Zack Snyder’s Justice League Trivia | 145 facts about the superhero film

“Zack Snyder’s Justice League” is the film that Zack Snyder wanting to make in 2017. Fans and the director convinced Warner Bros. to release it.

Through an unrelenting campaing that lasted for more thatn 4 years and the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut trending worldwide, the fans finally got the full vision of the creator behind “Man of Steel” and “BvS”. Let’s dive into some trivia and facts about the new film.

1. Zack Snyder’s Justice League s the 2021 director’s cut of the 2017 American superhero film Justice League
2. It is often referred to as the “Snyder Cut”
3. It presents Justice League as director Zack Snyder had intended it before he left the production
4. Justice League was the fifth film of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU)
5. The film was based on the DC Comics superhero team of the same name
6. Like the theatrical release, Zack Snyder’s Justice League follows the Justice League as they attempt to save the world from the catastrophic threat of Darkseid (Ray Porter), Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds), and their army of Parademons
7. The Justice League members are Batman (Ben Affleck), Superman (Henry Cavill), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Cyborg (Ray Fisher), Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and the Flash (Ezra Miller)
8. Justice League was released by Warner Bros. in 2017
9. The film suffered a difficult production
10. Its script underwent major changes before and during production between 2016 and 2017
11. In May 2017, Snyder stepped down during post-production following the death of his daughter
12. Joss Whedon was hired to finish the film, completing it as an uncredited director
13. Whedon oversaw reshoots and other changes that incorporated a brighter tone and more humor
14. He, also, cut the runtime down significantly in accordance with a mandate from Warner Bros.
15. The theatrical Justice League received mixed reviews
16. It was a box-office bomb
17. Thus, leading Warner Bros. to re-evaluate the future of the DCEU and focus development on individual films
18. As details surfaced about the film’s troubled production and its state before Snyder stepped down, many fans expressed interest in an alternate cut more faithful to Snyder’s vision
19. Fans and members of the cast and crew petitioned for the release of this
20. They nicknamed the Snyder Cut
21. At the time, industry insiders regarded the release as unlikely
22. However, Warner Bros. decided to move ahead with it in February 2020
23. In May, Snyder announced that the original cut would be released as Zack Snyder’s Justice League via the streaming service HBO Max
24. It cost around $70 million to complete the visual effects, score, and editing
25. New material was filmed in October 2020
26. The cut was originally planned to be released as both a miniseries and a four-hour film
27. Plans for the miniseries were scrapped by January 2021
28. The film is dedicated to the memory of Snyder’s daughter, Autumn
29. Zack Snyder’s Justice League was released via HBO Max on March 18, 2021
30. Critics generally considered the film an improvement over the 2017 theatrical release
31. Praise was directed at Snyder’s direction and the improved characterization
32. Though the 4 hour runtime was criticized
33. There are many differences between the theatrical Justice League and Zack Snyder’s Justice League
34. While the basic framework of the story is the same, dozens of additional scenes, backstories, mythos, worldbuilding elements, new characters, and teases for upcoming films are present in Snyder’s version but not the theatrical release
35. Zack Snyder’s Justice League does not include any scenes shot by Whedon for the theatrical cut
36. Former Warner Bros. executives Jon Berg and Geoff Johns—who oversaw the production of the theatrical release—chose not to retain credit for Snyder’s version
37. Snyder has stated that his version of Justice League will not be set in the same continuity as Whedon’s version
38. Jason Momoa said that James Wan’s Aquaman (2018) takes place after Zack Snyder’s Justice League rather than Whedon’s version
39. Similarly, Wonder Woman (2017) director Patty Jenkins said that no DC director considers Whedon’s Justice League canonical
40. She had worked with Snyder to ensure Wonder Woman maintained continuity with his film
41. Immediately after the theatrical release of Justice League, which later gained the derisive nickname “Josstice League”, fans created an online petition to release the “Snyder Cut”
42. The petition gained more than 180,000 signatures
43. The movement, which used the hashtag #ReleaseTheSnyderCut on social media, began before fans had any knowledge that a cut of Snyder’s Justice League film actually existed in any capacity
