One of the year's biggest successes for HBO Max and Warner Bros. came in the unlikely form of Zack Snyder's Justice League. Much of the criticism of the theatrical cut was the short shrift many characters got. While there were many things that fans had problems with, the inconsistent portrayals in the theatrical release were among the worst.
Many characters saw their roles expanded in the Snyder Cut that came out on HBO Max. With two more hours of running time, the expansion of some characters naturally meant some actors got to shine. Some performances were weaker, although they were still stronger than in the theatrical cut in most cases.
10 Fell Short: Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman
Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman really suffered from the story of Justice League. The theatrical cut suffered from rewrites that drastically hurt a character that had her own phenomenal portrayal earlier that year. The Snyder Cut suffered not from rewrites but a script written by a drastically different writer than her solo film.
While not a horrible performance, Gal Gadot simply struggles to bring the same emotion and purpose that she brought to her solo film. With such amazing performances and focus shared with the rest of the cast, the spotlight just didn't shine her way very much. As such, she comes across as a supporting character in a story where she should be a strong part of the core of the team.
9 Nailed It: Diane Lane as Not-Quite Martha Kent
Diane Lane's performance as Martha Kent was already a shining light in the theatrical cut. The Snyder Cut unexpectedly gave her a second role after visiting Lois Lane. She was the Martian Manhunter disguised as Martha Kent.
Lane portrays Martha Kent as having one purpose during that scene, getting Lois out of her mourning. As was revealed, she wasn't actually Martha Kent. After walking away from the door, she transforms into the Martian Manhunter who, as revealed by Zack Snyder, has all along been steering Superman and Lois where they need to be.
8 Fell Short: Amy Adams as Lois Lane
Amy Adams portrayed a character almost unrecognizable to comics fans. A lot of this comes from the script. Her character just reacts to things around her. Of course, in the beginning, she does an admirable job of portraying someone trying to go through the stages of grief.
Unfortunately, after showing up to snap Superman out of his resurrection madness, she simply exists. She fades away for Martha to embrace her son again, and from there, the portrayal simply vanishes. It's an adequate job from an accomplished actress, just not standing out in the crowd.
7 Nailed It: Joe Manganiello as Deathstroke
In the theatrical release, Joe Manganiello had no lines and served very little purpose as far as the plot was concerned. It was more of a cameo for the sake of a cameo. His role could have been played by anyone portraying any character.
In the Snyder Cut, his role is expanded, and Joe Manganiello runs with it. He portrays Deathstroke as a man who's the best mercenary in the world and out to prove it. He ran with the role and for the brief period that he was on screen, transformed into a villain from the comics completely.
6 Fell Short: Harry Kennix as Martian Manhunter
While it was a cameo that roused hope in the fans that would go on to push Warner Bros. to "restore the Snyder-verse," the Martian Manhunter as performed by Harry Kennix fell short of a great performance. It's overshadowed by Diane Lane essentially playing the same role. None of what Diane Lane showed came through in Kennix's performance.
A lot of the reasoning behind the character's appearance comes from Zack Snyder after the fact. That is all weakness in the script, but not the performance. The character came across as less impressive than the revamped Steppenwolf because Kennix didn't make the part something to be remembered past a cameo.
5 Nailed It: Jeremy Irons as Alfred
Jeremy Irons brings wry humor to Batman's confidant. In his prior appearance, he delivered most of the humorous lines in an otherwise grim story. In doing so, he was the audience's collective conscience.
In the Snyder Cut, he provides the same role but does a little bit more. He helps give the Batwing a story arc, which is hard to do in a film already dense with characters. Ever the consummate professional, he does all of it impeccably.
4 Fell Short: Kiersey Clemons as Iris West
This really isn't Kiersey Clemons' fault. Her character was not given room to breathe or develop, even in a film over four hours long. In her brief time on screen, she had to help establish the budding relationship between Iris and Barry.
Instead, most of that was provided by Ezra Miller in the process of saving her. It is possible that better moments were left on the proverbial cutting room floor. If so, it really isn't her fault that the performance fell flat.
3 Nailed It: Ezra Miller as the Flash
In the theatrical release, Ezra Miller's personality came across as naïve. In the Snyder Cut, it became exuberance and cautious confidence. This Flash knows how to use his powers and can do things with them that the theatrical cut didn't show.
A lot of this comes from Miller himself. He portrays the resolve of a superhero that while powerful, is among the most vulnerable of the League. When Flash is injured during the final battle with Steppenwolf, the tension becomes palpable, and that comes from how Ezra Miller sells it.
2 Fell Short: Willem Dafoe as Vulko
Poor Vulko exists in the Snyder Cut to get Aquaman where he needs to be. Willem Dafoe spends his time haranguing Aquaman, shouting every line. Even when conveying the needed information about Atlantis's Mother Box, he delivers it in the same way.
Dafoe is a better actor than this. This portrayal has none of the maniacal range that he brought in Spider-Man and a fraction of what he's brought to other roles. A more nuanced portrayal is possible, proven in Aquaman, which followed the theatrical release of Justice League.
1 Nailed It: Joe Morton as Silas Stone
Hands down, the best performance in the Snyder Cut comes from Joe Morton. His role was massively expanded. He's integral to the plot and in his most pivotal scene, he sacrifices himself to give the Justice League a way to find Steppenwolf. It's a moment that shows one of the true heroes in the story.
In this scene, everything is put into perspective. Silas puts his own wellbeing aside to save the world. This sets the example for his son, and it gives Cyborg a personal stake in defeating Steppenwolf. Unfortunately, this was not the performance fans saw in the theaters, but it should have been.