This past weekend was a big one for comic book and film fans, as Zack Snyder's Justice League finally arrived in theaters. But while the blockbuster helps to expand the DC Extended Universe and introduce a plethora of new characters, the finished product was far from perfect. With Joss Whedon stepping in to finish the film following Snyder's personal tragedy, the film had a ton of reshoots, and the two conflicting visions resulted in a Frankstein of a movie. Since its release, tens of thousands of fans have signed a petition for Snyder's director's cut, and now the film's cinematographer has voiced his support for the petition as well. Fabian Wagner recently spoke to why the director's cut is important, stating:
This one was even shorter than I expected, so there are scenes that aren't in there. I really hope we get to see a director's cut, which will give us everything that we shot that didn't make it in. What I love about his [Snyder's] director's cuts is they are long, but he takes his time to tell the story. I've never watched any of his directors cut and thought 'This is long." Whether they are three hours long, or three hours and ten minutes, they always seemed to go quick.
Fabian Wagner seems to have full faith in Zack Snyder's vision for Justice League, despite the missteps taken in Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. It certainly seems like the newest installment would benefit from an extended version of the story.
These comments to THR seem to echo the concerns of many DC fans. Between the reshoots and focus on keeping Justice League shorter in length, a ton of material ended up on the cutting room floor. Multiple characters were cut, with the backstory and exposition for the trio of new heroes severely cut down. Just look at Jason Momoa's Aquaman, who was got an unceremonious introduction at that oceanside bar with Bruce Wayne. Tons of shots from the trailers didn't make it into the film, making it seems like less of Zack Snyder's film than Joss Whedon's.
Furthermore, the reshoots were pretty obvious. CGI suffered, Aquaman's contacts changed colors, and Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman was clearly wearing a different wig in certain scenes. And while Justice League was still leaps and bounds better than Batman v Superman, it would be fascinating to see the original Zack Snyder cut of Justice League. The director's version of BvS certainly helped the plot make more sense, so it would be great to see if the same applies to Justice League.
Justice League is in theaters and raking in some cash now. Be sure to check out our 2018 release list to plan your trips to the movies in the New Year.
