In case you haven't heard, which is nearly impossible if you have Wi-Fi, Warner Bros. released Zack Snyder's version of the oft-maligned Justice League movie.
His film was broken up into six parts on HBO Max, which viewers can stream in one session. Snyder filmed most of the film before he had a family crisis that caused him to leave the production. In his wake, Joss Whedon came and reshot more than half of the movie, and chopped up a bunch of other great content.
However, Zack Snyder's Justice League exposed which stories typically get axed on the cutting room floor in Hollywood. To nobody's surprise, those stories were filled with POC and women.
© Warner Bros / courtesy Everett Collection
Joss Whedon's version, infamously dubbed "Josstice League," has several key differences when compared to Snyder's cut. For some, it was what Whedon reshot that made the film bad.
Just in case you forgot, Whedon's reshoots occurred while Henry Cavill was filming Mission Impossible. He had a mustache at the time, which was digitally removed...with the eraser from Microsoft Paint apparently.
However, for many fans, it was what Whedon took out that ruined things. Now that Snyder's vision has been shared, it's apparent that Whedon cut out almost all characters of color.
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Snyder's cut has restored Cyborg's storyline, but Ray Fisher wasn't the only POC who got some additional love.
Women also got pushed to the side in Josstice League. In Whedon's hasty cutting, he snipped out several characters and storylines that made the film richer.
Here are all of the ways the Snyder Cut was more inclusive than Joss Whedon's version:
1. Kiersey Clemons Plays the Flash's Love Interest Iris West
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In the Snyder Cut, we see Barry Allen's life mapped out a little more. We get to see the hero on the search for a job and also see him save Iris West. Comic fans will recognize her immediately. She is the love interest of Barry Allen and they even get married. Snyder's Cut has an amazing slow-motion scene where Barry saves Iris from certain death when her vehicle gets hit by an occupied truck driver.
2. Martian Manhunter Makes an Appearance
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Snyder tried to get Green Lantern in the film; however, DC and Warner had plans to introduce him themselves (more on that later). So he settled for J’onn J’onzz, better known as the Martian Manhunter. The scenes with the hero are brand-new, but actor Harry Lennix was slated to film for the original theatrical release. But he did not know General Swanwick, whom he played in Man of Steel, was really J'onn in disguise.
Lennix's role was cut before he had a chance to film anything. In the Snyder Cut, we see J'onn shapeshift into Martha Kent and later introduce himself to Batman.
3. The Atom Is Introduced
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Ryan Choi's storyline was chopped out of Whedon's version of the film. His name does appear as an easter egg in the theatrical cut, but that's all that was left of Choi's role after being scrapped. Choi, who is played by Zheng Kai, is destined to one day become the Atom, another hero in the comics. His power allows him to shrink down to the size of his name or grow to a giant. Sounds familiar, huh?
In the Snyder Cut, Choi works in Star Labs with Silas Stone, Cyborg's father. More on him later.
4. Amazon Warriors and Queen Hippolyta Get More Screentime
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The Amazon Warriors got some screentime in Josstice League, sure. But the Snyder Cut made it so much more epic. When Steppenwolf first touches down in Themyscria, he tells the Amazon warriors he will bathe in their fear. Queen Hippolyta cries, “Daughters of Themyscria, show him your fear,” to which they yell, “We have no fear!" Give us more, Snyder!
The Snyder Cut also highlights the Amazon Warriors' fighting styles, as well as their emotional sacrifice in an attempt to stop Steppenwolf.
5. Speaking of Amazon Warriors, Look at That Diversity!
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The Snyder Cut not only highlighted the Amazon Warriors but also diversified their ranks. In the beginning of the film, Snyder treats fans to a scene where the Mother Box in Themyscria first awakens. A brave Black warrior investigates the strange occurrence.
6. Silas Stone Becomes a Key Figure
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Silas Stone is Cyborg's father and much like his son, his role was completely downsized in the theatrical cut. Snyder enriches the story by making Silas a key figure. Not only does the director use Silas to complete Cyborg's story arc, but he also elects to give him a death scene that shows how much he is willing to sacrifice to help the heroes stop Steppenwolf.
Josstice League cuts Silas down to a minor Dr. Frankenstein role. Joe Morton, who plays Silas, got to show his acting chops this time around.
7. Batman Doesn't Make a Sexist Jab at Wonder Woman
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For many DC fans, it was strange to see Bruce Wayne take a stab at Diana Prince in the scene where they argue over bringing Superman back. In Whedon's version, we see Bruce make a comment about Diana's love life out of spite. It just felt weird for the moment, like something Whedon forced in there himself.
The moment is reminiscent of a scene in the first Avengers, where the heroes argue on the Helicarrier. However, the Avengers are primarily made of men who want to play god. This approach doesn't work with the Justice League, which is mostly a group of gods (or godlike beings) trying to be normal. Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Cyborg want nothing more than to be human. Even Flash tries to fit in with a normal day job and college aspirations.
Snyder highlights their humanity by turning the conversation to a more personal perspective. Instead of bickering about Diana's love life, we see Bruce and the other heroes toy with the consequences of awakening a Mother Box.
8. Amanda Maud's Small Moment Means a Lot
"Can someone please let me know if I'm in this version?" tweeted Amanda Maud excitedly once the film dropped. Maud, who must have lost her HBO Max access, was dying to know whether she made it into the film. The Eurasian American actress's small role plays a big part in building Cyborg's story arc. When Cyborg first starts experimenting with his father's advice, he finds a way to hack into an ATM to give a poor single mother some much-needed financial backing. Maud's frantic tweet was met with tons of heartfelt responses confirming her involvement.
9. John Stewart Was Pitched But Warner Shut It Down
HBO Max / Via Justice League Unlimited
As mentioned earlier, Snyder originally wanted to use Green Lantern in the film. Remember when the film was first being shot, there was a slogan called #UniteTheSeven. Green Lantern was that seventh member who just didn't make the cut. Snyder threatened to quit after Warner Bros. said no, seemingly because they wanted to introduce the hero themselves. The last time Warner did that, they gave us Ryan Reynolds's Hal Jordan. (Yuck.)
This time around, Snyder wanted to use the Black Green Lantern, John Stewart. John was a key member of the Justice League in the popular animated series. However, the Black Green Lantern was scrapped before he could even get cast. Luckily, we got Harry Lennix as the Martian Manhunter instead. We appreciate the effort, Zack!
10. Cyborg Becomes the Heart of the Film
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Ultimately, Joss Whedon did Ray Fisher DIRTY. Fisher infamously took to the Twittersphere in 2020 to blast Whedon for being a toxic director with some problematic views. Essentially, this was the first step in exposing Whedon and getting the Snyder Cut out there. After watching the Snyder Cut, we can see why Fisher had some issues with Whedon's version.
Fisher's Cyborg was just a sulking mess in the theatrical cut. His story arc becomes the heart of the Snyder Cut, though. We get to see him mature from a father-hating android to a hero who declares, "I'm not broken," to the deceitful Mother Box. The relationship between Cyborg and his father is fleshed out, while the hero's own struggles with his identity are more defined. Out of all the heroes in the film, Cyborg's storyline is the most emotionally fulfilling. It's a shame that we won't see Fisher's Cyborg in his own film since Warner scrapped their initial DCEU plans and won't continue Snyder's storylines in upcoming films.
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