Justice League: Zack Snyder Considers the Snyder Cut a “Social Experiment”

Zack Snyder’s Justice League debuts on HBO Max this Thursday, March 18th, and the film’s journey to that premiere is already a legendary one. After director Zack Snyder‘s departure and replacement by Joss Whedon led to a very different theatrical release of Justice League, fans pulled together to demand the release of the so-called “Snyder Cut”, Snyder’s full vision of the film. Now that the vision is about to become reality, Snyder says that he considers the whole journey a “social experiment”, with the finished film set to have a very different meaning for the fans who helped make it happen.

“This is a social experiment,” Snyder told The New York Times. “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.”

There’s more to the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement that can be considered part of the larger social experiment as well. Alongside the fan demand for the full version of Snyder’s film were fundraising and awareness efforts for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The charitable efforts of the group stem from the loss of Snyder’s daughter, Autumn, while he was working on Justice League. Not only did fans push for the release of the Snyder Cut, but they’ve raised over half a million dollars for the foundation as well, something Snyder took to social media in December to show his gratitude for.

“This movement is so powerful,” he wrote. “Thank you for all of your amazing fundraising efforts to support [American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.”

You can check out the synopsis for Zack Snyder’s Justice League below.

In Zack Snyder’s Justice League, determined to ensure Superman’s (Henry Cavill) ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) aligns forces with Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) with plans to recruit a team of metahumans to protect the world from an approaching threat of catastrophic proportions. The task proves more difficult than Bruce imagined, as each of the recruits must face the demons of their own pasts to transcend that which has held them back, allowing them to come together, finally forming an unprecedented league of heroes. Now united, Batman (Affleck), Wonder Woman (Gadot), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Cyborg (Ray Fisher), and The Flash (Ezra Miller) may be too late to save the planet from Steppenwolf, DeSaad, and Darkseid and their dreadful intentions.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League debuts on HBO Max on Thursday, March 18th.