Zack Snyder Thanks Fans for Justice League Snyder Cut Billboard at NYCC

As the campaign for the ‘Snyder Cut’ of Justice League continues to rage, Zack Snyder once again thanks fans for their continued efforts. Snyder served as the original architect of the DCEU, kicking off the franchise by helming 2013’s Man of Steel. He returned later to direct Batman v Superman, which notably cast Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman, as well as many of the characters that would go on to serve as DC’s titular team. They would all band together in what was initially supposed to be a two-part movie before being condensed into the solo outing. Unfortunately, due to tragic real-life circumstances, Snyder stepped down midway into production. Joss Whedon (The Avengers) was chosen to replace him, completely overhauling the script Snyder had co-written with Chris Terrio (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker) and overseeing extensive reshoots.

Justice League ultimately premiered to lackluster reviews and a wholly underwhelming return at the box office. Since then, Warner Bros. has switched tactics with their DC films – offering more standalone, character-driven stories such as the newly-released Joker and infinitely lighter blockbuster fare like Aquaman. The move has already begun to pay dividends, with Joker winning the coveted Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival en-route to a plausible Oscar run and Aquaman earning over a billion at the box office. Despite that, and the fact it’s coming up on two years later, a large portion of fans continue to campaign for the release of Snyder’s original vision for the Justice League film.

The latest efforts are currently taking place at New York Comic Con – with fans even going as far as to club together to pay for two billboards. One bears the usual hashtag used by the movement. The other, meanwhile, bears an image of Snyder himself. It is coupled with a quote from the director which is often used as proof of Snyder’s original film being all-but ready to go – stating that he “has a cut” and that “it’s done“. Snyder recently caught wind of the latest efforts, and personally took to Vero to thank the fans responsible, labeling the passion “truly amazing” and “humbling“. A screenshot of the full post can be seen in the space below:

Snyder himself has frequently added fuel to the fire, intermittently releasing new images and details regarding what his version of the film entailed. As well as promising a significantly expanded role for Ray Fisher’s Cyborg, he has also teased that Wonder Woman would have definitively killed Steppenwolf, who served as the film’s villain. Equally, Snyder also revealed that iconic comic book villain, Darkseid, would have had a significant presence in his film, including a whole section of the movie dedicated to his backstory.  The most recent reveal came courtesy of a storyboard that revealed Martian Manhunter would have had a role in Justice League.

The movement has even garnered a number of celebrity fans in recent months, with both Kevin Smith voicing his support and Deadpool co-creator Rob Liefeld showing solidarity at NYCC. Whatever side of the fence people sit on regarding Justice League – and the idea of the original cut being released – there is no denying the passion of those involved in the campaign. They also undertook similar efforts at San Diego Comic-Con – simultaneously raising thousands for suicide prevention charities. Though it remains unknown whether the campaign will ultimately bear fruit, taking time out to once again express gratitude will no doubt spur fans to continue on with their Justice League mission.