If you were to ask any DC fan how many versions of Justice League exist, they would almost certainly answer by stating there’s only one, and it sure as hell wasn’t directed by Joss Whedon.
The backlash towards the theatrical version of the derided comic book blockbuster has been so overwhelming for so long that it’s very easy to forget people weren’t entirely against the idea of having the now-disgraced Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly creator step in an right the ship following the departure of Zack Snyder, with his superhero blockbuster credentials on full display through the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s The Avengers and sequel Age of Ultron.
Of course, Justice League V1.0 proved to be an unmitigated disaster in more ways than one. With the budget ballooning to over $300 million, a $657 million box office tally saw the film fail to turn a single penny of profit, an unthinkable scenario for an epic crossover that united the entirety of the franchise’s signature heroes together to stave off the threat of universal destruction.
Fast forward three and a half years, and a great deal of damage was undone when the Snyder Cut finally hit HBO Max after a relentless fan campaign. There are a massive number of DC diehards who’ve seen Justice League‘s theatrical edition once and have no inkling to ever see it again, but they evidently aren’t iTunes or ViaPlay subscribers.
Per FlixPatrol, one of the most-hated superhero spectaculars of all-time has surged on the global rankings of both platforms, while the longtime supporters will quite happily revisit HBO Max’s superior four-hour version instead.
