One of the most anticipated films this year is, ironically, not a new film at all, but a director’s cut. Possibly one of the most talked about pieces of media this year, it’s been hard to go anywhere without hearing the buzz. For those who have been living under a rock, however, here’s a quick recap.
Justice League was a DCEU film released in 2017, to a lukewarm reception from both critics and fans. This wasn’t helped by the numerous behind the scenes problems, in which original director Zach Snyder was replaced by Joss Whedon. Time would also make things even worse, as Whedon has been accused of abusive behavior by many individuals, most notably Ray Fisher and Charisma Carpenter.
Now, Zach Snyder is back in the reins, as many fans throughout the years have called for his vision to be put forward, which has only spurred forward in recent days. However, there have also been multiple people who have not taken well to the recent announcement, many believing it to be frivolous or criticizing the fan culture surrounding it. Both takes, I feel, lack nuance.
I personally am torn. On one hand, I am a creator myself, and seeing creators of any status getting a chance to put their vision forward is exciting. And I cannot deny, people do seem to want this. Especially Ray Fisher, the actor who has played Cyborg. Given how much he has gone through recently, I’d argue that no one can deny him this.
But we must also make certain that things do not get too out of hand. There have been multiple people who have spoken about toxic fan culture surrounding the project, and how it might affect creators in the future. Of course, not all Snyder fans are like this, but like the Minecraft fandom drama earlier this year, we must make sure to hold those who are toxic accountable.
I personally, have a mixed view with Snyder’s work on the DCEU. I enjoyed Man of Steel for what it was, although I felt that the character of Superman was off. Batman V Superman had some nice ideas, but I felt that it was too jumbled to make sense of. And of course, on the original Justice League, I found it shallow, and ultimately, not satisfying.
But do I really need to personally like it? I’d argue not. While the DCEU is undoubtedly not the most consistent with quality, I feel that it is needed, to work as a counterbalance. The darker tone of the earlier two movies may be off-putting to some, but I’d argue that there should be some dark superhero movies, in order to make sure that the Marvel style isn’t the only one out there. The quality can be debated, and rightly so, but I’d argue that there should be some variety, so the genre feels fresh.
The Synder Cut has a long and complicated history, and I have a long and complicated opinion. But no one, both fans and those who aren’t, can deny that this will be a topic of discussion for years to come.
