Cyborg was practically cut out of Joss Whedon's Justice League, but in Zack Snyder's version, he's the heart and soul of the whole team. Ray Fisher's Cyborg stands out in Zack Snyder's Justice League (ZSJL), with his character being fleshed out and important details finally hitting the screen. ZSJL was a vast improvement on Whedon's version, and Cyborg was one of the main reasons for its success.
Ray Fisher's allegations against Joss Whedon and other bigwigs at Warner Brothers remain an important topic, but at the very least, his character was definitely done a disservice in the 2017 Justice League. It was nice to have a real backstory for Victor Stone and Snyder crafted a beautiful arc for the character, which Ray Fisher played wonderfully. There are still a lot of questions to be answered but there are many reasons why the Cyborg was saved in ZSJL.
10 His Relationship With His Father, Silas Stone
To say that Victor Stone, aka Cyborg, has a strained relationship with his father would be a massive understatement. His father, Silas, is the head scientist at Star Labs and worked on the crashed Superman ship. He studied alien technology and used a Mother Box to bring Victor back to life. Victor, who blames his father for his mother's death, starts off the film trapped in his dad's apartment and upset that his dad turned him into a machine. Silas tries to explain that turning him into a cyborg was the only way Victor could stay alive. Eventually, Silas allows Victor and the Justice League to sneak into the alien ship and buys them time to revive Superman. In a heartwrenching scene, Silas sacrifices himself to show where Steppenwolf's base is, redeeming himself in his son's eyes.
9 His Good Heart Shines Through
Comic book readers already knew that Cyborg is not only a great hero, but is a good man. Unfortunately, casual viewers didn't fully understand Cyborg in Joss Whedon's Justice League, due to his role being significantly cut. Although he is angry with his father at first, he listens to his recordings and tries to understand what he truly is.
While learning about his capabilities, Victor stumbles upon a single mother who is a hard worker but can't get ahead of her bills and rent. She's barely making any money as a waitress and is being evicted from her apartment. Victor uses his new powers to add a lot of money to her account, proving that he may be half a machine but he's still got a good heart.
8 Bonding With The Justice League, Especially Barry & Diana
Cyborg is well respected and admired by his fellow heroes in the comic books, so it was nice seeing his relationships come to fruition in Zack Snyder's Justice League. Perhaps a bit standoffish at first, Victor eventually decides to help the team, which started with his talk with Diana. She knows he has been through a lot but that he has abilities now and should use them for good. He also has a strong bond with Barry, with whom he is closest in age, and shares a fist bump after they defeat Steppenwolf. Cyborg also shares a few really nice scenes with Aquaman and Batman later in the movie, including Batman telling Cyborg he was born to fly. He clearly became the heart of the Justice League and connected the group in more ways than one.
7 He's Alive In The Knightmare Future
Batman's Knightmare sequence is explored in-depth in ZSJL, with Cyborg being one of the few still alive and helping Batman in his fight against Darkseid and evil Superman. As Batman says, "clear," Cyborg comes out of the shadows along with Mera, Barry, and Deathstroke. Eventually, the Joker makes his presence felt too, but something seems a little off about Cyborg.
Perhaps he knows what to expect because he saw that vision when he connected to the Mother Box. He's also shown with a sheet over him and carrying something in a big case, which many think could be parts of the cosmic treadmill. Eventually, evil Superman locates the group and Cyborg says, "He found us." Cyborg removes the sheet to expose a huge gun attached to his body but also that big case (which unfortunately isn't opened). Readying his weapons to fight, Cyborg's fear on his face told a better story than any words could.
6 His Football Career & School Life
It was really cool seeing Victor playing football for Gotham City University and earning the "victory" for his team. The whole sequence was beautifully shot, with the snow falling during the game, and showed Victor's passion for success. An earlier scene with his mom and the Dean of GCU explains that Victor hacked into the school's system to change his friend's grades because she lost her whole family and wasn't able to study. It was clear from this sequence that Victor didn't just strive to be a standout athlete, but that he cared about the people around him and would do anything to help them. That was a trait that would help make him a great hero later in the film.
5 His Bond With His Mom & Their Accident
The relationship between Victor and his mom was another beautiful yet tragic moment during the film. His mom really believed in him as a student and as an athlete, but even more so as a human being. In the aforementioned scene with his mother and the Dean, Victor's mom is proud that he helped his friend who was in mourning. She knew the school or the Dean wouldn't help so he took it into his own hands. The emotion on Victor's mom's face when he scores the touchdown is great, as she cries tears of joy and stands proud. Although his dad didn't make the game, his mom tried to tell him that Silas has a hard time showing he cares and that he's always busy. Sadly, while his mom is explaining this, another car hits them, killing her, and changing Victor forever.
4 Unlimited Power & Crazy Tech
Cyborg's power was brushed over in the 2017 Justice League so to see him tap into his powers in ZSJL was amazing. The fact that he can talk to any type of machine and has technology lightyears ahead of what's available these days showed his unlimited power. Cyborg may not have the strength of Wonder Woman or Superman, but he's still really strong and has the potential to hack into any kind of technology.
His father tells him that his abilities will allow him to control nuclear missiles or change anyone's finances, saying it will be as simple as a "child's plaything." Cyborg also has awesome guns he can make out of his machine parts and even has a defense system, which turns on while Superman scans his body. His super strength, along with the ability to control other machines and fly, made him a true player on a team full of gods.
3 His Connection To The Mother Box
The Mother Boxes turned out to be really cool MacGuffins in Zack Snyder's Justice League, with Cyborg's connection to them being explored in depth. After Victor's accident, Silas harnessed the power of the Mother Boxes to keep his son alive and gave him new powers during the process. Keeping the Mother Box and Victor hid in his apartment, Silas is constantly working to learn about his son's new abilities. Eventually, Cyborg successfully connects to the alien ship and the Mother Box, bringing Superman back to life but see's a future world where Darkseid has burned everything to the ground. Victor is then able to break up the unity of the Mother Boxes, keeping Darkseid from coming to Earth... for the time being.
2 Has Some Of The Best Quotes In The Film
There's usually not a lot of humor in the DCEU, but there were still some funny moments throughout the film. Each member of the Justice League has at least one humorous moment, but it was Cyborg's dry humor that truly stood out. When Barry asks Victor about Wonder Woman liking a younger guy, Victor responds perfectly with, "She's 5,000 years old, Barry... every guy is a younger guy." Then, later on when Diana says, "let's get dressed," Victor zips off his sweatshirt and says, "I'm always dressed." At the very least, they're way better than just "Boo-Yeah."
1 Ray Fisher's Acting Performance
It's a shame that Ray Fisher was treated unjustly on the set of Joss Whedon's Justice League because his performance in ZSJL was perfect. Cyborg is a complex character, and the movie needed an actor who could be dramatic, funny, tough, smart, and full of heart. Fisher's range was truly shown, as he went from an angry machine at the beginning to a good-natured person and a full-blown superhero by the end. He could make anyone laugh with his quick one-liners, pump their fist when he fought off Steppenwolf, or tear up when he lost his parents. Ray Fisher deserves a lot of credit for the great reviews of Zack Snyder's Justice League.