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Zack Snyder's Justice League 2021
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A 2021 director’s cut of the 2017 American superhero film Justice League, titled Zack Snyder's Justice League, represents the original vision of director Zack Snyder before his exit from the project. It is the fifth installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), based on the superhero team Justice League. The story features Batman (Ben Affleck), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Cyborg (Ray Fisher), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), the Flash (Ezra Miller), and Superman (Henry Cavill) joining forces to prevent Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds), an extradimensional New God, from conquering Earth for his master, Darkseid (Ray Porter).
The theatrical version of the film faced production difficulties, with the script undergoing numerous revisions during filming. In May 2017, director Zack Snyder left the project following the death of his daughter Autumn. Joss Whedon was then brought in to finish the movie, working as an uncredited additional director. Whedon added new scenes and adjusted the tone to be more upbeat and comedic, while also trimming the film’s length per instructions from Warner Bros. Pictures. The final theatrical release received divided reactions from critics and underperformed financially, leading Warner Bros. to shift focus in future DCEU projects toward standalone character films rather than a shared universe.
Fan interest in Zack Snyder’s original version, often called the Snyder Cut, grew significantly. Despite industry skepticism that such a release would happen, Warner Bros. decided to move forward with it in February 2020. In May 2020, Zack Snyder confirmed the film’s release as Zack Snyder's Justice League on HBO Max. Approximately $70 million was invested into finishing visual effects, music, and editing, including new footage shot in October 2020. The film is dedicated to the memory of Autumn. Zack Snyder's Justice League premiered in the United States on HBO Max, with a subsequent release on March 18, 2021. It became the fourth-most-streamed movie on that platform during the year.
Critics generally praised the Snyder Cut over the theatrical version, although some noted its extended runtime as a drawback. This film marks the final project directed or co-written by Zack Snyder within the DCEU and also his last involvement with Warner Bros. Pictures. The following franchise entry, The Suicide Squad (2021), would be the final film he and his wife Deborah Snyder executive produced together.
Cast
- Ben Affleck[[Bruce Wayne
- Henry Cavill[[Superman
- Amy Adams
- Gal Gadot[[Diana Prince
- Ray Fisher[[Cyborg
- Jason Momoa[[Arthur Curry
- Ezra Miller[[Barry Allen
- Willem DafoeVulko: An Atlantean who acts as Arthur's mentor
- Jesse Eisenberg[[Lex Luthor
- Jeremy Irons
- Diane LaneMartha Kent: Clark Kent's adoptive mother
- Connie Nielsen[[Hippolyta
- J. K. Simmons
- Ciarán Hinds[[Steppenwolf
- Zheng Kai[[Atom
- Amber Heard[[Mera
- Joe MortonSilas Stone: Victor Stone's father and the head scientist at [[S.T.A.R
- Lisa Loven KongsliMenalippe
- Nick McKinless[[Ares
Crew
- Director
- Zack Snyder
- Screenplay
- Chris Terrio
- Story
- Chris Terrio, Zack Snyder, Will Beall
- Producer
- Charles Roven, Deborah Snyder
- Cinematography
- Fabian Wagner
- Editing
- David Brenner
- Music
- Tom Holkenborg
Details
- Production
- Atlas Entertainment, DC Films, Stone Quarry Animation, Warner Bros. Pictures (United States)
- Distributor
- HBO Max
- Budget
- $70 million
- Box office
- $16.4 million (DVD/Blu-Ray disc sales revenue)
