As the conversation surrounding the Snyder Cut of Justice League bubbled away for over two and a half years until it was finally confirmed the near-mythical movie had become a reality and was on its way to HBO Max, barely a day went by without a new addition to the rumor mill or a wild conspiracy theory making the rounds.
One of the most popular was that the Snyder Cut didn’t exist at all, which on the surface was wrong, but it also wasn’t a 100% false statement, either. After all, it wasn’t as if Warner Bros. just opened a vault and plucked the four-hour superhero epic from cold storage after deciding they couldn’t be bothered listening to the backlash any more, and it’s taken a lot of time and a great deal of money to bring fans the Snyder Cut on March 18th.
There were also those lamenting the fact that the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut campaign had succeeded in the first place, believing that it set a dangerous precedent for the fanbase of any movie or TV show getting what they want if they simply continue to make enough noise for a long enough period of time. In a new interview, the filmmaker has now directly addressed his critics, doubters and naysayers, and he was very open and honest in his response.
“I just think that’s sour grapes. There’s really no other way to say it. We know the people who were the architects of that narrative, and it’s pretty obvious what their agenda is. Those are people that I’ve been held back from confronting, by wiser people in the room. Because I’d love to get at some of these characters. Some direct conversation would be nice. Just to say, one, you don’t know sh*t about what you’re talking about. And we can break down everything they’ve ever said. I can make a list. There’s a few of these guys where I could just get a list of everything they’ve ever said, that they thought was right, andevery single thing they’ve said is wrong.
And so, in what world do you have any credibility anywhere, to anyone? I would love the opportunity to just say to the world, and to fandom in general, who these fakers are and what should be done to them, or with them. It’s just a bunch of BS. In regards to that toxic fandom, or it’s ‘a win for toxic fandom’, again, in what world does this ‘toxic fandom’ raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for suicide prevention? How is that toxic fandom? They’ve probably achieved more than any other fan base, and done more good than any other group. So I don’t understand.”
Whether or not the Snyder Cut of Justice League can live up to the sky high expectations is another question entirely, but while so-called ‘toxic fandom’ is rarely a good thing, in the case of the movie’s supporters, it wound up giving the director a second chance at delivering the blockbuster he wanted to in the first place while also raising a massive amount of money and awareness for a good cause, which doesn’t sound very toxic at all.