Zack Snyder’s original Justice League script was “weirder & darker”

Zack Snyder has been looking back on his original script for his Justice League, remembering the “weirder and darker” version of the movie before Warner Bros got in the way.

The SnyderVerse is one of the most significant (and ongoing) chapters of the modern superhero era. Even after the director realized his vision in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, the fandom’s fight goes on, with many hoping to see his canon restored.

The director’s cut came after 2017’s disastrous theatrical release, but the problems started before Snyder departed from the project after a family tragedy.

Following the iffy reception to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the studio leaned on Snyder to make the next movie “funnier.”

Zack Snyder was forced to change Justice League

During a recent appearance on the Russo Brothers’ Pizza Film School podcast, Snyder recalled Warner Bros’ reaction to BvS failing to connect with audiences. Justice League originally followed in that movie’s footsteps tonally, but the studio mandated some changes.

He explained: “The original script for Justice League was much darker and weirder. But when Batman v Superman came out, the studio was like, ‘It’s not funny enough, people want funnier movies, they want funny stuff in it.’

“We did go back and kind of lightened the movie, overall. I would say that my cut of Justice League is sort of in between. I always preserved some of the more intense stuff that I shot anyway, that I thought in retrospect, maybe they’d want.”

Snyder admitted that he and his co-writer Chris Terrio aren’t “the funniest guys in the world… we’re not like awesome joke writers… I’m just 100% honest about that.”

“We had Ezra and he’s pretty funny, that was kind of his role, to be The Flash, and be young, and be a little irreverent and in awe of Batman and Superman. And he did a great job, and that part was great.”

In another interview, Snyder also discussed the possibility of returning to DC and if there’s any way the SnyderVerse could continue.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League is available to stream on HBO Max now. Check out our other superhero hubs below:

The Batman Part II | Joker 2 | Harley Quinn Season 4 | The Flash | Deadpool 3 | Fantastic Four | Avengers: The Kang Dynasty | Avengers: Secret Wars | Marvel Zombies | The Marvels | Agatha: Coven of Chaos | Venom 3 | Daredevil: Born Again | Captain America 4 | Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse