Ben Affleck as Batman in 2017’s Justice League.
Warner Bros.
The four-hour behemoth that is Zack Snyder’s Justice League is slowly but surely setting itself apart from the theatrical version released in 2017. Not only does it contain new footage, but Snyder promised his cut of the film would have enough “violence” and “profanity” to earn an R-rating.
“Here’s one piece of information nobody knows: The movie is insane and so epic and is probably rated R — that’s one thing I think will happen, that it will be an R-rated version, for sure,” Snyder told Entertainment Weekly. “We haven’t heard from the MPAA, but that’s my gut.”
When asked what exactly those explicit additions will be, Snyder said, “There’s one scene where Batman drops an F-bomb. Cyborg is not too happy with what’s going on with his life before he meets the Justice League and he tends to speak his mind. And Steppenwolf is pretty much just hacking people in half.”
“So [the rating would be due to] violence and profanity, probably both.”
Snyder revealed he’s also in talks with Warner Bros. to release the superhero ensemble blockbuster in theaters, as well as on the WarnerMedia-owned HBO Max. “I’m a huge fan and a big supporter of the cinematic experience and we’re already talking about Justice League playing theatrically at the same time it’s coming to HBO Max.”
But he also criticized Warner Bros.’ stunning decision to release its entire slate of films in 2021 on HBO Max the same day as theaters.
“It felt like a pretty bold move and that maybe the implication wasn’t 100 percent thought out,” Snyder said. “I feel like there’s a lot of people panicking during COVID. I hope that, in the end, that’s what this was — some sort of knee-jerk to COVID and not some sort of greater move to disrupt the theatrical experience.”
In 2017, Snyder departed Justice League after a family tragedy, leaving Joss Whedon to finish the film. Fans unhappy with the result campaigned for a Snyder cut and in early 2020 WarnerMedia decided to take on the project — with the visual effects, score, editing and additional shooting adding up to a hefty $70 million. New footage includes Affleck and Fisher, with the final product to be released as a “four-part event series.”
Zack Snyder’s Justice League is set to hit HBO Max (and possibly theaters) in 2021.
