On March 18, the world will finally be able to watch the much-awaited film Zack Snyder’s Justice League. It has been spoken about for years, campaigned for, faced several delays, but it all comes down to a highly anticipated release. To have the chance to finally watch Snyder’s vision is a dream come true for many fans. But, the question still remains, will there possibly be a sequel?
In the past few months, fans have been reminded many times, including by Snyder himself, that the chances of there being a Justice League 2 are very slim. That hasn’t stopped them from demanding a sequel and even asking Warner Bros. to relaunch the SnyderVerse. The hype for this film is off the charts, with even those who weren’t interested in the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement now tuning in. While fan campaigns could have potentially resulted in the Snyder Cut’s release, the demand and positive reviews for the movie might work as enough reason for a sequel.
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When Snyder first came on board, his vision for the DC Extended Universe included a five-movie plan. His journey began with Man of Steel, introducing Henry Cavill’s Superman to the world in 2013. While fans expected a sequel, the next film put Supes up against the Caped Crusader. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice released in 2016, and while it had a strong opening, the film crashed on the box office in the following weeks and received mixed reviews from critics and DC fans.
Surprisingly, even though the film received a lot of negative feedback, it is still talked about five years later. One particular scene from the film resulted in several memes appearing online, some of which are still making the rounds on social media. The scene in question is when Superman is forced to fight Batman by Lex Luthor, who is holding Martha Kent hostage. As Batman is about to kill his opponent, Superman pleads with him to “save Martha.” Fans would be aware that Bruce Wayne’s parents, Thomas and Martha Wayne, were murdered when he was a child. Hearing his mother’s name, Batman chooses to spare Superman and instead teams up with him to rescue Martha.
In any other film, perhaps of a romantic genre, this scene would be applauded. But, when two superheroes, who are out fighting evil and saving the world, are overcome with emotions during a battle, they become content for trollers on the internet. That entire sequence has been mocked for years. But, in recent interviews, Snyder revealed that it felt like the perfect bond between the two heroes, and that’s when the fans finally saw the director’s perspective. His fans are clearly loyal, something that Warner Bros. and DC should take note of. The business of filmmaking would flourish with fans like that on your side.
Despite the lukewarm reception of Batman v Superman, these fans were prepared for more. They wanted to experience the SnyderVerse as it unfolded. While working on the third film in his version of the DCEU, Justice League, Snyder faced a personal tragedy and had to step down during production. With Joss Whedon taking control, fans were skeptical from the start how this would affect the DCEU. A reported $25 million was spent in reshoots for the film, to incorporate Whedon’s changes into the project. From digitally removing Cavill's mustache to cutting all of Ray Porter’s Darkseid scenes, Whedon’s changes led to a film that did not satisfy fans’ expectations, and immediately after the film’s release in 2017, the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut campaign was initiated. This is when the journey behind the hype for Zack Snyder’s Justice League started to unfold then.
While Snyder fans were busy campaigning against Whedon’s Justice League, things were looking up for DC. It could potentially be due to the global attention created by the Snyder vs Whedon fans, but the interest in DC movies suddenly seemed to have increased. James Wan’s standalone Aquaman movie released in 2018 and went on to become the biggest DC movie in terms of box office earnings. Grossing over $1 billion US, the film bypassed The Dark Knight Rises, which until then held the record for DC’s highest-grossing film. Apart from being a good movie, Aquaman also seemed to add to the fans’ argument that Whedon was not the right choice for the DCEU, further increasing the hype for Snyder’s version of Justice League.
Four years after Justice League released, the Snyder Cut is finally arriving. And though fans’ pleas have finally been heard, it currently looks like Snyder’s version of Justice League will be the end of the line for his vision. Warner Bros. has revealed in official statements that Snyder is not a part of future DC movie plans. Snyder has also confirmed that the media conglomerate is not interested in making a sequel. While his film is meant to end with a cliffhanger, fans may never know what Snyder had planned. But, is it truly the end?
Even before the Snyder Cut is officially released, early reactions from some critics have been mostly positive, with a lot of praise for Snyder. The film has been referred to as being “superior to the 2017 version in every way”. While some would be put off by the runtime, the four-hour film comes as a surprise to some critics, as they wonder how a theatrical cut of the same film would have managed to retain all that it has to offer.
If after all the hype and positive early reviews, Zack Snyder’s Justice League proves to be a success, it would make business sense to take the journey forward. It has become obvious over the years that fans would be on board if Warner Bros. decided to allow the SnyderVerse to play out. Despite the memes and criticism, these fans have stood by Snyder and their favorite DC heroes over the years and any future movies will have the support of this fanbase.
At the San Diego Comic-Con in 2018, there was a reference made to the Worlds of DC. Many fans theorized if this was DC’s way of potentially introducing a multiverse. Ben Affleck’s Batman takes the lead in Justice League, but a Batman film with Robert Pattinson is already in production. It has also been confirmed that a new Superman movie is being worked on, leaving the fate of Cavill’s Superman unknown. This only goes to show that the idea of a multiverse is possible. If this were in fact to come to fruition, it would allow two separate storylines to exist at the same time.
It may seem like the possibility of Warner Bros exploring Snyder’s versions of DC’s heroes has ended, but it doesn’t have to. It may not happen immediately, but well into the future, DC may recognize the demand for the versions of the heroes created by Snyder and want to expand on it, maybe even bringing Snyder back onboard to garner the power of his fans. Only time will tell, but it seems like it is too early to rule out a sequel.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League premiers on HBO Max on March 18, 2021.
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