Time has not been kind to DC fans. Ever since 2017's infamous Justice League, Warner Bros. hasn't known what to do with its roster of recognizable heroes. What they did know, however, is what they didn't want and that's Zack Snyder's SnyderVerse.
The SnyderVerse is the term for director Zack Snyder's vision for an interconnected DC universe. While it began with 2013's Man of Steel and continued with Batman v Superman, the director's vision was cut short when he was forced to bow out of directing Justice League. During his absence, the studio seized the opportunity to alter course.
Warner Bros.' woes began with the film's poor reception and were compounded by a grassroots movement to release Snyder's vision for the title. While Zack Snyder's Justice League was eventually released in 2021, the studio was seemingly undeterred in its intention of a fresh, but unknown, direction for the DCEU.
However, this uncertain vision never materialized due to the Warner Bros. Discovery merger and new leadership headed by David Zaslav. While some fans hoped this change would benefit the blue brand, much like the old regime, the new studio heads don't appear to have a plan either.
What they do appear to want, however, is to distance themselves from Zack Snyder's Justice League.
New Warner Bros. Heads Reject Zack Snyder's Justice League
As reported by Rolling Stone, the new heads of Warner Bros. Discovery have no intention of reviving the SnyderVerse or partnering with director Zack Snyder in the future.
In fact, sources say the studio has actually taken deliberate steps to separate itself from Snyder and his cut of Justice League, including limiting documentary filmmaker Leslie Iwerks from using footage from the 2021 film, since the 2017 version is the only one they recognize.
"Leslie Iwerks recently asked to license clips from the 2021 Justice League for a film on the history of DC and was told there is only one Justice League: the 2017 incarnation."
New Leadership, Same Attitude
The Release the Snyder Cut movement was, no doubt, an embarrassment for Warner Bros. and one that simply wouldn't go away. For months, fans refused to let the studio forget how its interference led to a poor product and cut a director's vision short during a time of personal tragedy.
The fact that a scene from the Snyder Cut won "Best Cheer Moment" at the 2022 Oscars, and then was reported to have been the result of bots likely didn't help either.
But the point is, that was the old Warner Bros. and the old studio leadership.
However, while few expected the new Warner Bros. regime to revive the SnyderVerse, dismissing a film that fans fought to have released is a surprising move. After all, doesn't Warner Bros. Discovery want to have fan support moving forward?
It's a position made all the more confusing by the fact that Zack Snyder's cast of heroes continues to have a presence in the studio's upcoming DCEU slate.
For instance, Ben Affleck's Batman, who first appeared in Snyder's Batman v Superman, has been confirmed for Jason Momoa's Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Also, Snyder's Commissioner Gordon, who was played by J.K. Simmons, was part of the Batgirl cast before the film was scrapped.
And so, even though the powers-that-be have changed, for now, the situation remains the same.
