It’s finally here! After over three years of campaigning, using hashtags, tweeting the studio and raising over half a million dollars for the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention, it finally came.
On Thursday 18th March 2021, we won. We got the Snyder Cut, and it was as epic and outstanding as I (and I’m sure we) was hoping it would be to the point it was Zack Snyder’s greatest work.
It’s not a clean win as a significant number within the movement were toxic, harassing and treating people. As a people in the movement, we should’ve could it out back then and do better moving forward, especially if we want the Snyderverse to be restored.
Due to the seemingly massive success of Zack Snyder’s Justice League for HBO Max (we need to wait for the official figures), WarnerMedia will have to come together and figure out what to do next.
Despite WarnerMedia’s Studio Chair and CEO Ann Sarnoff putting cold water on any possible future in an interview with Variety, HBO Max can be the home of the Snyderverse.
The critic reaction to the film must’ve taken those in the studio by surprise because they knew were Snyder fans were going to love it. However, the fact it got a 74% (and highest 78%) rating on Rotten Tomatoes, even though it’s meaningless but seems to have an impact, would’ve shocked some top execs.
At the end of the day, if it helps increase the number of subscriptions on HBO Max and the number of views will prove the difference. Because Jason Kilar, who’s CEO of WarnerMedia, would’ve seen the tweets from before Thursday and differently after from fandom will look at the numbers and may have finally found their golden ticket.
Since and before the film’s release, fans have been saying it, but this time around, it would make sense because you’re getting the League itself and the potential of spin-off films and series within this section of the multiverse.
The primary issue for continuing the Snyderverse, especially in the case of Justice League 2, and the wonderful Knightmare world, and the closing chapter of Snyder’s five-film arc, is money.
In a post-pandemic world, it’s going to take studios years to feel confident to spend the money they were before 2020 because both the 2017 Justice League & Zack Snyder’s Justice League cost collectively about $400 million. I can only see WarnerMedia & WB spending half that if cinemas worldwide are at total capacity.
In which case, I won’t hold my breath even though I REALLY want to see the Knightmare world get an entire film and the craziness that would hold.
The test comes later this year with the 25th James Bond, No Time To Die. As the film will need to hit close to or over a billion to recoup the $250 million production budget, the on-off marketing and the built-up interest on the movie while it’s in the vault.
The next step would be Warner Bros releasing The Batman next year and see what the box office return will before planning for the future, and the budget for The Flash is going to be equally important.
Anyway, when it comes to the Snyderverse, WarnerMedia should take a different tack, and this is how it should be done.
Before I start, I want to state Wonder Woman, Aquaman, or The Flash will be part of this as they already have their things happening on the big screen. The only hope Patty Jenkins and Andy Muschietti reference this film for their movies.
Less so James Wan as Zack Snyder’s Justice League ties into Aquaman much stronger than the theatrical cut.
Batman
Warner Bros can have their cake and eat it when it comes to their golden goose, Robert Pattinson can be the big-screen adaptation, while Ben Affleck will be donning the cowl for his final run in the suit for The Flash, it shouldn’t be his last time.
It just doesn’t feel right that Affleck never got the chance to go solo and battle Deathstroke.
This is because of the original end credit scene that set up Slade Wilson hunting down Batman, who’s being manipulated by Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg), believing Bruce Wayne was the man who killed his son.
Which is why HBO Max should make him an offer of doing a three-episode at 90 minutes long mini-series would be perfect.
It would be a trilogy that fans would love with the beauty of longer-form storytelling and cements Affleck as the longest-serving Batman (if you add the potential of JL sequels, he would have played the role eight times).
From a production standpoint, the first episode is already written by Affleck, and he would have a new draft with the knowledge of being a mini-series he can expend on storylines.
This leads me to state that Affleck would be writing/co-writing, executive producer and co-showrunner with Snyder, so he doesn’t have to deal with everything and think about the most important thing, health.
So while it would be great, having Affleck direct would be too much, and that pressure should go to the three other people, and they would be Gavin O’Connor, Gareth Evans and Snyder himself to close the book.
Casting wise, Snyder has one of the greatest eyes for talent in the superhero genre. So I would love to see who could be Robin, Riddler, Two-Face, Catwoman etc, to join Jared Leto’s Joker, Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, and Deathstroke played by Joe Manganiello.
