Zack Snyder's Justice League first reactions: "Far superior to the original theatrical version"

Ben Affleck as Batman in Zack Snyder's Justice League
(Image credit: Warner Bros./HBO Max)

Zack Snyder's Justice League has now been seen by some critics, and their first reactions are rolling in.

On the whole, responses to the movie are overwhelmingly positive. Praise has focused on the characterization and storytelling, as well as the difference to the theatrical cut – though some critics are also noting the four hour runtime. Check out some of the reactions below.

It's been a long road to get to the release of this movie, with the fan campaign #ReleaseTheSnyderCut first launched back in 2017 when it became apparent the theatrical cut of Justice League was fairly different to Snyder's vision. A family tragedy meant Snyder had stepped away from the film before it was complete, and Avengers director Joss Whedon oversaw reshoots which substantially changed the movie.

Zack Snyder's Justice League clocks in at a hefty 240 minutes, about 150 of which have never been seen before. Additional photography brought back Joe Manganiello's Deathstroke, and introduced Jared Leto's Joker to the movie – both in the Knightmare timeline, an alternate future where Darkseid has succeeded in conquering Earth, first glimpsed in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Snyder has revealed that this timeline would factor into a sequel, though he's also made it clear that he doesn't think a second movie is likely to happen.

You'll be able to watch Snyder Cut for yourself on HBO Max this March 18. Until then, check out how to watch DC movies in order to get caught up with the DCEU, and find the best HBO Max prices and deals.  

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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.