With the release of the Snyder Cut fast approaching, excitement is at an all-time high for the launch of Zack Snyder's Justice League on HBO Max.
Fans were told that the new version for streaming would be a four-hour-long epic and the official runtime confirmed that this would be the case. The biggest additions to Zack Snyder's rendition of the film will be the return of Jared Leto's Joker, who will make a grand reappearance with a completely revamped look . There will also be an exciting cameo from a much-requested character, although another popular green hero is unlikely to shine his ring this time around.
IGN's Fan Fest has revealed a wide array of new information about the upcoming release, including brand new footage that is presumably from the new cut .
Previously, the Snyder Cut was intended to release in an episodic format. It seems that this will be retained in some form, with each chapter of Justice League getting its own unique title...
JUSTICE LEAGUE CHAPTER 1 AND 2 TITLES REVEALED
During IGN's Fan Fest, Zack Snyder spoke about the decision to release his cut of Justice League as one continuous film as opposed to episodes.
As a result, the director revealed the names of the first two chapters of the Snyder Cut, with part one seemingly focused on Ben Affleck's Bruce Wayne with the title "Don't Count On It Batman" and part two being called "The Age of Heroes."
Despite being a four-length extravaganza, Snyder reminded fans that the film is a "chaptered" experience:
"There was a couple things. It was always to be completed as one theatrical release, because it was made as a four-hour film. Now, remember, the film is chaptered anyway. It's like, part one, 'Don't Count On It Batman', and then about 40 minutes later – I forget exactly – part two, 'The Age of Heroes', and then on and on."
Zack Snyder voiced his worries about the release schedule for an episodic version of the Snyder Cut, saying that fans "would've been mad if they had to wait weeks." Snyder elaborated on why he eventually avoided the episodic release, saying that it "got complicated:"
"That was the way the film was created just in my mind as the way it was easily digestible. There was so much and I just felt like this kind of chapters as you went forward was really the best way to absorb it. It was always going to be finished as a single film but then I thought, 'Oh, it might be fun to break it up.' But that just got complicated and everyone started to get nervous about whether or not it was contractually this or that."
Ultimately, the Justice League director relented and settled on the idea that the four-hour experience was a "great way to watch the movie:"
"I said, you know what? It's fine. The four hours, it's a great way to watch the movie, and it's easy to pause and go hit the potty or pick up some popcorn or whatever, whatever you got to do, because it does have those chapters."
ZACK SNYDER'S CHAPTERED EXPERIENCE
These brand new titles for two of Justice League 's chapters should drum up even more anticipation for the brand-new cut, laying out the general themes of these parts of the Snyder Cut. Although Zack Snyder is known for his darker, grittier takes on DC's pantheon of heroes, "Don't Count On It Batman" almost seems somewhat pulpy and campy in comparison to Snyder's traditional approach with Ben Affleck's character. Perhaps there will be a bit more lighthearted fun and adventuring than one would expect going into this new version.
Snyder, of course, switches gears quite quickly with "The Age of Heroes," which is much more in line with what is expected from his style of filmmaking.
Two questions remain though: what are the names of the other titles and how many more will there be? The episodic length of Justice League has varied over its development, originally starting out as a four-part miniseries to being extended to six episodes with an epilogue. It is still a bit unclear which route Snyder will take, but this does indicate that there will be a good few more titles to discover.
What these will relate to is completely up for debate. It is likely that one could be dedicated to the spiky villain himself Steppenwolf or his foreboding master Darkseid, but it seems that fans will just have to wait and see once the film is out in the open.
Zack Snyder's Justice League arrives with an array of titles on HBO Max, when it starts streaming on March 18, 2021.
