After years of rumors and speculation, Zack Snyders Justice League cut will finally be released on HBO Max in 2021. The troubled production of the original 2017 version combined with disappointment from fans created a movement for the release of Zack Snyders original vision. Despite initial denials from the studio, the Snyder Cut was confirmed to exist in 2019 and was recently announced as an HBO Max exclusive. But what exactly is this version of Justice League? And what does it mean for the industry?

Director Zack Snydergave birth to the DC Cinematic Universewith Man of Steelafter Christopher Nolans Dark Knight trilogy finished in 2012. The choice made sense to Warner Bros. as Snyder had experience adapting comic books and graphic novels to the big screen after directing Watchmen and 300. The studio's hope was the directors unique style would distinguish the DCEU from Marvels cinematic universe, using DCs classic superheroes to surpass Marvels success at the box office.

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In 2013, Snyders Man of Steel was released, followed by 2016s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Despite earning over $1.5 billion combined globally, both movies proved divisive with critics and audiences anddidn't match the same box officehighs by the Marvel movies at the time. The future of DCs expanded universe seemed to be on shaky grounds. While the script for Justice Leaguewas completed before the release ofBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the negative reception resulted in Snyder and Terrio rewriting their script before starting production onJustice League.Shooting wrapped in December 2016, and Cyborg actor Ray Fisher said there was enough shot to make two movies. Snyder's early assembly cut wasfive hours, and he says his director's cut was overthree-and-a-half hours long. He screened a two-hour cut for the studio, but they weren't satisfied and assembled a writers room to implement changes to Snyder. Unfortunately, before he could complete another version, Snyder had to step away from his directing duties due to a family tragedy. To finish production, Warner Bros. hired director Joss Whedon.

Even before Snyders exit, studio executives were already pushing for creative changes. Producers Jon Berg and Geoff John were brought on the project to make Justice League more hopeful and optimistic. It was clear Warner Bros. wanted to move away from Snyders darker style after the reception of Batman v Superman. Snyders departure and Whedons involvement represented an opportunity for the studio to change the movie even further. However, they had no intention of pushing back the release date.

The new director adding about 80 new pages to the script, earning him a screenplay credit. Asignificant chunk of Snyders footage was tossed in favor of a two-month reshoot. Scenes with more humor and a brighter tone replaced the more violent ones from Snyders version. Comic book lore and characters backstories were cut. A conflicting schedule with Mission: Impossible Fallout meant actor Henry Cavills mustache had to be removed digitally from every Superman scene. The production cost also went up, adding at least $25 million to the films budget.

The result was a movie stitched together from multiple tones, often referred to as a "Frankenstein movie" failing to please audiences. It earned $658 million worldwide, a disappointing sumby any standard.

Dissatisfied with Whedons Justice League and upset with WB's treatment of Snyder,fans created an online petition calling for Warner Bros. to release Snyders original cut. To them, the movie in theaters didnt realize Snyders vision as promised by the studio. The petition gathered almost 180,000 signatures and started a movement that would later adopt the hashtag #ReleaseTheSnyderCut. In 2018, a website was created to draw attention to the cut by a fan named Fiona Zheng and would become a gathering spot for fans. ForSnyderCut.com organized a photoshoot of cosplayers holding a banner outside the Warner Bros. studios to promote the campaign.

Fan efforts would continue for two-and-a-half years despite a release being considered far-fetched by industry insiders. The campaign did mass letter-writing drives, paid for billboards near conventions and Times Square, and raised over $150,000 for suicide prevention, all hoping to convince Warner Bros to release the directors cut. Unfortunately, some also harassed those critical of the movement, such as journalists and former DC Entertainment president Diane Nelson.