44. The movement was ignited by the mixed reviews of the theatrical cut
45. As fans knew that Snyder left directorial duties and the final cut of the film in the hands of Whedon
46. Thus, they assumed that Whedon created an inferior film
47. The circumstances have been compared to the situation of Superman II (1980)
48. Both involved a director who was replaced before completion, which led to a second director coming in and making substantial changes
49. Richard Donner had been able to complete his Superman II cut in 2006
50. Some assumed that an alternate cut of Justice League was inevitable because some of Snyder’s films have been re-released in extended cuts for home media (such as Watchmen (2009) and Batman v Superman)
51. Members of the Justice League cast showed support for the Snyder Cut’s release included actors Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ciarán Hinds and Ray Fisher
52. Members of the crew of the film showed support these include photographer Clay Enos, storyboard artist Jay Oliva, cinematographer Wagner and Ben Affleck’s stunt double Richard Cetrone
53. Deborah Snyder said executive producers Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas encouraged the Snyders to make the Snyder Cut
54. On the two-year anniversary of the theatrical cut, cast and crew voiced support through social media
55. Other film- and comic book-industry figures not related to Justice League have also supported the release of a “Snyder Cut”, including filmmaker Kevin Smith, television producer Steven S. DeKnight, and comic book writers Rob Liefeld, Robert Kirkman and Jerry Ordway
56. Other figures were less optimistic
57. Shawn Robbins, chief analyst for Boxoffice Pro, suggested the size of the movement was too small to make an impact
58. Industry insiders also called the Snyder Cut’s release unlikely
59. Writer Mario F. Robles, based on his industry connections, said Warner Bros. did not trust Snyder’s vision and was not willing to spend millions to finish his cut
60. Throughout the movement, members of the media referred to the Snyder Cut as “fabled” or “mythical”
61. Members of the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement engaged in acts of fan activism to promote it
62. In June 2018, fans reached out to executives at AT&T following a merger between the company and Warner
63. In June 2019, they reached out to new Warner Bros. CEO Ann Sarnoff, who replaced Tsujihara after his resignation, following that up a month later with a mass letter-writing campaign
64. In July 2019 they reached out to the parent company of Warner Bros., WarnerMedia, after the announcement of its new streaming service HBO Max
65. Ahead of the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con, a fan launched a crowdfunding campaign with half of the funds to be spent on an advertising campaign (including billboards and a flying banner ad promoting the Snyder Cut), and the other half to be donated to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
66. For a similar campaign at the 2019 New York Comic Con, the movement purchased ad space on two billboards over Times Square featuring quotes from members of the cast and crew
67. In December 2019, the movement rented another flying banner ad, this time passing over Warner Bros. Studios and directly asking Sarnoff to release the Snyder Cut
68. In January 2020, the movement bought four minutes of ad space advocating for the film’s release on a digital banner wrapped around the interior of Riverside Stadium during the FA Cup
69. Their efforts garnered praise from Snyder and from the AFSP
70. However, members of the movement have also been described by members of the media as “toxic” for harassing, threatening, and cyberbullying those who express opinions about the Snyder Cut that are contrary to their beliefs
71. Yohana Desta of Vanity Fair broadly described the act of fans demanding an alternative cut as a “modern pattern of audience demand that is actively making fandoms more toxic”, and compared it to the 2017 harassment of Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) actress Kelly Marie Tran
72. In September 2018, former DC Entertainment president Diane Nelson deleted her Twitter account after substantial online harassment by members of the movement
73. Warner Bros. telephone operators, inundated with regular calls about the “Snyder Cut”, were trained to treat these inquiries as prank calls
74. Members of the movement tracked down Justice League stuntman Richard Cetrone to ask him questions about the Snyder Cut, only to digitally alter his response and spread on social media a fake text message that appeared to support their cause
