Zack Snyder Calls Cyborg ‘The Heart’ of His ‘Justice League,’ Drops Joker and Deathstroke Hints

The director previewed his upcoming 4-hour HBO Max movie during IGN’s Fan Fest

Photo: HBO Max

The release of “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” is just a few weeks away, and the director previewed what fans can expect from the four-hour cut when it debuts on HBO Max next month.

In a video interview for IGN’s Fan Fest on Saturday, Snyder confirmed the film is 100% done and clocks in at a whopping “four hours and a few minutes with credit.”

Although it’s an ensemble film that features Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Aquaman and the Flash, Snyder said that Ray Fisher’s Cyborg scenes are the ones he’s looking most forward to fans seeing.

“His whole arc and journey are so important,” Snyder explained. “He’s the heart of the movie, the lynchpin, everything turns on him, the stakes that are presented to him and the events that befall him.” Synder also seemed saddened by the news that the character won’t be seen in later films because “there’s plenty of story left for Cyborg.”

Snyder also talked about the inclusion of Jared Leto’s Joker and Joe Manganiello’s Deathstroke.

Leto’s Joker, who had a limited appearance in “Suicide Squad,” will appear as part of a post-apocalyptic sequence with Ben Affleck’s Batman. “We always wanted him to be in the nightmare reality,” Snyder said. “When I talked to Jared and he was interested in doing this, it was not an opportunity I could pass up.” Joker looks a bit different in Snyder’s cut — he has long hair, no face tattoos and smeared lipstick similar to Heath Ledger’s portrayal. Don’t expect it to be too long; Snyder described the sequence as “relatively minimal” but “does what I need it to do for the story.”

Deathstroke will also have ties to Batman. “He and Batman have struck some sort of deal, they have a bit of a partnership, there’s a bigger enemy,” Snyder said. “They’re not locked in mortal combat; they’re working together.”

Another complex relationship he teased is between the villains Steppenwolf and Darkseid. Darkseid didn’t appear in the theatrical “Justice League” cut but plays the role of the big baddie in Snyder’s cut. “Steppenwolf and Darkseid’s relationship is very complicated. Some things happened in the past and there’s a bunch of issues between them and it all plays out,” he teased.

As for other hints, Snyder teased Martian Manhunter making an appearance but remained quiet about the appearance of another female Justice League member.

Throughout the interview, Snyder said that potential follow-ups to his cut “don’t look like they’re going to happen.” He confirmed that he had intended for the story to be a three-movie arc, with the second taking place in the post-apocalyptic world where Batman encounters the Joker described above. While he said his version doesn’t encompass any future movies, it does end in a “massive cliffhanger.”

When asked by a fan if he’d do “Justice League 2” if HBO Max offered him the money, he wryly said, “I would believe it if I see it, but I’d be happy to cross that bridge.”

Finally, Snyder teased a black and white version of the film called “Justice Is Gray” that will be on HBO Max, but did not announce any further details. He also revealed that he shot in the 1.43:1 ratio in hopes that the movie will be released in IMAX theaters once conditions permit, adding “to me the ultimate version is the black and white IMAX version.”

He ended by thanking all the fans who supported #ReleaseTheSnyderCut but saying, “This is a slightly unique circumstance but it does tell us you can trust the fans, the audience, to have good taste and be smart and have what they want. That’s an important lesson.”

“Zack Snyder’s Justice League” releases on HBO Max on March 18.

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