Fans of Justice League, and the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) in general, are in for a treat after it was revealed Zack Snyder’s director’s cut of the film, due for release in 2021, is set to be a four-hour-long epic.
DC Comics and the Justice League have had a huge impact on the entertainment industry and it has only been accelerating since the DCEU was reinvigorated with the release of Man of Steel in 2013. Since then, seven more films have been released, including Justice League and Wonder Woman in 2017 and Birds of Prey in February 2020.
Its influence has extended beyond the comic book and film and television industries too, especially in gaming as comics and video games have always enjoyed a significant crossover in audiences. Fighting game Injustice and the massively multiplayer online action combat title DC Universe Online feature the entire Justice League roster while in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League gamers have to do their best job fighting against the seemingly unstoppable superhero posse.
The popular culture impact of the Justice League doesn’t stop there though, in iGaming, there is a branded Justice League slot game featured among online slots from reputable providers. Even the tourism industry has been examples with theme park rides Justice League: Alien Invasion 3D at Movie World in Australia and Justice League: Battle for Metropolis at Six Flags in America having been inspired by the crime-fighting group.
Therefore, it comes as very little surprise that the announcement of an extended director’s cut of the 2017 Justice League film has been well received by fans around the world. And there will be a lot of it when it does release, early indications are that it will be four hours long from start to finish.
Director Zack Snyder dropped the bombshell at the DC FanDome but then failed to explain how it would be presented to audiences. While he did say it would be possible to watch the entire thing in one, four-hour session, it seems as if it will be released in four, more easily digestible separate one-hour long episodes, even though Snyder did not explicitly say it would be a mini-series. There was also no indication of whether the episodes would be released individually or in one go a-la Netflix series.
One of the main gripes with the original release of the film in 2017 was that there was too much content to get through in one film and, as such, many parts felt rushed or under-explained as many scenes were cut to allow all the important bits to fit in. That’s what makes the prospect of an extra-long extended cut so exciting, although it will also increase the pressure on those involved to deliver in equal measure.
It will help the continuity of the film having Snyder finish what he started. For those unaware, he had to leave the project deep into production because of a family tragedy and was replaced by Joss Whedon. Now we will finally get to see the entirety of Snyder’s vision brought to life.
One of the more ambitious aspects of the “Snyder Cut” as it has become known is that a significant portion of the budget provided by HBO Max was reportedly spent on changing the entire look, feel and tone of the film. The most obvious example is changing the red hue cast over the entire final battle that did not play well with audiences the first time around.
Changing some lighting and colour lighting effects is one thing, but the plan to change the entire tone of the film is another matter entirely. Before Whedon took over, Justice League was set with a much lighter tone and that, presumably, will return in the Snyder Cut. When the original released, it was one of the most anticipated films of 2017 and it will certainly be interesting to see how effectively they can pull off such an ambitious project.
