Justice League director Zack Snyder refuses to include even a “single frame” from the Joss Whedon-completed version of the superhero ensemble movie released to theaters in 2017, saying he would “blow the f—ing thing up” before using footage filmed by another director. Snyder is now overseeing work on his long-fabled director’s cut of Justice League — currently in the process of being realized and completed for a straight-to-streaming 2021 premiere on HBO Max — restoring his original vision for the first film bringing together Batman (Ben Affleck), Superman (Henry Cavill), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Flash (Ezra Miller) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher).
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When the tentatively titled Zack Snyder’s Justice League arrives — either as a four-plus-hour movie or a six-episode series — it will not include footage overseen by Whedon, who replaced Snyder as director when the Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice filmmaker was forced to step away from Justice League following the death of daughter Autumn Snyder.
“I’d destroy the movie before I use a single frame that I didn’t photograph,” Snyder said Saturday during a live-streamed Justice Con panel. “That is a f—ing hard fact. I’d blow the f—ing thing up.”
Whedon oversaw reshoots and post-production on the theatrical version of Justice League, which will not be superseded by Snyder’s Justice League in terms of continuity. The director’s cut is “separate” from the mainline DC Extended Universe, according to Snyder.
Snyder will fulfill his original plans for the first Justice League by restoring footage unused by Whedon, who excised multiple scenes involving Apokolips ruler and master villain Darkseid (Ray Porter).
One restored scene warning of Darkseid’s arrival was revealed in the first teaser trailer for the Snyder Cut, and more Snyder-shot footage shown for the first time over the weekend included a sneak peek look at Cavill as a black suit-wearing Superman.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League is an “entirely new” experience, Snyder previously told The Hollywood Reporter when confirming he was returning to the so-called “SnyderVerse” to complete work on his unfinished film.
“It will be an entirely new thing, and, especially talking to those who have seen the released movie, a new experience apart from that movie,” Snyder said. “You probably saw one-fourth of what I did.”
Warner Bros. will next premiere new footage from the director’s cut during the DC Fandome event in August. Zack Snyder’s Justice League releases exclusively on the HBO Max streaming service in 2021.
