The Justice League released in theaters in 2017 was not, rather infamously, the film director Zack Snyder intended to make. The odds were firmly against him, with nervous studio executives following the tepid reception for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad, followed by a family tragedy that led Snyder to step aside and Joss Whedon to finish production.
What followed were extensive reshoots, resulting in an edit radically different from Snyder's vision, complete with force-fitted humor, a Superman with a badly touched up top lip, and a plot that seemed to be missing something. Following Justice League's disastrous theatrical release, the #ReleasetheSnyderCut campaign was born, prompted by dedicated fans who believe Snyder's original vision is the movie they deserve, and partly fueled by the release of the alternative cut of Batman v Superman.
As the campaign gained momentum, celebrities chimed in on social media and the buzz grew. But despite all the talk, there’s little indication that a Snyder Cut could actually see the light of day. The decision ultimately rests firmly in the hands of Warner Bros. And so far, executives don't seem to be budging. But there's now an elephant in the room that could streamline the release of the Snyder Cut.
May 2020 sees the launch of WarnerMedia's new streaming service, HBO Max. The platform has already announced it will host a selection of the movies in the so-called DC Extended Universe, plus an ambitious slate of original content. So, what if HBO Max threw its hat (and money) into the ring in answer to fans' calls for justice? Releasing the Snyder Cut on the platform would grab headlines, bringing the streaming service welcome publicity, even if the film is in an unfinished state.
With Wonder Woman 1984 hitting theaters in June, it would make sense for HBO Max to capitalize on that film’s likely success with something set in the same fictional universe that will receive substantial fan attention. The decision could also potentially set up the streaming service as even more heroic than Superman.
In the information age, the entertainment -- and particularly streaming -- market is highly saturated. "Content fatigue" is a real concern, with so much to choose from that studios find it increasingly difficult to produce entertainment that viewers want to see. It's relatively common for modern consumers to spend nearly as much time sifting through viewing options as they do actually watching them.
Ideas are at a premium, and the general public has an extremely low tolerance for movies or series they don't find relevant. So, doesn't it make sense to put content online that sells itself? Fans have been asking for the Snyder Cut since 2017, virtually immediately following Justice League's theatrical release.
The Snyder Cut has achieved mythical status. It's rare that the demand for production on any streaming service is there before it's even been announced (or in this case, may not even exist in its entirety). If word got out that the long-awaited cut was available on any streaming platform, viewers would flock to it -- like a modern-day version of Field of Dreams' So, the question right now should not be, "Will it ever be released?" but "Why hasn't it been released?"
May is still a few months away and potential subscribers are hoping to be impressed with HBO Max. And while there’s no guarantee the Snyder Cut will ever be released, 2020 seems like a fairly logical time and place for it to happen.