It can't be denied that the DC Extended Universe fandom has some of the most dedicated and passionate fans and they can take all the credit in the world for the success of the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement, a years-long campaign that led to the launch of Zack Snyder's Justice League.
Seeing as the fan-driven movement forced Warner Bros. to finally drop the 4-hour-long project, it eventually spawned several campaigns on social media that aim to help Zack Snyder realize his original DCEU vision.
However, in a shocking turn of events, it looks like the studio has finally found a massive crack in the movement. According to a scoop from Rolling Stone, a new data obtained by WB shows that the whole Snyder Cut campaign was fueled by bots and fake accounts.
"After researching online conversations about the Snyder Cut of the Justice League's release, specifically the hashtags 'ReleaseTheSnyderCut' and 'RestoreTheSnyderVerse' on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, [the analysts] detected an increase in negative activity created by both real and fake authors," the report claims.
The outlet added: "One identified community was made up of real and fake authors that spread negative content about WarnerMedia for not restoring the 'SnyderVerse.' Additionally, three main leaders were identified within the authors scanned on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram — one leader on each platform. These leaders received the highest amount of engagement and have many followers, which gives them the ability to influence public opinion."
Also Read: DC Fans Relaunch Massive #RestoreTheSnyderVerse Movement Ahead of SDCC
I'm not saying I support the idea but even if the whole bot thing ends up being true, it can't be denied that the Snyder Cut generated a ton of buzz which ultimately helped HBO Max increase its streaming presence. The viewing numbers don't lie so it's still technically a win for WB.
The unfortunate thing is, this could very well lead to the studio completely ignoring any sort of fan campaign and that includes calls for Man of Steel 2 and David Ayer's cut of Suicide Squad. Is there still hope for the DCEU?
That said, both versions of Zack Snyder's Justice League are streaming on HBO Max.