1 Attachment(s)
Justice League: Zack Snyder Fans Are Destroying Their Theatrical Cut Disks
Zack Snyder fans destroy their Justice League theatrical cut disks in celebration of the Snyder Cut. Released in 2017, Justice League was supposed to put a triumphant cap on the trilogy of Snyder DCEU films begun with Man of Steel and continued with Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. But the film only sowed discontent among fans as the cut shown in theaters, a version made after extensive reshoots by Snyder’s replacement Joss Whedon, was a far cry from the movie they expected.
Almost immediately upon the release of Whedon’s Justice League, fans of Snyder’s dark, gritty take on DC’s superhero universe began clamoring for the release of the “Snyder Cut,” a version of the film they presumed would deliver the experience they had been hoping for. Of course, for a long time it was not even known if the so-called Snyder Cut existed, not that this deterred hardcore Snyder fans from calling for its release. An entire online movement, #ReleasetheSnyderCut, indeed developed around the dream of a Justice League movie that provided serious thrills a la Snyder rather than frivolous entertainment of the Whedon variety. Now it’s been revealed that not only does a Snyder Cut exist, it is finally set to be released to the world in 2021 on the new streaming service HBO Max.
The Snyder Cut dream at last being realized has understandably sent Snyder fans into a frenzy online, with many releasing celebratory social media posts and videos. Other fans have decided to take a more destructive approach to celebrating the longed-for release of the Snyder Cut, by disposing of their Justice League theatrical cut disks and of course posting the videos. See a sampling of the carnage in the space below:
https://twitter.com/i/status/1263183680983482368
https://twitter.com/i/status/1263257139419598848
https://twitter.com/i/status/1263406854773903361
https://twitter.com/i/status/1263394369186467840
https://twitter.com/i/status/1262678829744742401
The symbolic act of destroying Whedon’s Justice League surely feels satisfying to fans who consider the movie a compromised piece of work that betrayed everything Snyder tried to set up in the previous two films. Of course, Justice League turned out the way it did partly because Snyder was forced to leave the production due to tragic circumstances beyond his control, though it’s clear from the studio hiring one-time Avengers director Whedon that after Snyder left they hoped to take the production in a much lighter direction, something they probably wanted to do even before Snyder's departure.
Now, with the Snyder Cut finally receiving a release, fans will get to see the dark, gritty Justice League they hoped for. Of course it remains to be seen whether the film actually lives up to the one fans have been playing in their brains for the last few years while dreaming of seeing the Snyder Cut. As has become evident in recent years, fan expectations have a way of soaring sky high, thanks in large part to the constant reinforcement of the internet hype machine. Indeed, this hyping is a big reason why movies like Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker are met with such negative reaction when they finally arrive and don’t live up to those expectations. Snyder’s version of Justice League, the second it becomes a real movie and not an imagined one, will be subject to the same scrutiny, though no doubt many fans will love it simply because it isn’t the Whedon version.