Related:Here's Why We Still Care About Snyder's Cut

Overall enthusiasm for the Snyder Cut remained strong long after the original Justice League, especially because many of the cast and crew voiced their wish for the release. Snyder was thankful for all the fan support. He also helped fuel excitement for the cut when, in early 2018, he began releasing still images and storyboards from his version of the movie on social media. The director would continue to share these tidbitsand outright confirmed he had a cut of the movie in 2019. Yet the decision to release it still had to come from Warner Bros, so the campaign persisted. On the two-year anniversary ofJustice League's release, the #ReleasetheSnyderCut became the top trending topic on Twitter, withnearly 1 million tweets. This is reportedly the moment when fans convinced AT&T and Warner Media to change their mind.

Over the years, details about the Snyder Cut began to emerge. The basic plot with the League uniting to fight against Steppenwolf and the Mother boxes isbasicallythe same; however, many things were cut, including the backstories for new characters, some characters were removed entirely, and multiple subplots were removed or replaced. Besides story changes, the Snyder Cut will also have a different tone than the theatrical release. While Snyder always said Justice Leaguewould be lighter thanBatman v Superman,Whedons numerous additional jokes and quips wont be part of this version, and the overall colors will be less oversaturated, particularly in the final battle.

Theres a lot more backstory for Aquaman, Flash, and Cyborg in the Snyder Cut. Since Justice League would be their first official cinematic appearance, Snyder wanted to introduce them properly something Whedon struggled to achieve. These scenes contain other side characters such as Iris West, Cyborgs mother, and Martian Manhunter. Cyborgs role will be muchbigger hes described as the heart of the movie. More scenes with his father and his life pre-transformation are expected. Hopefully, this will translate into better-developed characters the audience can enjoy.

Related:Could Snyder's Full Original DCEU Slate Still Be Completed?

Another change will be Supermans storyline as Whedon modified his resurrection arc significantly. In Snyders version, the entire League appears to be involved in his digging up his grave, and Cyborg is the one who comes with the idea of using the Mother Box to bring back Clark. After being brought to life, Clark also is shown visiting a Kryptonian ship to get his suit back.

Finally, Snyders original plan was to set up Darkseid as the future main villain of the series, with Steppenwolf simply being his agent in Justice League. Much like Thanos first introduction, or Sauron in the Lord of the Rings,Darkseid would be present as a shadowy figure or, perhaps, showing up in the History Lesson flashback, with a few teases throughout the rest of the movie, and a major cliffhanger ending teasing his impending invasion. Its unclear how much material of him will be in the cut, considering his role as the main villain would only happen in later movies.

Theres no doubt that the Snyder Cut is a special case. Studios and directors have clashed creatively before, and ultimate cuts and extended versions of movies have been released over the years, but nothing quite like this. Even Blade Runner, which is famous for its multiple versions (the latest made in 2007, 25 years after its original release), and director Richard Donner's Superman II didnt go as far as spend well over$30million to add to and complete the Snyder Cut. Bringing the Snyder cut to the screen means going beyond the addition of unused footage. An investment this big requires a studio believing they will turn a profit. This is where #ReleaseTheSnyderCut comes in.

Another aspect that is unique to the Snyder Cut is the persistence of the fan campaign behind the hashtag. Even after three years, the excitement never died down. Instead, efforts became increasingly professional, and no doubt this was seen by HBO and the studio as a sign it was worth the money to give fans what they wanted. The push for a release by fans combined with the need for original and exclusive content for HBO Maxs launch represents a perfect storm that is unlikely to happen again. Yet, this might set a precedent for fan-backed directors cuts finding new homes with streaming services.

But not everyone thinks the release of the Snyder Cut is a good thing. Some people are worried about studios fueling fan entitlement by releasing it. There are those who believe the toxicitypresent in elements of#ReleaseTheSnyderCut should've not been rewarded. Also, while the Snyder Cut was a fan movement, not all DC fans like the director. There is a part of the fandom who strongly dislikes his gritty version of Superman and other DC superheroes. To them, this is a sign DC and Warner Media arefollowing a creative path they have hated for a long time.

More: What About Justice League Part 2?

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Priscila Santa Rosa is an avid TV and movie fan. She covers entertainment news.

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