Zack Snyder Confirms Plan to Sacrifice Batman in Justice League Trilogy

12/06/2019 01:52 pm EST

By now, the story of Warner Bros. Justice League movie fiasco is infamous, and the push for Warner Bros. to release Zack Snyder's original cut of Justice League has been unrelenting. Many of the cast and crew who have worked with Snyder on Justice League have been championing the director's version of the movie, and contending with industry insiders who claim that the Snyder Cut of Justice League doesn't existence. Well, Zack Snyder himself finally weighed in on the matter today, revealing a photo of the real, physical, reels containing the Snyder Cut - and he's not stopping there.

Zack Snyder has been holding court over on Vero, answering fan questions. One answer was a confirmation that yes, Ben Affleck's Batman was going to die by Darkseid's hand in the Justice League sequels:

As you can see above, Snyder was asked about previous references he made to Batman sacrificing himself in the battle with Darkseid during the Justice League sequels, and his report was, "we always had that plan we would see that in final chapter."

If you don't know (or remember), Snyder's vision for Justice League was actually a trilogy that had a major DC villain (Darkseid) and a major time travel twist. As was previously teased by Snyder and confirmed by industry insiders:

• Snyder's Justice League would play like the theatrical version, with one ending twist: Darkseid revealing himself to the League, as Steppenwolf's master.
• Justice League 2 would've gone cosmic, with the League mounting an attack on Apokolips and Darkseid. That major event would've brought the New Gods of New Genesis and the Green Lantern Corps into the mix.
• The second movie would've ended on a dark and ominous loss, as Darkseid thrashed the Justice League and killed Lois Lane, taking Superman prisoner and creating the "Dark Superman" we saw in Batman v Superman through the Anti-Life Equation
• Justice League 3 would've seen Darkseid invade Earth without the League there to defend it, conquering the planet and creating the "Knightmare" reality in Batman v Superman.
• Through several time travel loops (including Flash's failed warning to Bruce in Batman v Superman) Batman would have to reach Superman and bring him back ot the side of good, so that the League could defeat Darkseid and save the world.

It would've been painful yet powerfully poetic if Batman - who was the elder hero in the DCEU continuity - laid down his life to save and/or protect Superman from Darkseid. It would've justified the two heroes' violent clash in Batman v Superman and provided a fitting end to Ben Affleck's aged version of Batman, leaving clear room for that mantle to be passed on. Instead we have a story a lot of fans want to see but never will, and unfinished fates for both Ben Affleck's Batman and Henry Cavill's Superman, which will have to be resolved.

Now we don't want The Snyder Cut, so much as that entire Snyder Trilogy!

Joker is now in theaters. Upcoming DC Movies include Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) on February 7, 2020, Wonder Woman 1984 on June 5, 2020, The Batman on June 25, 2021, The Suicide Squad on August 6, 2021, and Aquaman 2 on December 16, 2022. The Flash is set to go into production in 2021.

Disclosure: ComicBook is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of Paramount. Sign up for Paramount+ by clicking here.