The ongoing fan movement known as #ReleaseTheSnyderCut achieved something many industry experts considered impossible as Zack Snyder announced his version of Justice League would indeed be releasing on HBO Max in 2021. Now the actors involved are starting to speak out about the long-awaited project, including Deathstroke actor Joe Manganiello who made his debut in a post-credits sequence for the theatrical release that was overseen by Joss Whedon. While Manganiello’s Deathstroke has yet to appear in other DC movies since Justice League, the actor is teasing that the version Snyder filmed set up the assassin’s eventual confrontation with Batman, teasing Ben Affleck’s version of the film before he left the project.
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Check out Manganiello’s tweet below:
The original end credit scene…
โ JOE MANGANIELLO (@JoeManganiello) May 20, 2020
โ๏ธ ๐ฆ ๐ https://t.co/ZT76RG15w0
The Snyder Cut has received the support of an organized social media movement that has resulted in fundraising for suicide prevention charities, as well as billboards in Times Square in New York City and banners flown over San Diego Comic-Con. It appears that those efforts were ultimately successful as Warner Bros. has given Snyder and his producing partner/wife Deborah Snyder the tools to complete the original vision of their project.
“I want to thank HBO Max and Warner Brothers for this brave gesture of supporting artists and allowing their true visions to be realized. Also a special thank you to all of those involved in the SnyderCut movement for making this a reality,” said Snyder.
After Justice League was released, there was some momentum to follow up the post-credits scene with a solo Deathstroke movie with The Raid director Gareth Evans at the helm. That project has since stalled, though Manganiello supported the release of the Snyder Cut version of Justice League.
Fans have been clamoring for the Snyder Cut to hit HBO Max ever since the streaming service was first announced, with many promotional posts on social media being dominated by requests for this version of Justice League.
“When Zack and Debbie shared the extraordinary vision of where Zack wanted to take Justice League, my team and our counterparts at Warner Bros. took it as a mission to solve the many issues that stood in the way,” said Kevin Reilly, Chief Content Officer at HBO Max, President, TNT, TBS and truTV. “Thanks to the partnership at Warner Bros. and the relentless pursuit of the entire WarnerMax team we are able to deliver this incredibly exciting moment for Zack, the fans and HBO Max.”
“Thanks to the efforts of a lot people, we’re excited to bring fans this highly anticipated version of Justice League,” said Toby Emmerich, Chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group. “This feels like the right time to share Zack’s story, and HBO Max is the perfect platform for it. We’re glad the creative planets aligned, allowing us to #ReleaseTheSnyderCut.”
Zack Snyder’s Justice League is expected to hit HBO Max in 2021.