It’s odd that my most anticipated movie of 2021 is a reworking of a 2017 film I didn’t enjoy, but such is the topsy-turvy world we live in. Despite the naysayers and pessimists, Zack Snyder has gotten the green light to finish the Snyder Cut of Justice League, which will premiere on HBO Max next year. The news immediately sparked speculation as to what will make it into the new cut, fueled by the fact that only about a quarter of Snyder’s footage was seen in the theatrical cut.
Right now, we can be fairly sure that Cyborg’s role will be expanded, that Steppenwolf will revert to his original, scarier, design and that Darkseid will be making an on-screen appearance. But now we’re hearing that one of the most intriguing bits of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice will be followed up: the Knightmare.
This was the sequence in which Batman saw a vision of a dystopian future with an evil Superman and Earth apparently under the Apokalyptian boot of Darkseid. Though some argue that it slows the pace of the movie, it’s undeniably interesting and imaginative. We’ve heard hints that the original plan in Justice League 2 would have seen ‘our’ League journeying to the Knightmare in order to take down Darkseid and evil Superman, a twist that Snyder has explained was influenced by the Injustice series of fighting games.
I think it’s unlikely that the upcoming movie will directly feature that, but it’s looking very likely that we may see more of this dark future established so it can be properly focused on in a sequel. And while you might scoff at a project like Zack Snyder’s Justice League building in sequel hooks, there’s gossip that if it does well, there’s a chance it may not be the end of the saga.
In any case, right now the DCEU seems to have far more buzz around it than the MCU, and I can’t wait to see what they do with this newfound momentum.