It’s just a shame we’ll never see Affleck’s Bruce interact with Ewan McGregor’s Black Mask.
Additionally, if I’m honest, I want more Batman so we can get more Jeremy Irons Alfred.
As for the budget, HBO Max should be looking at what The Mandalorian costs Disney+, which is reportedly $15 million per episode according to The Washington Post, and at eight episodes, it’s $120 million for the whole series.
So it stands to reason that you could get a terrific Batman mini-series for $80 million.
Cyborg
The next important character to get on HBO Max is Ray Fisher’s Cyborg, and this would be a film because not everything needs to be a series, and sometimes a movie can tell a whole story.
The story itself can follow Zack Snyder’s Justice League beautifully with Victor Stone finally accepting who he is and found a new home; we can see him go out on his known while still missing his family.
This could be where we saw more of Ryan Choi (Kai Zheng), who helps Victor without knowing he’s Silas’ son. This would be the perfect place to see if there is an appetite for a spin-off Atom movie.
As for villains, Cyborg isn’t known for the riches rogues gallery, but looking into it, the two that came to the forefront is Brother Blood and Bobby Zirrozinski.
Deathstroke
A few years ago, after being revealed in the theatrical cut end credits and at the time after Affleck’s Batman, Manganiello would have seemed to continue to expand on the character in his solo film directed by The Raid’s and Gangs of London’s Gareth Evans.
Evans even talked about the film’s plans, firstly being a short runtime of 100-110 minutes. He had some bold ideas that were visual and fun, a more flamboyant fighting style and a bit more stylised and, most importantly, influenced South Korean noir film.
All these things and with Manganiello adding it would’ve cost $40 million, roughly, it seems a no brainer. Especially if you spin it off the Batman mini-series, learning Wayne didn’t have anything to do with his son’s death, Wilson goes on the hunt to find the actual murder.
Man of Steel 2 & Justice League sequels
These three movies would be a fantastic way to close the Snyderverse as it matches his original film-film arc and the bonus of getting one more solo Cavill Superman movie.
With the British actor’s future in the role hanging in the balance with Warner Bros moving forward with the JJ Abrams-produced, Ta-Nehisi Coates written Superman project, they’ll likely bring in a new actor to be the Man of Steel.
The biggest hurdle is the budget for these films because WB isn’t going to put up $200 million of a Man of Steel sequel and about $400 million into both JL sequels to go to a streaming service.
They have to be released in theatres at total capacity and get billion dollars from the box office. Unless No Time To Die successes this year (though incredibly unlikely), it’s simply not going to happen anytime soon.
Zack Snyder reveals the blueprint for his JL sequels that includes seeing the Knightmare world be a reality and a final battle on a level, if not above, Avengers Endgame. You can read the Vanity Fair interview here.
As for a Man of Steel sequel, it would be great to see the For The Man Who Has Everything storyline come to life. We see Clark return to Krypton and see what his life would’ve been if his home planet didn’t explode. We can see most of the Man of Steel cast return, including his version of Supergirl and have a story marrying General Zod’s daughter.
It would be a lovely end to Snyderverse that started and ended with Superman.
I’m sure fans will also want an Atom film and Martian Manhunter series, but I don’t see them being big draws for HBO Max outside the Snyder fans.
What About Animation?
Alternatively, WarnerMedia and Warner Bros could save a hell lot of money moving the Snyderverse from live-action into animation. I don’t believe the fans would mind it, and the whole universe (including MoS2 and JL sequels) could go under the streamers banner.
WB can label it as an Elseworlds story, so don’t have the pressure of confusing general audiences away from the multiverse they’re currently building in live-action.
Additionally, this could benefit by telling more stories. For example, instead of a three-part 90 minute long Batman series, you can have hour-long six to 10 episode series and really dive into this universe’s Gotham.
Then we can see how the Green Lanterns were going to play in this world alongside any other heroes and villains from DC Comics with Snyder’s touch.
All animated projects could be executively produced by Snyder and Jay Oliva (The Dark Knight Returns, multiple DC animated films, Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas), and the bonus of direct some of these projects.
The upside in the costs would be their only major spend would be bringing in the cast to voice their characters, and I’m sure they’d love it as they don’t have to worry about getting crazy superhero fit.
Anyway, what do you think? Do you want to see the Snyderverse? Would you like it to be live-action or animation?
The Bear Cave 
1 comment