Justice League's Deleted Superman Scenes, Explained

Justice League has finally arrived on home video. And while many of this who bought the digital downloaded of the film found themselves unable to access the advertised deleted scenes, others have been able to view them without an issue. However, unlike most home video releases that feature a multitude of cut scenes, in the end there are only two for Justice League, and they both revolve around the return of Henry Cavill's Superman.

Both deleted scenes fit right into the final half hour of the film and address how Superman gears up to join the fray, which occurs just after Batman and the League use a Mother Box as a defibrillator to bring the Kryptonian back from the dead in the hopes he'll help them stop Steppenwolf, finally giving fans the hero that they've clamored for since 2013's Man of Steel.

The first scene focuses on Clark wandering the halls of the fallen Kryptonian ship being stored and monitored by the government. The ship more or less acts as his Fortress of Solitude, and we see him walking through a chamber, clearly looking for something. As he passes by, pod doors open. In the first one we see a Kryptonian exo-suit used for exploring other planets, similar to what Zod (Michael Shannon) wore in Man of Steel. Clark ignores this pod, then shoots a fleeting glance at a second, which is where we see the iconic black Superman suit which the hero wore when he returned from the dead in the '90s in the comic world.

What does catch his eye though is a third door which opens, and while we don't see what it reveals, the blinding light teases it's quite possibly a replica of Superman's suit that was damaged in the fight against Doomsday. This is confirmed as we cut to him in his iconic blue-and-yellow costume, exiting the chamber and ready for flight. Given that Hans Zimmer's Man of Steel theme is playing and the lack of mustache-gate present on Cavill's face, this is clearly a Snyder scene. Also, from the flannel shirt Clark's wearing as he roams the ship, this scene appears to fit in just after he, Lois and Martha reconnect in the corn field outside his home in Smallville, where Lois reminded him that while they were grateful to have him back, he needed to go help Batman's team, ergo why he had to go looking for a suit.

The second scene presumably takes place right after Superman suits up, and just before he physically joins the Justice League in the final confrontation against Steppenwolf. Here, we see Superman meeting a stunned Alfred (Jeremy Irons). “I’m assuming you’re Alfred,” he says, walking confidently into Batman’s lair as Alfred is working on a vehicle. “Master Kent,” the butler replies in shock. “He said you’d come. Now let’s hope you’re not too late.”

This bonus sequence, first witnessed at the end of the San Diego Comic Con trailer, really doesn’t add much to the film, but it does clarify that Alfred was indeed chatting with the Kryptonian and not a Green Lantern or Supergirl, as previously speculated. This may well be where Superman collects his information from Alfred on the whereabouts of the League, who are at an abandoned nuclear facility in Russia, and details about the invaders from Apokolips and their purpose.

While most agree that final cut of the film was very disjointed, these scenes help smooth out the story of Superman's journey in the film, and hint at what Justice League could have been before the film was massively retooled by Whedon and Warner Bros. -- which recent rumors frame as a pseudo-firing of Snyder. Nonetheless, while we may never know what Snyder's final vision would have looked like, through these deleted scenes we do get somewhat of an idea.

Now available on digital HD and March 13 on Blu-ray and DVD, Justice League stars Ben Affleck as Batman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Henry Cavill as Superman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Ezra Miller as The Flash, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Ciarán Hinds as Steppenwolf, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor and J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon.