Let’s discuss all the changes that were made to Superman’s character in the Snyder Cut version of Justice League.
Justice League was supposed to be DC’s trump card that was supposed to take the DCEU to its rightful place in the industry. Zack Snyder was the man in charge who was going to make it happen and he had a brilliant plan on how he was going to do so. He was almost successful when he nearly completed shooting the Justice League movie but was unable to finish it due to a tragedy in his family. The torch that was supposed to light up DCEU’s future was passed on to Joss Whedon and he completely altered Snyder’s work to suit more of his vision. The drastic changes that he made deteriorated the movie and ruined almost every single character. While there can be no comparison between ruins he caused, Superman’s character is believed to be the worst-hit character of all. Fortunately, the Snyder cut of the movie which was released on March 18, fixed these changes and Superman returned to his former glory.
The Changes
Henry Cavil made his debut in the DCEU with 2013’s Man of Steel as a dark, smoldering man trying to find his place among others. He struggles in fitting in with others due to his god-like powers which later motivates him to save others and fight for those who can’t fight for themselves. His serious demeanor took a stupid and jokier turn in Whedon’s Justice League but that nightmare is finally over. The series of changes that made it possible are listed below:-
The Moustache Menace
Henry Cavil, due to being greatly popular was working on multiple projects which included Mission Impossible: Fallout, during the filming of Whedon’s reshoots. He had been growing a mustache for his role in MI6 that he was not allowed to shave and so CGI had to be used in order to hide it. The poorly used CGI in 2017’s Justice League became one of the leading causes that made the fans hate the theatrical cut of the movie. During Snyder’s reshoots, Cavil had to such boundation which helped in fixing one of the major issues that ruined the character in the original movie.
Clark’s Changed Nature
The Clark and Lois reunion scene of the Whedon cut was overflowing with awkward and cringe comedy which completely deprived the scene of its highlighted severeness which was supposed to signify the great change in the story, i.e. Superman’s resurrection. However, the reunion scene in Snyder Cut restored the impact of the scene and brilliantly highlighted Superman’s return to his senses after seeing Lois, giving an emotional and touchy edge to the scene. Clark’s new mindset also helps him make peace with his role in society and adds up to his motivation to do good because that’s the right thing to do, rather than being a flash symbol of hope. This became clear when he chooses the Black suit, symbolizing a normal man doing good, instead of his sparkly red and blue suit which made him more prone to spectatorship. Superman’s behavior is somewhat goofy in the Whedon cut of Justice League making him crack jokes with Bruce and race with Barry all while in mid-battle, which is the last thing to expect from a godlike hero. Snyder’s Superman was more focused and dedicated himself to taking down Steppenwolf.
The Final Battle: Motivation and Sense of Responsibility
2017’s Justice League features a Superman who is in no rush to jump back into business despite knowing that the Earth’s in danger. He ultimately joins the battle after Lois tells him to do so. His decision to join the battle was also meant to be an act, a token of thanks to Bruce for bringing him back to life. Contradictorily, Snyder Cut’s Superman acknowledges his responsibility and he himself figures out that the League must have brought him back to life for a reason, and then rushes into action after getting a new suit.
The changes in the two versions are so obvious yet so significant. These small changes clearly explain why the fans wanted Snyder’s work to be released so badly. Thanks to Zack Snyder, fans finally got the mighty Superman that they deserved.
