Ding-Dong, the Snyderverse is Dead! Five Weirdest Moments from Snyder’s ‘Justice League’
It’s been one year since the Snyderverse was officially declared deceased. And these 5 moments show why that’s a good call.
One year ago, Jim Lee confirmed what DC fans had already suspected: that the Snyderverse, as far as DC Films was concerned, wouldn’t be a part of the studio’s future. Since then, DC Films and Warner Bros. have both seen significant shake-ups in leadership.
When all the dust settled, superstar producers James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker) and Peter Safran (Aquaman, Shazam!) were put in charge of the DC film universe, and we’ve seen several new film releases in the meantime.
As we approach the upcoming release date for DC Films’ multiverse-busting film The Flash, we’re likely to see some kind of narrative explanation that sets up for Gunn and Safran’s new DCU.
To celebrate, I gave Justice League another watch and poked fun at it. Now, before we get started, I’d like to say that I fall firmly into the “let people love things” camp. There are things I enjoy about Zach Snyder’s Justice League, and if it’s a movie you love, then I love that for you. Even The Flash director Andy Muschietti appreciates what Snyder brought to DC.
But can you truly say you love something if you aren’t willing to make fun of it a little?
5. Aquaman Littering
Is it a tiny detail? Yes. Is it a tiny sin compared to some of the overarching failures in this thinks-it’s-a-Magnum Opus? Absolutely. But it just infuriates me every time! Arthur Curry would never. Who hurt you people to make you believe in a world where Aquaman throws glass into the ocean?! It’s unacceptable, and I don’t care how cool Jason Mamoa looks drinking whiskey out of the bottle while walking in slow-motion.
4. The Unfortunate Joker
I do not appreciate being Leto’ed, like, ever. But on the tail-end of a 4-hour-long Axe body spray commercial was just too much bro for me. Honestly, Snyder admits this whole moment was just indulgent – he suspected he’d never get to work with the characters again so he did the thing he wanted, and what he wanted was to just make me uncomfortable for several more minutes. Mission accomplished, my guy. Leto’s unfortunate Joker apparently has something useful to offer in the defeat of… Darkseid? Okay, Bruce.
Also, a DCEU future where Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn is unceremoniously killed off-screen? It deserves to be on fire.
3. The Flash Carries All the Levity
Ezra Miller as The Flash via Warner Bros.
There’s one admittedly perfect joke from Bruce Wayne – “I’m rich” makes me cackle every time, because it’s true – but otherwise, Barry is really the main source of comedy. Now Barry is the “class clown” of the lineup, sure. But the contrast between the fun of his character and literally every other thing happening in this movie just feels a little mismatched. And he spends so much time being the funny one that we don’t get to explore his traditional role on the team, which is a sense of heart.
And while The Flash is sure to give Barry plenty of time to show off that darling personality we all love, Justice League would have had more oomph if we’d already had a Barry origin story.
It doesn’t help that Ezra Miller’s off-screen behavior has soured many viewers to the film.
2. A Waste of a Good Martian
Okay, bringing Martian Manhunter to the big screen should have been a big friggin’ deal. For all of the extra time the Snyder cut took up, the Manhunter was wholly underutilized. Why was he just biding his time while this whole conflict is going on? Why is he farting around as Martha Kent so he can play voyeur to Lois’ grieving? His character is utterly wasted in the movie and isn’t even properly introduced. It’s like a “look what we can do” moment.
I will never not be upset about this. J’onn deserved better.
1. This Was the Most Forever-Taking Movie
And I regularly rewatch the extended editions of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, okay? I’m not an amateur. I binge with the best of ’em. But there are so many moments that are turned up to 11 and stretched out in a heavy-handed attempt to give them substance. There were so many moments that felt like they were just wasted on long shots of power fantasy porn.
Despite a 4-hour runtime and some exceptionally slow moments, the movie also feels like it’s bursting at the seams. Trying to introduce all these new characters, a galactic threat on the scale of Darkseid, and give established characters time to shine? Even if this movie could elicit the kind of emotion all those slow-motion moments are intended for, a whole season of television might not be enough time to make those emotions develop.
The Snyderverse Wasn’t Sustainable
Listen, there’s no way that the DCEU was going to gain its legs following the trajectory set out by Zach Snyder. I think we can all agree that there was so much happening in that 4-hour extended cut that wouldn’t have been rolled out until a more substantial universe had been built. There was so much drama coming down from executives about shaping the DCEU into the MCU without the proper time and introduction that this probably was doomed early on.
Now the Snyderverse was just a little pocket of the universe where things were very extreme and extra shadowy. And it may not have a future on screen, but we’ll always remember it as a thing that happened, and that’s, well… something.
