The DCEU has had its fair share of ups and downs over the years, but it seems that 2017's Justice League was the final nail in the coffin. Directed by Joss Whedon , the anticipation surrounding the superhero team-up film back then was sky-high considering that many fans expected that The Avengers director would continue Snyder's version.
Unfortunately, this wasn't the case, and this development led to the film's dismal outing on the big screen. Given that many were unhappy about the outcome, this resulted in several years of fan campaigns to grab the attention of Warner Bros. for them to release Zack Snyder's cut of Justice League .
Ultimately, the plan succeeded when was announced in May 2020 that the Snyder Cut will finally debut on HBO Max . Ever since the confirmation, Snyder has been sharing numerous tidbits about his Justice League as well as some revealing stories from behind the scenes .
Now, it's Warner Bros.' turn to shed some light on the tumultuous production history of Justice League .
WARNER BROS. DIDN'T LIKE JOSS WHEDON'S CUT
While speaking anonymously with Vanity Fair , a studio executive from Warner Bros. described the theatrical cut of Justice League as “stupefying.”
The executive then pointed out that some scenes such as the film's opening, the robber on the rooftop, was described as “so goofy and awful,” while the inclusion of the Russian family was “useless and pointless:”
“When we got to see what Joss actually did, it was stupefying. The robber on the rooftop—so goofy and awful. The Russian family—so useless and pointless. Everyone knew it. It was so awkward because nobody wanted to admit what a piece of shit it was.”
THE DISAPPOINTING THEATRICAL CUT OF JUSTICE LEAGUE
While the majority of DC fans have unanimously agreed that Joss Whedon's cut of Justice League is disappointing, hearing these comments from a Warner Bros. executive should add another layer of intrigue surrounding the much-talked-about crossover film. The strong remarks of the Warner Bros. executive might not be the full representation of the studio's reaction to the film, but it's pretty brutal nonetheless.
In retrospect, the theatrical cut of Justice League had a stockpile of questionable moments, and the executive's example essentially mirrors some of the concerns from the viewing public. The Russian family subplot being described as “useless and pointless” basically summarizes the whole ordeal, with even Snyder not having an idea of where the plot point came from.
In a way, this could be an indication that the studio didn't create the necessary adjustments to make the film better, considering that Warner Bros. has the final say in terms of approving the final cut. Still, there could be some unknown behind-the-scenes studio meddling that has yet to be unraveled, and this latest reveal could've only presented part of the larger story.
Not much is know about what will happen to the in-canon events that transpired during the theatrical cut, but it seems that it will likely be ignored, thus paving the way for Zack Snyder's Justice League to create a more compelling narrative for the superhero team.
Given that Ezra Miller's The Flash will explore the multiverse in a huge way, it will be exciting to find out how the film will address the in-universe place of the Snyderverse once and for all, potentially erasing the theatrical cut from the DCEU continuity.
