Justice League: Return on all the controversies that led to the Snyder Cut
21 February 2021
The departure of Zack Snyder, the Warner in the crosshairs of fans, the revelations of Ray Fisher alias Cyborg … Return on the tumultuous history of the Snyder Cut.
It’s now official, the Snyder Cut from Justice League will be available in France from 22 next April. A conclusion that we could almost qualify as a happy ending, when we know that the film has often found itself in the heart of the turmoil, and still is a little. We don’t think we are exaggerating when we say that Justice League is undoubtedly one of the adaptations of comic books that have made the most talk about it over the past decade. Between the unwavering support of fans of Zack Snyder and the many revelations behind the scenes of the film released in theaters, it has indeed been difficult to escape. About two months from the release, we invite you to come back to the almost incredible story of the Snyder Cut and all the controversies surrounding it.
The Justice League Trailer, directed by Joss Whedon – Credit (s) : Warner Bros
We are in May 2017 and The Hollywood Reporter officially announces Zack Snyder’s departure from the project Justice League , following the death of her daughter. It is then Joss Whedon, the creator of the cult series Buffy the vampire slayer and the director of The Avengers who is responsible for finishing the movie. It is thus revealed that the latter had already helped his predecessor for a while, and that he will remain faithful to the story started by Zack Snyder as well as to his particular style. When reshoots take place, Warner is once again reassuring and certifies that they will only represent approximately 13% at 20% of the blockbuster, that it will be more the work of Zack Snyder than Joss Whedon’s. Affirmations that lose all credibility when the film is released in the cinema.
The beginning of the movement in favor of the Snyder Cut
Zack Snyder thanks his fans for their support – Credit (s): Zack Snyder, Vero
Justice League is indeed far from resembling the rest of the DCEU , being rather an unsuccessful hybrid between the style of Joss Whedon and that of Zack Snyder. It then becomes obvious that the film has been reworked much more than the studios claimed, which annoys the fans, far from being fooled. From November 768, petitions calling for the release of the Snyder Cut are emerging on the Web and very quickly accumulate thousands of signatures. A movement reinforced by the sudden appearance of cut scenes from this version, but also by the words of the film’s cast which affirm that certain crucial sequences have indeed been removed. For example, the characters of Darkseid, Martian Manhunter and Iris West have completely disappeared from the plot of the film, as are the origins of Cyborg and some powers of Barry Allen.
Can one departure hide another?
Superman in the Snyder Cut – Credit (s): DC Comics, Warner Bros
While As the movement started by the fans continues to grow, with sites dedicated to supporting the Snyder Cut in particular, new behind-the-scenes rumors are emerging. In February 2017, former journalist Josh Dickey decides to drop a bomb: Zack Snyder has actually been fired by Warner Bros, months before his voluntary departure was announced. Worried by the feedback on the director’s previous films, and in particular Batman v Superman , the studios would have been particularly cautious about releasing Justice League like Zack Snyder had designed it, and reportedly even described his version as “impossible to watch.” This rumor has, however, been denied by Jim Lee, the current editor and chief creator of DC, and by Zack Snyder himself.
Zack Snyder never eased off, on the contrary. These are real mobilization actions that were organized, first on social networks and then outside. In 2019 For example, Zack Snyder fans raised funds to finance an advertising campaign during the comic con from San Diego. Each remaining fund was donated directly to the American Suicide Prevention Foundation, in honor of Zack Snyder’s daughter. In December 2020, they made it possible to harvest 100 dollars for this same association. The fans’ passion for the Snyder Cut has often been the object of mockery and criticism, in particular because the latter sometimes did not hesitate to directly harass the Warner to obtain the famous version.
An existence still in question
Zack Snyder proves the existence of the Snyder Cut – Credit (s): Vero
Does the Snyder Cut exist? The question has been asked many, many times. Initially, it was claimed that she was just an unfinished version of the film, with some special effects missing. On the same subject : The Lord of the Rings: That cut scene between Aragorn and Arwen that you'll never see. A fact called into question not only by the many images revealed on the Web, in part by Zack Snyder, but also by the statements of the members of the team of Justice League . Some have indeed attested to the existence of a full version of the film. It’s finally in December 2018 that Zack Snyder has confirmed once and for all that yes, the Snyder Cut is real.
The disgust of the fans towards the film released in 2017 s’ is all the more accentuated when, last year,
Ray Fisher took to social media to denounce Joss Whedon’s abusive and racist behavior during the filming of Justice League . Tweets after tweets, the young actor described a toxic filming atmosphere and the total lack of sanction and action on the part of Warner. In addition to having led to an investigation, his words were also supported by the cast of the series Buffy the vampire slayer , who also suffered on numerous occasions from the abusive behavior of Joss Whedon. A serious and important controversy highlighting the fact that the film is far from having been a part of pleasure for the actors.
