What James Gunn and Peter Safran plan to do with the DC Universe is Hollywood's most interesting story. Yet, one detail being overlooked is that fans of the Snyderverse, as it's known, came closer than anyone realized to "restoring" the DC storylines set up by Zack Snyder's Justice League. The same report that said Wonder Woman 3 from Patty Jenkins isn't going forward revealed that two Warner Bros. Discovery executives were keen on keeping the DC Universe on the big screen going, at least for a little while. In fact, since nothing is set in stone, it's possible that some version of this universe does continue in the future.
Gunn played very well inside of it in The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker. As recently as October, WB heads Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy wanted more from the Snyderverse heroes. A Man of Steel 2 was reportedly in development, as well as Jenkins' third Wonder Woman film. WB wanted this to build one last Justice League team-up, with it perhaps being a chance to go out on a high note. While there was no mention of Zack Snyder's return, a key demand from the fans who want to "Restore the Synderverse," they almost got more of what they wanted than anyone expected.
Why 'Release the Snyder Cut' Succeeded Where 'Restore the Snyderverse' Failed
Were it not for the COVID-19 pandemic, Zack Snyder's Justice League may not have been released. A confluence of unlikely circumstances resulted in the director finally being able to deliver his vision of the much-maligned Justice League theatrical version directed by Joss Whedon. From the director's own admission, his cut would've needed millions of dollars and months of work to be truly finished, making its release unlikely. So, no one can really blame Snyder's fans for, after this victory, seeing how much more they could force DC to do.
Yet, things started to come out. Whedon's behavior on set allegedly crossed the line to harassment, with Cyborg actor Ray Fisher being the most vocal about the director's behavior and the lack of satisfaction in the investigation that followed. Ben Affleck also told The New York Times filming Justice League was a nightmare, calling staying in the role a threat to his sobriety. Snyder himself seems to have moved on, happily over at Netflix making films like Rebel Moon. And a report earlier in the year found that the online Snyder Cut campaign was artificially bolstered by "bot" accounts.
Still, even without the continued campaign, the fans online have made enough noise that it reached the highest levels of Warner Bros. Pictures. De Luca and Abdy wanted "one more go-round," according to THR.com. Yet, Gunn and Safran may not try to do a full reboot, either. However, no matter what happens with the Snyderverse, the man behind it may not even want to return to DC.
Zack Snyder May Not Want to Come Back to Warner Bros. or DC Studios
The characters in the DC Universe are established, and most of the actors associated with them are popular. Changing tone or direction isn't that difficult, but perhaps harder than some thought, as Wonder Woman 1984 proved. Still, even if Gunn and Safran are working towards a clean slate, both The Flash and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom promise two last adventures with some of them. However, at no point in any of Warner Bros. Discovery's plans was Zack Snyder set to return, and that's the dealbreaker.
The most insistent Snyderverse fans demand not just the return of Snyder but also other things like the Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad or Affleck's abandoned Batman film. Snyder seems content in his own universes, recently finishing filming Rebel Moon for Netflix. But there may be reasons beyond just "how WB does business" keeping him away. There are also no box office worries at Netflix, whereas even stars like the Rock are having a tough time post-COVID. Of course, Gunn and Snyder are longtime colleagues, so the former likely knows the latter's thinking better than most. Still, despite all the reasons against it, fans who wanted the old DC Universe to continue were very close to getting much of what they wanted.