75. Brandon Katz of The New York Observer said that the movement was composed of “both toxic DC fans that hurl vitriolic harassment at any and all opposition, and supportive moviegoers that genuinely enjoy Snyder’s style and are just hoping to see the conclusion of his trilogy that began with 2013’s Man of Steel. As with any contingent, there are both extremists and level-headed individuals in its ranks”
76. Bob Rehak, Swarthmore College Associate Professor and Chair of Film and Media Studies, said that fandoms such as #ReleaseTheSnyderCut revolt when a major change is made to something they love, and that this reaction usually comes from a smaller subsection of the fandom, which “[paints] the whole community with a really broad brush”
77. The BBC’s Mark Kermode criticised fan reactions to critics responses stating “people have been champions of this cut, certain sections of them have been fairly poisonous online…its often been female critics, who have had to put up with disgraceful amounts of trolling”
78. In March 2019, after months of speculation, Snyder confirmed his original cut did exist, and stated that it was up to Warner Bros. to release it
79. In November, an insider claimed that Warner Bros. was unlikely to release Snyder’s version in any form, calling such hopes a “pipe dream”
80. However, the following month, Snyder posted a photo in his Vero account, showing boxes with tapes labeled “Z.S. J.L Director’s cut”, with the caption “Is it real? Does it exist? Of course it does”
81. According to Snyder, he initially imagined that his cut would never see a release, but snippets could potentially be included in a documentary
82. Robert Greenblatt, then-WarnerMedia chairman and head of HBO Max, stated that discussions surrounding the release of Snyder’s Justice League began in late 2019, and that they lasted a few months
83. The studio first approached Snyder to release his cut unfinished as he had left it, but Snyder objected to do so and insisted on either finishing it or not completing it, leading Warner to take some months before figuring out that Snyder wanted to give what the audience desired
84. According to Snyder, WarnerMedia decided to move forward with the Snyder Cut in February 2020, after chairman Toby Emmerich acknowledged the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement and reached out to Snyder
85. The Snyders invited executives from Warner Bros., HBO Max, and DC to their home to view the Snyder Cut
86. Snyder also presented ideas, which included potentially releasing the cut in episodes
87. Impressed, the executives decided to let the project proceed
88. Snyder began to reassemble the film’s original post-production team to finish the cut
89. The effort was almost thwarted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which was escalating around the time, but the Snyders pushed to continue with it
90. Snyder notified the original cast of the undertaking between April and May 2020
91. According to Snyder, Fisher initially thought he was joking
92. On May 20, 2020, Snyder announced during a Q&A after an online watch party of Man of Steel that his cut of Justice League would be released as Zack Snyder’s Justice League on HBO Max in 2021
93. Greenblatt said WarnerMedia tried to get the news out “as quickly as possible” before HBO Max launched on May 27
94. Initial reports indicated that there would be no new material filmed, as Snyder was not given permission by WarnerMedia
95. However, on September 23, 2020, it was revealed that Snyder was preparing to shoot additional footage in October
96. Affleck, Cavill, and Fisher reprised their roles for the shoot
97. With the cost of the additional shoot, the budget was estimated to have increased to around $70 million
98. The additional shoots began by October 6
99. Later that month, Amber Heard, Jared Leto, and Joe Manganiello joined the cast to reprise their DCEU roles as Mera, the Joker, and Deathstroke, respectively
100. Snyder also directed an additional scene with Miller over Zoom while Miller was filming the third Fantastic Beasts film (2022) in London by sending crew drawings and diagrams of how he wanted the scene to look
101. Snyder’s video feed played through a stand on a table enabling him to direct Miller and the crew, who filmed the scene on his behalf
102. Snyder stated that only four to five minutes of new footage was shot during additional photography
103. In January 2021, Snyder confirmed that work on the cut had been completed
104. Tom Holkenborg, also known as Junkie XL, composed the film’s score
105. He had previously completed an entire score for the theatrical version of Justice League, before being replaced by Danny Elfman following Snyder’s departure and Whedon’s arrival
106. When Holkenborg was rehired to score the film in early 2020, he decided to restart and make a brand new score for the film
