There were many elements of the theatrical version of Justice League that came under fire from fans, and the design of the main villain Steppenwolf was one of them. Many criticized the Apokoliptian general’s appearance as underwhelming, not to mention of a lesser quality, in terms of CG animation, than one would expect for a major blockbuster. The good news is that the Snyder Cut won’t have the same problem, as it’ll feature the original depiction of the foe.
Over on Vero, one user asked Zack Snyder if he wanted to “break Twitter” by revealing that “Steppenwolf has his original design in your [Justice League]?” The director then responded with, “Is that not well known?” In other words – yes, the original Steppenwolf will be in his movie.
We got our first glimpse at Steppenwolf in the DCEU in a deleted scene for Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. Just before he’s arrested for his crimes, Lex Luthor receives a vision of the villain while in Zod’s ship. In this scene, Steppenwolf is much more monstrous and inhuman.
Concept art has told us that the Justice League version will follow on from his take in BvS. It’s interesting that Snyder decided to reimagine the character as so alien, too, as he’s fully humanoid in the comics. Some fans would probably prefer a more faithful iteration, then, but at least it’s a more effective design than the theatrical one. Snyder hasn’t confirmed this, but presumably Ciaran Hinds will still voice Steppenwolf in his cut, as it was the director who hired the Irish actor for the part, not Joss Whedon.
Remember, Steppenwolf’s superior, Darkseid himself, will also turn up in Snyder’s Justice League, as played by Ray Porter. The first teaser for the movie, featuring Wonder Woman discovering ancient paintings of the ruler of Apokolips, promises that he’ll have a strong presence, too.