Zack Snyder Never Watched ‘Justice League’ Theatrical Cut, Warner Bros. Has No Plans to Release Alternate Version
Zack Sharf
“Justice League” was a notorious flop for the DC Extended Universe when it opened last November. Not only did the superhero epic receive negative reviews, but it also became the lowest-grossing DCEU entry at the domestic and worldwide box office. Zack Snyder spearheaded “Justice League” in the director’s chair until he left the project because of a family tragedy. Joss Whedon was hired to finish the movie.
DCEU fans have been clamoring on social media for Warner Bros. to release the “Snyder cut,” a version they think exists featuring all of Snyder’s original scenes before he stepped away from the project and Whedon came onboard to finish. Unfortunately, Warner Bros. says no version of the movie exists. A new report from The Wall Street Journal (via ScreenCrush) says the studio behind the DCEU has “no plans to release any alternate versions of ‘Justice League,'” nor will they be using San Diego Comic-Con as a platform “to mention a Snyder cut.”
While no Snyder cut of “Justice League” may exist at the moment, WSJ claims a “rough cut” of the movie could have been assembled after Snyder finished principal photography in late 2016. The rough cut would be the closest thing to a Snyder cut in existence. A representative for Snyder declined to comment on a potential Snyder cut, although the rep did reveal the filmmaker “never watched the version of ‘Justice League’ released in theaters.”
The representative also said “Snyder oversaw the new scenes Mr. Whedon wrote the following winter and had planned to shoot them himself before the death of his daughter prompted him to leave.” This tidbit means fans who blame Whedon’s reshoots for ruining Snyder’s original plan for “Justice League” are out of line. Snyder clearly knew what Whedon had planned for his film and signed off on the changes.
“Justice League” may have bombed with critics and at the box office but the DCEU marches on this December with the release of “Aquaman.” Other titles brewing in the universe include “Wonder Woman 1984” and “Shazam.” Click here for more of WSJ’s investigation into the Snyder cut.
