Zack Snyder's Justice League


Zack Snyder's Justice League is the 2021 director's cut and the original version of the 2017 American superhero film Justice League, the fifth film set within the DC Extended Universe, which is based on the team of the same name appearing in DC. It is director Zack Snyder's original vision of the film prior to his departure from the production. The film follows Batman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Aquaman, the Flash, and Superman as they form an alliance to stop the extradimensional New God Steppenwolf and his army of Parademons from conquering Earth for his overlord, Darkseid.
The production of the theatrical film was difficult, and the script frequently underwent major changes. In May 2017, Snyder stepped down during production following the death of his daughter, and Joss Whedon was hired to finish the film, completing it as an uncredited additional director. Whedon wrote and directed new sequences and incorporated a brighter, more humorous tone while significantly reducing the runtime in accordance with directives from Warner Bros. Pictures. The theatrical version polarized critics and underperformed at the box office, resulting in Warner Bros. developing future DCEU films around individual characters with less emphasis on a wider shared universe.
Many people expressed interest in Snyder's version of the film, often colloquially referred to as the Snyder Cut. Although most industry insiders reported its release unlikely, Warner Bros. moved ahead with it in February 2020. In May 2020, Snyder announced it would be released as Zack Snyder's Justice League on HBO Max. $70 million was spent to complete the visual effects, score, and editing, with new material being shot in October 2020. The film is dedicated to the memory of Autumn Snyder. Zack Snyder's Justice League was released on HBO Max in the United States on March 18, 2021. It became the fourth-most-streamed film on the platform that year. The film was released to positive reviews from critics, who generally considered it better than the theatrical cut, but criticised the lengthy runtime.

Plot

Thousands of years ago, Apokoliptian warlord Darkseid and his Parademons attempt to invade Earth using the combined energies of three Mother Boxes to form "The Unity", a phenomenon which would instantly devastate Earth and terraform it into a copy of their homeworld. This would allow Darkseid to harvest the Anti-Life Equation, a secret power capable of controlling all sentient free will in the multiverse, from the planet unchallenged. However, the invasion is foiled by an alliance of the Old Gods, Amazons, Atlanteans, humanity, and extraterrestrial beings. The Mother Boxes are then separated and hidden in different locations.
Millennia later, Superman's death following the battle with Doomsday reactivates the Boxes. This attracts Steppenwolf, Darkseid's disgraced lieutenant who seeks to regain his favor. Steppenwolf reaches Themyscira through a portal and fights to obtain the Amazons' Mother Box. Diana Prince informs Bruce Wayne, as the two seek to form a team of metahumans to protect the planet. After failing to recruit Arthur Curry, Bruce locates Barry Allen, who joins enthusiastically.
Diana locates Victor Stone, who joins after his father, Silas, and other S.T.A.R. Labs employees are kidnapped by Parademons seeking humanity's Mother Box. Steppenwolf kills Atlantean guards and takes their Mother Box, forcing Arthur to join the group. Victor retrieves the last Mother Box, which he had hidden. He reveals his father used it to rebuild his body after a car accident, explaining that the Boxes can rearrange matter. The group realizes they could resurrect Superman using the Box. The team exhumes Clark Kent's body and places it in a Kryptonian ship. They successfully resurrect him, but Clark fails to remember who he is, so attacks the group. Lois Lane arrives and placates him, then they go together to Clark's family home in Smallville, allowing him to regain his memories. Steppenwolf retrieves the last Mother Box, but not before Victor's father sacrifices himself to supercharge it with laser heat, allowing Victor to track it. Without Superman, the five heroes travel to the abandoned Russian city Pozharnov, where Steppenwolf aims to form the Unity.
The team fight their way through the surrounding Parademons, with Superman arriving in time to subdue Steppenwolf. However, Victor fails to prevent the Unity, so Earth begins to be destroyed. To reverse time in order to provide Victor the necessary charge, Barry enters the Speed Force, allowing him and Superman to prevent the Unity. Working together, the team kills Steppenwolf, but Darkseid vows to return to Earth for the Anti-Life Equation. In the aftermath, Bruce and Diana make plans to set up a base of operations for the newly formed alliance at the desolated Wayne Manor. Clark resumes his double life in Metropolis, with Lois implied to be pregnant with his child. Arthur meets with Nuidis Vulko and Mera before going to see his father, and Barry informs his erroneously convicted father in prison that he has acquired a job in Central City's police department. Victor is inspired by a message left by his father to realize his purpose in life.
Later, Lex Luthor, who has escaped from Arkham Asylum, is visited on his yacht by Slade Wilson, to whom he reveals Batman's secret identity. At home, Bruce awakens from an apocalyptic dream of the future, in which he is amongst a resistance troop being hunted by a mind-controlled Superman. He receives a visit from the Martian Manhunter, who promises to help the Justice League prepare for Darkseid's return.

