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Zack Snyder's Justice League Digital Release Includes B&W Version
Zack Snyder's Justice League finally sets its digital release, which will include the black-and-white "Justice is Grey" version of the film. Released exclusively on HBO Max in March 2021, Zack Snyder's Justice League is the definitive cut of the eponymous director's vision, which is vastly different from the movie that was released in 2017. Starring Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, and Ray Fisher, Zack Snyder's Justice League is still making waves a year later, winning "Best Cheer Moment" at the 2022 Oscars and spurring continued calls from fans to #RestoreTheSnyderVerse.
Snyder was originally hired to make multiple Justice League films, but poor reviews for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, despite successful box office, prompted WB to get cold feet on Snyder's take on the property. The director had finished filming the first Justice League and was in the midst of delivering his cut when a family tragedy had him step away from the film, which prompted the studio to hire Joss Whedon to rewrite, reshoot, and re-edit the film for theatrical release. The theatrical cut was a critical and box office disaster, and it sparked the #ReleaseTheSynderCut movement, which eventually came to fruition when WB sought exclusive content for their new streaming endeavor HBO Max.
Zack Snyder's Justice League was released on 4K/Blu-Ray/DVD last year, but a digital copy was notably absent. The most likely reason for this was to keep the title as an HBO Max incentive. The omission of a digital copy miffed those who purchased the physical version, as most movies come standard with one. Now, WB is releasing the digital version of Justice League for the first time on July 19, allowing fans to purchase the film for their digital libraries. This edition will also include the famed black-and-white version of the film, dubbed the Justice is Grey cut. In addition to both the black-and-white and color versions of the film, the digital copy will also include additional features:
A trilogy collection will also be released digitally alongside ZSJL, which includes Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Ultimate Edition, and Zack Snyder’s Justice League. The release of Snyder's cut of Justice League is nothing short of unprecedented, as no definitive director's cut has ever been released so quickly after the initial theatrical release. This is due largely to fan support, as well as that of the film's stars, many of whom shared their support for the hashtag movement on social media. Similar to George Miller's Black-and-Chrome edition of Mad Max: Fury Road, the Justice Is Grey version of Zack Snyder's Justice League gives a whole new layer to the film in its stripped down format.
WB has seen success from their DC properties since Snyder moved on to Netflix (directing Army of the Dead and the upcoming Rebel Moon), but it hasn't been a smooth trajectory. Those devoted to Snyder are still calling on Warner Bros. to restore the director's version of the DCEU, preferably with Cavill back as Superman. The release of Zack Snyder's Justice League on digital could perhaps lead to some renewed calls for a return to the SnyderVerse as audiences check out the various special features. While WB is so far sticking to its Snyder-less DC plans, only time will tell if the director returns to the franchise.