107. The new score consists of fifty-four tracks and is three hours and 54 minutes long
108. The beginning of the movie features a traditional Icelandic song “Vísur Vatnsenda-Rósu”, not included in the original motion picture soundtrack
109. Allison Crowe’s cover of the Leonard Cohen song “Hallelujah” plays during the end credits as a tribute to Autumn Snyder
110. Zack Snyder’s Justice League was released on March 18, 2021 on HBO Max in the United States
111. Unlike the theatrical version which was rated PG-13, this version carries an R-rating for “violence and some language”
112. Snyder confirmed that WarnerMedia and HBO Max was working on other distribution plans for the cut in international markets where HBO Max is not available
113. The film will be available on Crave in Canada, exclusively on HBO services in select European countries as well as on the HBO Go service in select Asian countries
114. In Latin America, the title will premiere exclusively on HBO Max when the service launches in the region later in June 2021
115. In New Zealand, the film will premiere on Sky’s Neon streaming service, Sky Movies Premiere, and Sky Go
116. In Australia, the film will premiere on Binge
117. In the United Kingdom, the film was released on Sky Cinema and the streaming service Now
118. WarnerMedia later announced that Zack Snyder’s Justice League would be available to watch worldwide alongside the United States on March 18, 2021
119. With the exception of China and Japan where the release dates are to be determined
120. The film will be available via several video on demand options, various streaming services in addition to HBO and HBO Go
121. In France, DC Comics France first announced the release for April 22, 2021 but later stated that the movie will be available on the day of its worldwide release date, through digital services such as the iTunes Store, Prime Video, YouTube, Rakuten TV and many more
122. The film will release in India through digital services such as the iTunes Store, Google Play Movies, Hungama Play, Tata Sky and YouTube and in pay-per-view model through Book My Show Stream
123. Snyder has expressed his interest on screening his film in IMAX theaters in the markets once the COVID-19 pandemic gets under control
124. Snyder has said for the theatrical release, he added a 10 minute intermission halfway into the movie with The Crew at Warpower score playing in the intermission
125. For the digital release, Snyder revealed that the film would be divided into six chapters, leaking their titles in addition to that of the epilogue prior to the film’s release.
126. The cut was filmed in and will be released in an open matte 1.33:1 aspect ratio alongside IMAX 1.43:1
127. The cut will also be available to stream in 4K, HDR (in both HDR10 and Dolby Vision), and Dolby Atmos on HBO Max
128. On March 8, 2021, ten days prior to the scheduled debut of the film, HBO Max accidentally released the film to some viewers when attempting to watch Tom & Jerry
129. Although the cut’s full runtime was locked to Tom & Jerry’s 101 minutes
130. Viewers quickly managed to bypass the bug
131. After more than two hours, it was later fixed
132. The announcement of Zack Snyder’s Justice League was celebrated by the #ReleasetheSnyderCut movement, with many fans expressing their enthusiasm on social media
133. Some Snyder fans uploaded videos of them destroying their DVD and Blu-ray copies of the theatrical cut
134. Many industry figures, such as cast members of Justice League, expressed their gratitude to the fans who supported the release of Snyder’s version of the film
135. However, some journalists expressed concern that WarnerMedia was conceding to fans who had engaged in forms of harassment and trolling during the movement, which they feared would set a negative precedent
136. Screen Rant wrote that it sent the message that fan pressuring can work to influence film studios, networks, and streaming services
137. In response to this concern, HBO Max CEO Tony Goncalves reiterated the passion of the fandom and denied such claims, affirming that as a business they listen to demand from consumers
138. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a 74% rating
139. Based on 209 critic reviews
140. With an average rating of 6.8/10
141. The site’s critics consensus reads, “Zack Snyder’s Justice League lives up to its title with a sprawling cut that expands to fit the director’s vision – and should satisfy the fans who willed it into existence”
142. According to Metacritic, which calculated a weighted average score of 55 out of 100
143. Based on 42 critics
144. The film received “mixed or average reviews”
145. The scores of the film are higher on both sites than what the 2017 film received (40% and 45, respectively)