Justice League: Zack Snyder Reveals Why He Shot a New Ending
At long last, the Justice League Snyder Cut will soon be unveiled to the masses. The four-hour [...]
At long last, the Justice League Snyder Cut will soon be unveiled to the masses. The four-hour behemoth hits HBO Max this Thursday and carries with it hours of new footage that wasn't included with the film's initial theatrical release. That includes an entirely new ending featuring Batman (Ben Affleck) and Joker (Jared Leto) coming face to face. In a new interview with the New York Times, Snyder said he had to film it because he didn't want to leave the DCEU without seeing the two iconic characters speak to one another.
"I added it because this was going to be the last movie I make for the DCU and to have this entire cinematic universe without Batman and Joker meeting up just felt weird," the filmmaker told the paper. "Jared [Leto] and I had a bunch of conversations about it. I had mentioned it to Ben and I was like, Ben, let's just do it at my house. I could shoot it in the backyard. Don't tell the studio and I'm not going to pay you guys. I'm just going to shoot it myself."
Fortunately for Snyder, he didn't have to film a backyard scene as HBO Max ended up pledging millions to help the filmmaker finish his ultimate vision for the property.
"No, what happened is it worked out and we were able to do it for real," Snyder added. "And then I called the rest of those cast members and said, 'Hey, would you guys be down to come around and do it?'"
The interview does mention the ending leaves the story open-ended, suggesting it could end with a cliffhanger that was intended to set up additional movies in the franchise. Snyder's response to the question was simple enough, saying, "The ask [from HBO Max] was for my version of the movie."
In the same interview, the filmmaker compared the Snyder Cut to a social experiment, suggesting it's been tailor-made for his fans around the world.
"This is a social experiment," Snyder said. "For millions of people, it's, 'Oh, look a giant superhero move -- I guess that's cool.' But then for a large portion of my fans, it comes custom-made. [As a viewer] you have the perception, more than ever, that the movie was made singularly for you as you watch it. It's the culmination of this entire experience: 'I fought and used the hashtag #ReleaseTheSnyderCut, and it's in my world, in my computer, on my TV, in my house.' I don't think anybody can quantify what that means yet."
Zack Snyder's Justice League hits HBO Max on March 18th.
What other surprises do you think are in store for the Snyder Cut? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section!