Joss Whedon‘s extensive reshoots on “Justice League” no doubt clashed with Zack Snyder‘s original vision. Among the changes, Jesse Eisenberg‘s return as Lex Luthor was reportedly axed, and Gal Gadot‘s Wonder Woman is said to have received more scenes and screentime. It’s not just the characters, the overall mood was rumored to get a lighter makeover with Whedon deviating away from Snyder’s darker palettes for a more colorful tone. “Justice League,” in short, was the mix of two visions and you could see that while watching the film. Sure there’s Zack Snyder’s use of ultra slow-mo, the dark interiors and exteriors he so loves to use, and his penchant for the camera zooming in and out of action sequences, but Whedon crashed the party by pulling back on some of that, so much so that as you’re watching the movie you can tell exactly who shot what. The work of these two titan directors that couldn’t be more different, resulted in the “Justice League” that we got.
The mixed response to the film was expected, however, while “Justice League” currently has 37% on Rotten Tomatoes, fans seemed to have liked it. The film’s CinemaScore is a solid B+ and its 7.4 IMDB rating is pretty solid for DCEU flick. Also, “Justice League” has done well in China, with its $51 million debut weekend marking the second highest launch for a Warner Bros. movie after “Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice.”
Meanwhile, fans railled behind an online petition demanding Zack Snyder’s original director’s cut. The film’s cinematographer has also added his voice to the mix, hoping to see Snyder’s fully realized film, and even the director’s son, Jett, spoke up, pointing out the flaws he saw in the finished product and the unfairness of the WB “meddling” with his dad’s vision. Posting on Vero, Jett wrote:
“On a more serious note, I did enjoy the movie, although it is clearly not what it could have been due to the meddling of Warner Brothers and the forced comedy. The runtime was my biggest gripe with the movie, with events that should take a long time over in a flash;$ but still definitely a fun movie to watch, and would recommend it.”
Now Aquaman himself, Jason Momoa, has chimed in.
Asked by MTV News if he would like to see the Snyder cut and or if it even exists— Momoa was, shall we say, unrestrained in his response:
“I’m obsessed with [the idea of the Snyder cut] too, yeah,” Momoa said, “I mean, that’s one thing that sucks in our business where you can’t speak your mind,” he said, and then he just vented out the frustration that most DCEU fans have had ever since the rumored director's cut has been known, “Yeah! Fuck yeah, I want to see it.”
As much as Whedon’s flair for humor works in most of his films, it seemed out of place in “Justice League,” in which, before leaving production, Snyder set a tone of grim darkness into its frames. Jett isn’t wrong in saying the full vision wasn’t seen on-screen; the film was reportedly originally much longer than its 121 minute running time.
The call for a director’s cut grows louder each day, with even the film’s stuntman Richard Cetrone weighing in, sharing the online petition on Facebook along with the following comments:
It remains to be seen if Warner Bros. will fulfill the request from fans or if Snyder will be given the keys back to the movie he, unfortunately, had to leave due to a personal tragedy. But one thing is clear: fans would warmly embrace a version of “Justice League” that’s pure Snyder.
Earlier this year, Zack Snyder mentioned having seen James Gunn’s “Superman.” Heaping praise on it. Now he’s saying he actually hasn’t caught up with it yet?