Nearly four years after the release of Justice League (2017), HBO Max debuted its first full-length trailer of Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021). As a Valentine’s Day treat, fans get at a glimpse at the return of legendary heroes like Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Superman (Henry Cavill) and Aquaman (Jason Momoa), to name a few. In another version of the ensemble film, the band is back together. This long-awaited return begs the question: Why is there another Justice League movie? In short, the initial release of Justice League (2017) was met with mixed reviews.
Its plot followed the villain Steppenwolf on his journey to collect Mother Boxes, which would give him substantial power and the ability to destroy and/or enslave an entire planet. Enter the Justice League, a group of superheroes banded together by Batman’s efforts to save Earth without its number one defender, Superman. As with most comic book films, expectations and excitement reached great heights leading up to the film’s release. After watching the final cut, fans and critics experienced a plethora of emotions, but it seems as though that cut wasn’t so final after all.
During the initial production of Justice League, director Zack Snyder had to step away from the film to support his family during a tremendous loss. To stick with the Nov. 17 release date, the studio passed the project along to director Joss Whedon, a native to both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the superhero genre. After watching Whedon’s version, passionate fans rallied together to persuade Warner Bros. into releasing the “Snyder Cut” of the film. From YouTube videos to trending Twitter hashtags and statements from the film’s leading stars, one thing became apparent: the “Snyder Cut” was in high demand. Snyder returned to work on the film and completed his vision for the heroes. The latest trailer confirms that the 2021 version of the movie is drastically different from its 2017 release. To see for yourself, you can watch Zack Snyder’s Justice League official trailer here.
Aside from the obvious changes including much darker visuals and newly added characters, Zack Snyder’s Justice League will be different from its predecessor. Reports say that the film will be 4 hours long, which even outlasts Avengers: Endgame, clocking in at just over three hours. Still, this is a product that fans have requested for quite some time, so the runtime will likely not be detrimental to its reception. Moreover, the film is rated R, an uncommon characteristic for superhero movies and a bold decision on the production’s end.
Based on the trailer and Snyder’s previous experience in the DC Extended Universe, Justice League (2021) blazes a new trail for this familiar band of heroes and their adversaries. The difference in ratings further suggests that Snyder’s cut will explore an ominous outlook on the world and how that affects these iconic comic book characters. It seems as though Snyder will cater to an older audience that has a more established relationship with these heroes. A longer runtime also suggests that this version will allow fans to fully comprehend the newly added villains and the complications that they will bring to the storyline. Only time (and the fans) can tell if the film will live up to this unprecedented hype. Whether you’re a dedicated fan or a newcomer, Zack Snyder’s Justice League seems to be the film to watch in theaters and exclusively on HBO Max, March 18, 2021.
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