Coronavirus has disrupted all of our lives in some ways and looks set to do so for months to come. It’s also done a real-life Thanos and put a temporary stop to superheroics. Upcoming movies Black Widow and Wonder Woman 1984 face an uncertain future, while every single Marvel Studios and Warner Bros. production is officially on hiatus. But now the dreaded virus may have done its worst yet: it’s delayed the Snyder Cut of Justice League.
And yes, that sound you hear is thousands of unhappy internet campaigners all crying out at once. Word is that Zack Snyder has been hard at work on his version of the movie, releasing periodic black and white images to show his progress. He’s progressed so far, in fact, that he has a cut that he’s been showing to close friends, but this isn’t the final version of what Snyder has dubbed his “Holy Grail.”
That version of the movie would have reportedly been a jewel in the crown of the HBO Max launch in May. But now it seems that this release date may have slipped. And the culprit is COVID-19. YouTuber Grace Randolph is claiming the following:
“I’ve heard, again from my sources, that Snyder wants to shoot several new scenes that require VFX work. And of course, now they can’t do that… From what I’ve heard of what he wants to add, it will mean the difference between diehard fans having the satisfaction of finally seeing it versus piquing the interest of even the casual fans and naysayers. It’s that cool! He really has some cool ideas for what he wants to add to this.”
I’m sure Randolph’s sources are on the money, though many are skeptical that Warner Bros. would let Snyder shoot new material for his cut. First up, I don’t think he’d be able to get any of the main cast back (maybe Ezra Miller and Jason Momoa would do it as a favor), not to mention that the costumes and sets have doubtless been placed in deep storage. So, if he did want to shoot something, I’d expect it to be the basis for new mostly CGI shots.
Randolph went on to claim that the delay is reasonable though, saying:
“Since he’s waited this long, I think he should hold off until he can do it the way he wants to. I mean the Snyder Cut has almost taken on like mythological proportions at this point. It’s a legend. You can imagine the intense pressure to live up to that legend. I think the additional stuff that he has planned, will allow him to do that for sure. Trust me. So the Snyder Cut, I think for the time being, is off the board.”
Put as much stock in Randolph and her sources as you like, but if there’s one thing that’d cheer me up during this forced isolation, it’d be the Snyder Cut of Justice League.
