A few years ago, everyone who believed that the Snyder Cut of Justice League was real was mocked, dismissed and told to move on. But with every insult thrown, a parademon got its wings. Eventually, the movement forced one of the world’s biggest film studios to reverse course and allowed Zack Snyder to complete work on his version of the Justice League. Now, on the 5th anniversary of the announcement, the director is thanking fans and Henry Cavill for being there beside him.
Sharing on Instagram, Snyder wrote: “On this day in 2020, we announced that we would be completing Justice League as it was originally intended. Special thanks to Henry Cavill, who joined me for the announcement, and to the fans who made it possible. For Autumn.”
The post was in honor of everyone of his fans who shared the campaign, the hashtags, the billboards and bought the merch over the years.
The final two words — For Autumn — reference Snyder’s daughter, whose death during the original Justice League production led to his departure from the film. And as fans would know, the Snyder Cut of the film was always personal.
Superimposed on the image of the black and white movie poster: “What was broken was made whole again. A silence became a voice. A wrong was made right. On this anniversary, we remember: The vision restored, the balance returned. And always, in the end, it was the fans who made it possible.”
The Moment That Changed Everything
When the Snyder Cut announcement came in 2020, it was a big “in-your-face” to doubters and those who hated the DCEU. It was also a victory for fans after years of begging Warner Bros., who finally gave in to the relentless online pressure.
Henry Cavill appeared alongside Snyder for the reveal, a show of support from the actor who had played the Man of Steel in the DCEU. Superman’s presence made the announcement even more special and delivered the hype the project needed.
The four-hour-long film eventually premiered in March 2021 on HBO, restoring a lot of deleted scenes that were cut by Joss Whedon for the 2017 theatrical version. In fact, it felt like a completely different movie in terms of the story, its tone and character arcs.
Fans Aren’t Done
5 years after the announcement, Snyder’s fans are still campaigning for more. They want a continuation of the Justice League films, with Snyder directing Part II and Part III. And while all of that was supposed to die with the announcement of James Gunn’s new DCU, the movement kept pushing forward.
Snyder’s anniversary post seems to hint that there’s still hope. But all his messages, including his recent string of images on Instagram, seem to suggest that the Snyderverse is far from done.
The comments on the post reveal the determination of his fans: “We deserve the culmination of this vision, of this story. Many people all over the world dream to see again heroes portrayed as modern gods. Make it possible, Zack”, and “Bro, it was amazing. The whole trilogy. Now… JL2 & JL3.”
Snyder’s original road map involved completing a five-film arc that was cut short when he left the project. This anniversary probably reignites that desire for those films even more.
Where Things Stand
Henry Cavill’s Superman is gone. Ben Affleck’s Batman has aged. Jason Momoa is now the DCU’s Lobo. And Ezra Miller… well… The universe Snyder built probably couldn’t ever return to the way it was. Not in live-action and not in the way it was originally imagined.
Still, fans remain positive. Snyder’s message this week wasn’t just an announcement. Like all his messages to his fans, it was a tease. And, of course, it was a thank-you and a remembrance.
