(Possible Zack Snyder’s Justice League spoilers follow)
Well my friends, I’ve just finished my second viewing of Zack Snyder’s Justice League. As inspiring and awe inducing as the first viewing. Why is this movie so special? You could write a whole book on it. But in short? Zack Snyder was able to finish his vision against indescribably unfathomable odds….and I’m ready to restore the Snyder verse.
There’s a lot of talk about multiverses lately. What’s wild about that is Zack Snyder’s Justice League wouldn’t exist in nine out of ten of them. So fuck it, why not? Let’s talk about something that seems just as impossible as the Snyder Cut once did. Let’s talk about restoring the Snyder verse.
There are about a thousand reasons it can’t happen. A thousand reasons the powers that be don’t want it to happen. But this one did.
So, fuck em’ all.
Chapter 1: Redemption
The best argument for us to restore the Snyder verse is that Zack Snyder’s Justice League exists in the first place. The Snyder Cut is complete proof that when left alone, be it against the popular grain of Rotten Tomatoes opinion and Marvel appreciation, a director can forge new ground. Even when an contrary uber-successful model exists.
Kicking and screaming with all the power a studio can forge, Warner Brothers FINALLY just let it exist. And what happened? DC has a film beloved by critics and audiences alike. A vision that goes against all blockbuster norms. Four hours long. Weird aspect ratio. The film is rated R. Batman and Cyborg say “fuck”. Joker mentions a reach around. And it was successful.
Now this is a proven model too.
The first reason restoring the Snyder verse could work is that Warner Bros has to realize there’s success in rolling the dice and letting the artists vision shine through. In both cases….the Batman Vs. Superman Extended Cut and now Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Snyder is 2-0 proving that this thing, albeit unconventional can work. If he’s given the leash to make it work. You now have the breathing room for faith.
Warner Bros now has the opportunity to drive the ship themselves. Rather than be looked at as the studio who was proven wrong twice they could be looked at as the company who had humility and bought the fuck in. Hard. They now have a chance at redemption. At controlling their own destiny.
Chapter 2: Expansion
The end of Zack Snyder’s Justice League put it’s cards on the table and said “Here I am. Here’s one scene that lays out exactly all the damage I could do with these characters over the next however many years.” Who in their right goddamn right minds doesn’t want to see how we got there?
Yes, there’s Matt Reeves’ The Batman coming soon. There’s James Gunn’s Suicide Squad and the new Flash film. DC has forged ahead and done so years ago.
But why on earth would you not do both when the opportunity so clearly exists?
If there’s one thing we know it’s that Zack Snyder’s style of filmmaking is trademarked and recognizably different from anyone else’s. It wouldn’t be so divisive otherwise. So, let’s have a little trust in the audience that we’ll know Zack Snyder’s Batman from Matt Reeves’. That we’ll be able to discern the Snyder Verse from anything else DC is doing. You can both move forward and revel in this universe at the same time. Trust us! We’ll get it!
Chapter 3: Freedom
It’s been a wild ride and nothing about it has been conventional. You took the long road, Warner Bros. This wasn’t clean from the start. It wasn’t Marvel’s perfectly planned out lead up to The Avengers. You don’t have a successful model to lean on. Use it to your advantage.
You want to release Justice League 2 on HBO Max in a ten episode series? Do it. You want to release Justice League 2 in theaters after airing a Batman mini series explaining what happened between Batman and Jared Leto’s Joker in the past? We’ll fucking eat it up.
There should be nothing off the table here and what do you have to lose? The past few years have been so fucked up, there is no precedent. Let’s get wild. Let’s be in the fucking drivers seat this time. Instead of trying to please an un-pleasable crowd, let’s lean in to what makes us different and forge a new path. Let’s restore the Snyder verse.
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