One year on from Zack Snyder's Justice League, the case for Restore the SnyderVerse is clearer than ever

Zack Snyder Justice League
(Image credit: Warner Bros/DC)

A year ago, something once thought unimaginable happened: Zack Snyder's Justice League was released

Before that fateful day, the so-called Snyder Cut – the original director's cut of the 2017 superhero blockbuster – was a mere myth. Yet, thanks to a passionate, relentless, and ultimately successful fan campaign, Snyder's true vision for the movie saw the light of day, Warner Bros. even giving the director additional funding to complete his work. Today, Joss Whedon's version – which has a drastically different plot – is all but forgotten.

There's been no work on the SnyderVerse (AKA Snyder's vision for the DC Extended Universe) continuing any further, and the director has moved on to other projects at Netflix. Yet, today, it's clearer than ever that the SnyderVerse should continue. 

First, it's worth noting that Zack Snyder's Justice League falls into its own pocket of the DC universe, outside the mainline canon. Should a sequel – Snyder envisioned three Justice League movies in total – be greenlit, there's no worry about it interfering with Warner Bros.' plans for the cinematic universe as it currently exists. Just look to the success of The Batman, which has crossed the $500 million mark at the worldwide box office, for proof that mini-universes work: Robert Pattinson's movie is entirely unconnected from the likes of Aquaman, Wonder Woman, and Joker, which itself introduced a different version of Gotham, yet Bats is still proving popular.

Zack Snyder's Justice League

(Image credit: HBO Max)

The mainline DC universe is fully embracing the multiverse, too, with The Flash set to bring back Michael Keaton's Batman along with Ben Affleck's version of the character. The concept of the multiverse has already been a hit with mainstream audiences thanks to Spider-Man: No Way Home and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – why not embrace that further and allow the SnyderVerse to tell the epic story it started in Zack Snyder's Justice League?

Restoring the SnyderVerse is also key to keeping major figures in the DC universe.

The future of Henry Cavill's Clark Kent is unclear. Warner Bros. currently has two separate Superman projects in the works – a Val-Zod series produced by Michael B. Jordan, and a movie focused on a Black Superman with J.J. Abrams and Ta-Nehisi Coates – yet there's nothing announced for Cavill. Considering we currently have no less than three live-action Batmen, we can just as easily have three Supermen, especially if they're each existing in separate universes.

Snyder also envisioned introducing a Green Lantern to the DC universe, with Wayne T. Carr playing John Stewart, yet this was excised from Justice League because Warner Bros. already had plans for Green Lantern (a HBO Max show without Carr is in the works). Again, we understand the multiverse, and having Carr's version of the superhero is an exciting prospect. Then there's Joe Manganiello's Deathstroke, Jared Leto's Joker, and Harry Lennix's Martian Manhunter – all characters with great promise that were unfairly given little screen time. Continuing the SnyderVerse could rectify that and allow them to flourish. 

Zack Snyder's Justice League

(Image credit: HBO Max)

All that's without mentioning that the Justice League haven't been united since 2017, and there are seemingly no plans for that to change anytime soon. Even the Peacemaker finale – which brought back Jason Momoa's Aquaman and Ezra Miller's Flash – used silhouettes standing in for Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman and Cavill's Superman, and removed Cyborg and Batman entirely. That moment broke the internet, so there's an obvious hunger to see these characters back together.

Read More...

Images from the best Batman movies

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

The best Batman movies, ranked!

Zack Snyder's Justice League ends with Darkseid revealing himself as a major threat to the universe, Superman coming back to life, and Cyborg embracing his true superhero potential. There's so much left to tell, and it's clear the Snyder Cut's story is far from over. 

And, one year later, fan appetite has only grown. #ZackSnydersJusticeLeague and #RestoreTheSnyderVerse regularly trend on Twitter. Snyder himself has never definitively walked away from the universe, either, and even posted on social media to mark the anniversary.

It's clear the future of the DC universe should include the SnyderVerse. That may seem unachievable, but who knows? Stranger things – like a four hour director's cut of Justice League – have happened.


Fancy watching Snyder's DC movies again? Here's how to watch the DC movies in order.

TOPICS
CATEGORIES
Molly Edwards
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm a Senior Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English. 

Read more
Superman and Lois Lane in Superman
Will Superman save the day? James Gunn's upcoming DC movie will make or break the new DCU
Batman in Creature Commandos (2025)
James Gunn's new DCU already features a thriving multiverse, and that's actually its strength
Superman
How to watch DC movies in order (release date and chronological)
Robert Pattinson in The Batman
Upcoming DC movies and TV shows: every DCU title coming soon
Best superhero movies: close-up images of Captain America, Batman, and Wonder Woman.
The 25 best superhero movies of all time
Captain America: Brave New World
Captain America: Brave New World's surprise cameo is fan service done right – and it should shape the next two Avengers movies
Latest in Superhero Movies
Batman and Catwoman talking
Robert Pattinson is hoping to team up with his The Batman co-star Zoe Kravitz on another project soon
The cast of Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts director says the new Marvel movie is inspired by Toy Story 3: "Can they get out of the trash can together?"
Robert Downey Jr announces his Doctor Doom casting at San Diego Comic-Con 2024
"He is so dialed in": Robert Downey Jr. is coming up with backstory and costume ideas for Doctor Doom ahead of Avengers: Doomsday
Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne in The Batman
Robert Pattinson worries he will be a "f*cking old Batman" by the time filming on The Batman 2 finally starts
Lewis Pullman as "Bob" in Thunderbolts
The first look at Thunderbolts' Sentry suit seemingly leaked in new Marvel merchandise
Spider-Man: No Way Home
This is why fans think Spider-Man will become the MCU's most important character after Avengers: Doomsday
Latest in Features
Monster Hunter Wilds characters share a meal
Oh no, Monster Hunter Wilds is so good that I'm already counting the days until its inevitable Master Rank expansion
Kai and Giatta battle Xaurip in Avowed
I get why Obsidian doesn't like The Elder Scrolls comparisons, but Avowed is the first RPG to have its hooks in me this deep since Skyrim took over my life 14 years ago
Photo taken by writer Rosalie Newcombe of the Tears of the Kingdom OLED Nintendo Switch handheld, with the Super Mario Nendoroid figure standing in front of it.
My PC is screaming for an update, but the Switch 2 will be taking all my money this year
GoDice in their RPG case beside Pixels dice
I put two electronic d20s head-to-head and the bad news for your wallet is the discount D&D dice failed its saving throw
Arydia: The Paths We Dare Tread in play
This board game TRPG hybrid delivers something D&D hasn't quite managed to capture for me
Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil: Born Again killing off a fan-favorite character is controversial, but it might prove to be the right choice for the new Marvel show