WARNING: The following contains spoilers forZack Snyder’sJustice League, now streaming on HBO Max.
After months of teases that continued to build the hype amongst fans of the DC Extended Universe,Zack Snyder’s Justice Leaguedebuted onHBOMax to bring the director’s original vision of the film to the fans following the earlier release of Joss Whedon’s heavily altered theatrical version ofJustice League.
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Zack Snyder’s Justice Leaguehas continued to be divisive among fans given some of the added elements and the four-hour runtime of the movie. However, there’s no denying that some of the characters and their storylines were handled better in the “Snyder Cut,” so we’ll highlight a few of the best moments from the highly-anticipated release ofZack Snyder’s Justice League.
10Barry Allen’s Cast Of Characters Were Much More Developed
The shortened two-hour runtime ofJustice Leaguesaw the loss of a few characters and moments that made individual characters like Barry Allen/The Flashstand out further when they returned forZack Snyder’s Justice League.
Kiersey Clemons' role as Iris West was originally cut from the theatrical version, butZack Snyder’s Justice Leaguebrought the character back in a dramatic car crash scene that demonstrated Barry Allen’s abilities well. Henry Allen (played by Billy Crudup) was also given more room to develop, which makes his exit from the upcoming soloThe Flashmovie more saddening for fans.
9Steppenwolf’s Motivations Were Much Clearer
Not only was Steppenwolf’s new design much more unique and menacing inZack Snyder’s Justice League, but the character’s motivations and his mission were made so much more clearer with only a little further development. Steppenwolf’s betrayal and exile from Apokolips are what fuels his ultimate battle against the newly formed League, as he hopes his service will end his exile.
Steppenwolf’s discovery of the Anti-Life Equation on Earth further highlighted the importance of the character and made him more of a worthy threat for the League. This also made his defeat and brutal death all the better, fixing one of the biggest problems of the theatrical cut.
8Cyborg’s Expanded Storyline Introduced Him Better
Ray Fisher’s role as Victor Stone/Cyborg was one of the most expanded pieces ofZack Snyder’s Justice League, which led to some ongoing controversy following the theatrical release about his mistreatment during filming after Snyder left production.
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Most of Cyborg’s origin was cut from the theatrical release, which left a lot of material for fans to unpack thanks to HBO Max. The accident that led to his injury and his transformation were all included in the new release, and Victor’s mother (played by Karen Bryson) was also reincluded, which made Cyborg’s final moments with his parents in the Unity work even better.
7Darkseid And Apokolips Made Their Live-Action Debut
One of the biggest draws ofZack Snyder’s Justice Leaguewas the inclusion of Darkseid, who was only teased in the theatrical cut. While Steppenwolf was still the primary villain of the movie, Darkseid’s presence was definitely felt in the HBO Max release and would have perfectly set him up as the franchise’s big bad.
Darkseid wasn’t the only villainous addition, as other characters from his hellish planet of Apokolips appeared. Desaad played a huge role in Steppenwolf’s mission before Darkseid’s involvement, and Granny Goodness also made a non-speaking appearance.
6The Ancient Battle For Earth Was Incredibly Epic
Darkseid and his forces previously attempted to use the Mother Boxes to destroy Earth in the ancient past, which was briefly touched on in the theatrical release ofJustice League, though it was greatly expanded to include Uxas/Darkseid inZack Snyder’s Justice League.
The battle also further highlighted the roles of the Amazons, Atlanteans, and the armies of Man as they worked alongside the incredibly powerful Gods of Olympus to repel the armies of Apokolips. The scene also featured a bigger role for Yalan Gur, an ill-fatedGreen Lanternwho was killed during the battle.
5Wonder Woman And Aquaman’s Relationship Was Further Explored
BothAquamanandWonder Womanhad extended scenes that explored their connections to their respective Atlantean and Amazon heritages, which also gave the characters added moments inZack Snyder’s Justice League. They discussed their connection to their people that ultimately helped sway Arthur’s own feelings while Diana was able to reflect on their similarities.
These early interactions between the two characters would have done a lot to set up aconfrontation between Wonder Womanand Aquaman in the rumoredFlashpoint-based solo Flash movie that saw the Amazons and Atlanteans go to war in a world-ending alternate reality battle.
4The Knightmare Epilogue Teased An Injustice-Like Sequel
Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justiceteased a dark future in what became known as the Knightmare vision of Bruce Wayne’s, which was revisited in the epilogue ofZack Snyder’s Justice Leaguethat further teased a sequel that took inspiration from theInjusticevideo game continuity.
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The post-apocalyptic Batman from the original Knightmare scene was joined by Cyborg, Mera, Deathstroke (Joe Manganiello in his expanded role) and Barry Allen in the same armor from the previous Knightmare scene. The scene also included another appearance of Jared Leto’sJokerthat further teased thepossibleInjusticestorylineof the planned sequels.
3Martian Manhunter’s Introduction Finally United The Seven
Zack Snyder teased his planned revelation that the General Stanwick character (played by Harry Lennix) thatfirst appeared in 2013’sMan of Steelwas actually J’onn J’onnz/Martian Manhunter, which was worked intoZack Snyder’s Justice League.
Martian Manhunter appeared in a couple of scenes as he further established hisrelationship with Lois Lanebefore appearing to Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne during the Epilogue as he promised to help the League in the future. This finally united the seven members of the League that were teased in promos for the original film, though Green Lantern was originally intended to fill that slot.
2Black Suit Superman Was Everything Fans Hoped It Would Be
One of the most noticeable absences in Joss Whedon’s theatrical cut ofJustice Leaguewas the previously teased appearance of Superman’s Black Suit, which homaged a similar suit the character wore in the original comic storyline. The Black Suit looked amazing inZack Snyder’s Justice League, but the new costume also represented the incrediblydifferent takes on Superman.
Superman’s arrival and subsequent beatdown of Steppenwolf inZack Snyder’s Justice Leaguefelt much more authentic, and the rest of the League wasn’t left redundant due to their ongoing battles and final roles in saving the day, leading to a muchmore balanced Justice League.
1Barry Allen Saves The Whole World By Traveling Through Time
Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen definitely benefited from his expanded role inZack Snyder’s Justice League, which removed a lot of the cheese and misplaced humor that distracted from the theatrical cut’s darker tone. He was originally a somewhat fumbling unsure hero whose biggest accomplishment was saving a family from Parademons in the original theatrical cut ofJustice League.
Thankfully,Zack Snyder’s Justice LeaguegaveThe Flash a number of chancesto shine that better set up his upcoming solo film, including the epic time-travel safe that rewinds the apocalyptic destruction of the Unity in one of the most breathtaking sequences of the entire film that changes the entire scope of their final battle, for the better.