Cast

The co-founder of the Justice League dedicated to protecting Gotham City as a proficient vigilante, director Zack Snyder described Batman seeking redemption in Zack Snyder's Justice League, feeling guilty due to his actions in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
A Kryptonian survivor with superpowers based in Metropolis, he serves as the inspiration for the Justice League, later becoming a member of the team. In 2018, Cavill described Superman as he appears in Snyder's Justice League as coming closer to completing his character arc that began with Man of Steel and becoming the "true" Superman as depicted in the comics. Snyder said while he loves the traditional portrayals of the character, he wanted Superman to have a realistic arc and develop as a character, and not be a "one-dimensional Boy Scout."
  • Amy Adams as Lois Lane: A reporter for the Daily Planet and the love interest of Clark Kent.
  • Gal Gadot as Diana Prince / Wonder Woman: An immortal demigoddess princess and Amazon warrior. She is a co-founder of the Justice League.
  • Ray Fisher as Victor Stone / Cyborg:
A former college athlete who, after being cybernetically reconstructed after a nearly fatal car accident, is turned into a techno-organic being enhanced by adaptive biomimetic alien technology. Much of Cyborg's character development was removed in the theatrical release, and Snyder described Cyborg's role in Zack Snyder's Justice League as "the heart of the movie." Fisher also stated Cyborg's arc is emotional and allegorical of "the journey that Black people have taken in ," as well as representative of people with disabilities. According to Fisher, the only Cyborg scene directed by Snyder in the theatrical release was that of Cyborg meeting with Batman and Commissioner Gordon at the Gotham City police rooftop.
A Central City college student pursuing a degree in criminal justice in the hopes of exonerating his father of the murder of his wife, Barry's mother. He is capable of moving at superhuman speeds and entering the Speed Force to time-travel.
Superman's nemesis and former head of LexCorp, his appearance at the end of the film was originally intended to tease Affleck's now-reworked The Batman project rather than a potential sequel.
  • Jeremy Irons as Alfred: Bruce Wayne's butler who provides tactical support for Batman and the Justice League.
  • Diane Lane as Martha Kent: Clark Kent's adoptive mother.
  • Connie Nielsen as Queen Hippolyta: Diana's mother and Queen of the Amazons.
  • J. K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon: The Gotham City police commissioner and an ally of Batman.
  • Ciarán Hinds as Steppenwolf:
A New God military officer from the planet Apokolips who leads an army of Parademons to search for the three Mother Boxes on Earth. Hinds had previously described Steppenwolf as "old, tired, still trying to get out of his own enslavement to Darkseid." Steppenwolf was redesigned for the new release, bringing his appearance closer to Snyder's original vision.
A scientist working at S.T.A.R. Labs, under the leadership of Silas Stone. By the end of the film, Choi is promoted to Director of Nanotechnology at the company. The character was intended to star in a spin-off, with Snyder having pitched a film to the studio, which would have featured Choi as The Atom, and have taken place in China with a Chinese cast.
An Atlantean who has hydrokinetic powers and was raised by Arthur Curry's mother, Queen Atlanna. Unlike her appearances in the theatrical version and Aquaman, Heard uses a pseudo-Queen's English accent throughout the film.
Ray Porter portrays Darkseid, a tyrannical New God from Apokolips. Darkseid did not appear in the theatrical release, with the film being the character's first appearance in live-action. Porter portrayed Darkseid through motion capture and "went through a few different vocal gymnastics trying to figure out the voice." He was unfamiliar with Darkseid upon being cast, with Snyder and screenwriter Chris Terrio helping him with their knowledge of comics. Peter Guinness portrays DeSaad, Darkseid's master enforcer and liaison between him and Steppenwolf.
Harry Lennix reprises his DCEU role as US Secretary of Defense Calvin Swanwick, later revealed to be J'onn J'onzz / Martian Manhunter. Snyder stated Swanwick was always Martian Manhunter since Man of Steel and secretly guided mankind to do good as he wanted humanity to try to protect Earth themselves before intervening. Jared Leto reprises his role from Suicide Squad as the Joker, a psychotic criminal and Batman's archenemy, who becomes a surviving resistance member in the Knightmare future. The Joker was not planned to appear in Snyder's original version, but he chose to use and redesign Joker for it following its revival as he intended to use Joker.
Karen Bryson portrays Elinore Stone, Victor's late mother, while Kiersey Clemons portrays Iris West, Barry Allen's future love interest. Actors reprising their roles from previous DCEU films include: Eleanor Matsuura as Epione, Samantha Jo as Euboea, Ann Ogbomo as Philippus, Doutzen Kroes as Venelia, Carla Gugino as the Kryptonian ship's voice. Uncredited appearances include Robin Wright as Antiope, Billy Crudup as Henry Allen, Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent, Joe Manganiello as Slade Wilson / Deathstroke and Russell Crowe as Jor-El.
Sergi Constance and Aurore Lauzeral portray the roles of the Old Gods Zeus and Artemis, respectively. Julian Lewis Jones and Francis Magee are credited with portraying the Ancient Atlantean king and Ancient king of men, respectively. Michael McElhatton appears as Black Clad Alpha, the leader of terrorist group who clash with Wonder Woman. John Dagleish appears as Black Clad Beta. Marc McClure has a brief cameo as Jerry, a police officer who befriends Lois Lane. Ingvar Sigurdsson appears as Mayor. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith appears as Detective Crispus Allen. Taylor James appears as Atlantean Military Messenger; while Hadrian Howard, Victor Gardener, and Bruce Chong appear as Atlantean Generals. Orion Lee and Oliver Gatz appear as Star Labs Scientists. William Atkinson and Sam Benjamin appear as Military Police. Green Lanterns Yalan Gur and Kilowog also appear, while Granny Goodness appears through computer-generated imagery and was modeled after Weta artist Jojo Aguilar's aunt. Wayne T. Carr was going to appear as John Stewart / Green Lantern at the end of the movie, but the scenes was deleted and was replaced by Harry Lennix's Martian Manhunter.