Was Zack Snyder's Justice League successful? Details explored as DC prepares to start a new chapter
Zack Snyder's Justice League was the director's version of the originally released 2017 version of the film. In 2013 with his film Man of Steel, Zack Snyder kickstarted the DC Extended Universe saga.
However, the DCEU lacked cohesiveness which led to a string of box office failures starting with Justice League (2017). Zack Snyder departed the production due to creative differences and personal issues, which led to Joss Whedon (director of The Avengers) taking over. The version that was released in 2017 was Whedon's edit, which altered Zack's original film in a lot of ways.
The 2021 director's cut received much more critical acclaim and remains a fan favorite although DC is rebooting its entire superheroverse, under the leadership of James Gunn and Peter Safran. While the DCU is rebooting itself with the release of Superman in 2025, Snyder's Justice League remains largely popular.
Why are there two Justice League versions?
The reasons for the two versions of Justice League are quite complicated. The DCEU universe was being spearheaded by Zack Snyder who had already directed Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Batman v Superman was not as successful as the Warner Brothers studio had hoped for. However, Snyder had a vision for the characters and had filmed the majority of the Justice League. He had to depart due to his daughter's untimely death.
Joss Whedon took over and reshot a majority of Snyder's film while changing plotlines too. His version of the film was released by Warner Bros. and received harsh criticism owing to his treatment of the characters.
Fans called for Snyder's version of the film to be released and spurred a major social media movement with the actors of the film joining in too. Snyder and his wife informed viewers via a livestream in 2020 that HBO Max would debut the "Snyder Cut" in 2021. The four-hour film was split into six parts plus an epilogue during its release. Synder's version has been very popular among fans and remains the popular version of the film, rather than Whedon's.
What is different about Zack Snyder's Justice League?
Zack Snyder's version of the film and Joss Whedon's initial version of the film are very different. Firstly, the Snyder cut is 242 minutes long as compared to Whedon's 120-minute long film.
Without providing spoilers, a major difference between the two versions is that Snyder's version is much grittier and the characters are present in a more ominous environment. Snyder centered the plot of his film around Cyborg (Ray Fisher) while Whedon had severely limited his role.
The Snyder Cut also rectified a major criticizing point in the original release, where Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) was objectified. In Synder's cut, she is presented more fiercely.
Another major improvement in Snyder's version was Steppenwolf's treatment; his looks were also changed. Snyder's version also introduced major characters omitted from the film's original release.
Was Justice League (2017) a success?
The 2017 version of the film is not considered a success. It did gross a total of $657.9 million against an estimated $300 million budget, according to Box Office Mojo. However, the break-even point was estimated at $750 million and according to Deadline Hollywood, the film resulted in a net loss of $60 million for Warner Bros.
The 2017 film was not only a financial loss, but it also severely damaged the DCEU with a scattered portrayal of characters and a rushed plotline. The film strayed away too much from Snyder's original vision and resulted in what critics call a 'Frankenstein film' (two different directors with competing visions).
Zack Snyder's Justice League is currently available for streaming on Max.