The hashtag #restorethesnyderverse has hit over a million tweets, but Warner Bros. execs don’t seem any closer to actually doing it. In fact, the higher ups still insist that Joss Whedon’s Cut is canon. Most fans, however, would disagree. Fans all around the world have been calling on the media giant to fulfill the Snyder Cut promise.
So, what are Warner Bros. options now? Should they just continue with their plan as is? Well, fans are only going to grow angrier if the company tries to contain the Snyder Cut to its own world and may even start to resent the future films that ditch its canon. As far as I see it, there are 3 ways Warner Bros. can still live up to the world Zack Snyder’s 4-hour epic created.
1. Just Make a Sequel Already!
Seriously, they had a sequel planned for the theatrical cut, then it tanked. It’s hard to tell how successful the Snyder Cut is, since streaming makes it difficult to have any real metrics. But it looks like it has been widely accepted. It has a 72% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and a 95% from users.
I’m sure the accountants at AT&T are diligently crunching numbers to see if this franchise has merit, but there certainly is a fanbase that wants more. It may be time to invest in the promise of the Snyder cut and finally fulfill his universe.
2. Incorporate the Snyder Cut into Flash, Wonder Woman 3, and Aquaman 2
Ok, so let’s say Warner Bros. really has no interest in trying “Justice League” again right now. What’s next? Well, one way to deal with fans is to make the Snyder Cut canon and allow his work to fuel whatever is left of the messy DCEU. Maybe incorporate some of the other characters into each standalone. Maybe continue to tease Darkseid in each of these films, and then be able to wrap it up in an epic fashion.
It almost seems like DC has given up on a real extended universe and is instead just focusing on standalones. I’m sure Warner Bros. doesn’t want to mess with these since these were the only successes of the DCEU. But it still might help them build a strong universe if they thought about a longer series arc.
3. Learn their Lesson and Start Fresh
This is probably the option least appealing to die hard Zack Snyder fans. But, as it seems likely, if Warner Bros. rejects the first two options, this might be the best one. The universe is a mess, just make the standalone films and call it a day. And then build out a new Superman and Batman, as it looks like they are doing, and build it into a new Justice League. While they seem to be abandoning the Snyder Cut entirely, they can still use it to teach them a lesson or two.
For one, the Snyder Cut was so much more well received than the theatrical cut partially because it was four hours. There was room for each character to actually be a character! Cyborg and the Flash, two characters who were woefully underdeveloped in the first cut, now got a chance to grow. And because of it, Cyborg became the emotional center of the film.
Another one of the big problems with the Whedon Cut was there was no real interest in a sequel. Sure, they kind of teased a Legion of Doom. But otherwise, I was pretty satisfied that there was not going to be a “Justice League” sequel. Zack Snyder’s Cut, on the other hand, teased many interesting things. From a big Darkseid battle to Martian Manhunter to Ryan Choi to the Knightmare, there was a lot to look forward to. A great DCEU should have something to look forward to, and Warner Bros. can learn from the Snyder Cut that a little fan service never hurt anyone.
It’s unclear whether Warner Bros. will choose any of these strategies. It kind of looks like “full steam ahead very confusing patchwork universe mixed with standalone ones” is their current trajectory. But fans aren’t going to give up on Snyder’s vision, and the studio should do something to show their most loyal fans that they care about them. While option one is clearly the most appealing option to die-hard fans, the other two options would still be a step in the right direction.
