In the wake of DC FanDome Day 1, and the unveiling of Zack Snyder’s new Snyder Cut Justice League trailer, we’ve combined everything we know to bring you a quick list of all the major differences between the Justice League theatrical version and the upcoming four-hour government version, which will be released in four parts in 2021 on HBO Max.
Watch the trailer for Zack Snyder’s Justice League cut below:Between the new visuals, character designs, deleted characters, and deleted story scenes restored to their proper place, the Snyder Cut will provide a more substantial film – one that more closely reflects the Snyder’s tonal template that began with Man of Steel and went by with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Here’s a look at the key, and well – known, differences that the Snyder Cut will offer.
Visuals and aspect ratio
This may be the least flashy element of the revamped Snyder Cut, but the color of the orange-red sky seen at the end of the theatrical release will be changed. And the film itself will use a 1.66.1 aspect ratio, commonly known as “European Widescreen”.
Darkseid
Yes, uber-baddie Darkseid, played by Ray Porter, will now be a part of the film. Darkseid, always meant as the evil that lurks behind the scenes, and controls Steppenwolf’s attack on Earth, will now be seen a few times during the film. First, Diana will see him depicted in an ancient mural, and then, it seems, the flashback will now show us Darkseid leading the parademons against the Greek gods, like his pre-Darkseid version Uxas. It’s likely that he also appears a few times in the film – especially in the aftermath of Steppenwolf’s defeat.
More Knightmare
Zack Snyder’s Justice League will continue the storyline “Knightmare Future” that Bruce experienced in Batman v. Superman. You know, the one where Batman leads an uprising in a dystopian desert and Superman is an evil herald of Darkseid. Then, after Bruce wakes up, Barry contacts him from another point in time to issue a warning.
How much of this storyline will be executed and resolved in Justice League is not known, although Snyder originally had a five-bow team. All we know is that the Snyder Cut will not drop this angle coldly like the theatrical version did. And we’ll get this scene with a destroyed Justice League and a destroyed Earth …
New music
The Snyder Cut will feature a score from Tom Holkenborg AKA Junkie XL, who was replaced by Danny Elfman for the theatrical release. This probably also means that Sigrid’s opening cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Everybody Knows” is gone, as it was chosen by Joss Whedon. Although Snyder’s appeared before Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” perhaps the Snyder Cut will have the original version of Cohen “Everyone Knows It.”
New Steppenwolf Design
Despite Darkseid being the final opponent, the other villain of Justice League is the leading predecessor, Steppenwolf. He was played in the film by Game of Thrones’ Ciaran Hinds and looked quite unremarkable.
Last month, Snyder unveiled the new design for Steppenwolf, showing fans a different-colored, heavy-handed evil poet.
Parademons and the smell of fear
Because Joss Whedon changed the final battle of the film, and the way Steppenwolf had to be overcome, he had to set a specific concept at the beginning of the story by adding a roof scene with Batman enticing (using a siren- sound) and capturing a parademon, causing them to discover that the creature tracks fear and purpose. In the Snyder Cut, reports, Batman learns about parademons from Lex Luthor magazine.
Russian family
Also away from the Snyder Cut is the random Russian family who apparently live alone, alienated from all aspects of society, in the wild forests. They were added to give the final battle some extra human civilian strikes and bright streaks of humor.
Superman Reshoots
This is a big one and it covers a lot. Most of Henry Cavill’s scenes for Justice League were remade by Whedon, with his Mission: Impossible – Fallout mustache digitally removed, as Supes’ entire storyline was remade for a lighter, less grim film. Gone was Superman’s black suit and everything had changed from the first battle of Superman with the Justice League after his resurrection through the Mother Box to his role in the final battle against Steppenwolf to numerous other scenes in the film (including Superman meeting Alfred). So get ready for a brand new, back-from-the-dead Clark!
The Flash and Iris West
Cut from the Justice League theatrical release, there were a bunch of extra boobs and bobs from Barry Allen’s story, all meant to flesh him out as a character and make fans understand his story a little more: the death of his mother, the wrong attitude of his father, and his quest to discover the truth. Plus, the theatrical version cut out Iris West from Kiersey Clemons, who we saw added in during the Snyder Cut teaser (though the role can be converted for the Flashpoint movie).
“People will see a lot more of The Flash,” Snyder told FanDome, “and get to know more about his emotional arc.”
Snyder further pleaded that Flash would do something pretty extraordinary with its power, though he did not want to spoil what it was. “He is a quantum character. He interacts with time and space.”
More Aquaman
Unfortunately, because most of the new JL characters were shortened in the press-down theatrical release, there is also more Aquaman in the Snyder Cut. Amber Heard (Mera) and William Dafoe (Vulko) both shot scenes for Justice League that would have introduced audiences to Arthur’s Atlantic backstory, and these characters, much earlier than in the Aquaman movie. It probably also solves how he gets his full weapons and trident for the final battle.
More Cyborg and STAR Labs
“Cyborg is the heart of the movie,” Snyder shared with FanDome. “Cyborg is the thing at the end that keeps the team together in many ways.”
Most of Cyborg’s original story was cut from the theatrical version. Teaches him to fly, use weapons, hack into other computer networks, and so on. Also his deeper connection with Mother Boxes, because he was basically born out of a Mother Box. It is reported that a complete timeline of the Mother Boxes, until the transformation of Victor Stone, is shown. All bows of Victor were cut to the bare minimum.
Silas Stone also dies in Snyder’s version of the film, giving Victor extra motivation going forward. We actually see the scene in the new Justice League teaser …
In addition, there were a ton of STAR Labs scenes cut from the film … including the employee of Silas, a scientist named Ryan Choi – aka The Atom.
DeSaad
Fans mock (possibly) Darkseid’s crazy right-hander DeSaad in the new teaser. Darkseid actor Ray Porter previously confirmed that Peter Guinness voiced DeSaad in the original version of Snyder.
Martian Manhunter
Some of the Lois Lane / Martha Kent scenes in Joss Whedon’s Justice League were Whedon reshoots. One original Lois / Martha scene, however, in Lois’ apartment, would end with Martha leaving and revealing that she was indeed Martian Manhunter – who had used the form of Harry Lennix’s General Swanwick.
Final battle against Steppenwolf
Of course, the showdown of the third act of the theatrical version against Steppenwolf was completely reworked. A Russian family was added, as roots attacked our heroes from the ground up, and the roles of Superman and Batman were sort of marginalized (with Superman’s intensity being somewhat tuned).
Steppenwolf himself would have been beheaded by Wonder Woman, but the whole conflict was rekindled to give a less violent end to the villain – one who put his own army on him.
There’s also a Darkseid scene cut from the end, the defeat to the Steppenwolf, and reports say the final montage voice-over was done by the late Silas Stone, not Lois Lane, which makes sense since Cyborg’s storyline would have recorded a large part of the film.
More Lex Luthor?
Although Lex Luthor’s role in Justice League was never intended to be a prominent one, Jesse Eisenberg confirmed that he shot scenes that did not make it into the theatrical version. In the film, Lex is only seen in a post-credits moment, though that bit was also re-recorded by Whedon. This means that Legion of Doom tease was probably added by Whedon and Warner Bros. and was not part of Synder’s original production.
