The Snyder Cut: A Superior Justice League Experience We Deserved

This post was originally about all the shows on my watchlist this month. But that changed once I watched Zack Snyder’s Justice League. I knew I had to share some of my thoughts with my fellow nerds.

If you are like me, the theatrical release of Justice League in 2017 was one of your least favorite superhero movies. I can go on about terrible superhero movies, but guess what? Not today! That should tell you my initial thoughts on Synder’s version. It was well-made, understandable, and a million times better than the original release. Zack Snyder made great storytelling and character development choices that solidified this version as the superior Justice League.

The five aspects of the movie that I loved, including *spoilers*

An Actual Plot

The most extensive critique of the original Justice League movie was that there needed to be a concise plot. Things just happened without any setup. Zack Synder’s Justice League had the unfair advantage of not having to worry about time, but it was so enthralling and understandable that I had no qualms about sitting down to watch the four hours. Everything in the movie had a clear cause and effect in every action. 

A Real Villain

Something that contributed to the well-thought-out plot was the villain. All comic book nerds were fuming there was nothing about Darkseid. Not only did the 2017 movie not have Darkseid, but we needed to figure out why Steppenwolf was the big bad. The Synder cut gave us the complete picture of Darkseid being the overarching villain, which we wanted. Steppenwolf was a henchman who tried to get back into Darkseid’s good graces and happened upon something vital to him. It created an actual threat that we knew was more challenging.

Showcased The Whole Team

I know my DC characters, so seeing Cyborg, Flash, and Aquaman was a major treat. The downside of the 2017 movie was that we didn’t get to know them how most comic book lovers knew them. We knew Barry was funny but didn’t get to see the struggles he was going through. His dad is a HUGE part of him, so we didn’t get that before. It just blows my mind.

The parallel of the strife that Cyborg experienced with the loss of his mother, his body, and his humanity because of his father, in his opinion, only for him to lose his father was heart-wrenching but necessary to understand him.

The theatrical JL release included Aquaman’s family problems because they wanted him to be more prominent as his movie came out soon after. But it was great to see Willem Dafoe’s character come in and talk about Aquaman’s mother and his right to the throne.

In addition to showing the sides of the characters we needed to learn about, they showcased their strengths and skills. Wonder Woman’s first scene in the bank was just superb. Seeing her throwing grown men like ragdolls, how fast she moves, the power of her bracelets was just spectacular. We also have to talk about Flash because his power was showcased spectacularly. The Speed Force explained, and the time-traveling, come on! I ate it all up as the movie fed it to me. I can’t stop raving about it.

I ranted a lot about how they threw Superman into the last fight scene to fling Steppenwolf around and beat him in three seconds in the 2017 release. Zack Synder did it perfectly, as we could see the team take a shot, and Superman entered when it made sense for him to come in. He seemed there to help the team, not just take the glory.

Mentions of Future Leaguers

The multiple mentions and visuals of Lanterns were outstanding. They made it feel like there was a future where more people would arrive, whereas the 2017 release seemed afraid to allude to this franchise’s future. 

Also, Martian Manhunter! It was fantastic to see him twice, and it wasn’t forced, either. His first showing after speaking to Lois was thoughtful and showed a side of a hero we don’t see often. It was exciting to see him. 

The Ending Credit Scenes

There were two ending credit scenes! And the last one was my favorite. We first saw the Lex Luther and Deathstroke ending credit scene, and I admit I am obsessed with Joe Manganiello as Deathstroke. But then we had the second scene where we saw older Barry (hot), Cyborg, Mera, Batman, and a decent Joker portrayal from Jared Leto against Superman, who was after them after the death of Lois Lane. But this turns out to be a dream, and Bruce wakes up to meet Martian Manhunter, who offers his assistance to the Justice League.

Sidenote: I am a fan of the snarky, secretive Batman in the animated movies, but this sweet, caring Batman has been so refreshing. My favorite Batman scene is when the leaguers in an animated film are telling their alter egos, and Batman is like, “Nah,” but this has been a welcomed change for me.

Have you seen the Zack Snyder cut for Justice League? What did you think?