Since its release back in 2017, the conversation surrounding Zack Snyder's Justice League hasn't really slowed down. The Watchmen director departed the project after a family tragedy, tasking The Avengers' Joss Whedon with completing the DC blockbuster. Whedon made ample changes to Justice League, and the result was a critical and box office disappointment. What's more, the changes were so severe that the film's cinematographer was brought to tears.
Fabian Wagner the director of photography for Justice League, and has worked on other massive projects like Game of Thrones during his career. Wagner was involved in the DC blockbuster throughout its rocky road to theaters, working with both directors in the process. But he seems to be a proponent of The Snyder Cut, recently revealing his emotional response to seeing the theatrical version. As he put it:
It’s really hard to say because I was watching it and I think I was crying all the way through. So it’s hard for me to say exactly how much was changed, but a lot was changed. It looked very different, and it’s sad for me because I loved working with Zack; I had the best time of my life. There were many other things on that movie that made it so good apart from the fact that I was working with Zack and the whole gang. I met my wife on that job. There [were] a lot of other things. It was just a great shoot, and so it was a shame to see the film the way it turned out to be.
Well, that was honest. It looks like even the crew of Justice League was disappointed with the theatrical version of the movie. Perhaps more, as Justice League meant a great deal to Fabian Wagner and his family. Enough to bring him to tears.
Fabian Wagner's comments to Comic Book Debate will only add fuel to the fire regarding Justice League and the campaign for the Snyder Cut. The movie had the potential to be a massive hit, as there was plenty of fan interest ahead of its release. Justice League marked the first time DC's heroes were brought together in live-action, marking the full debut of characters like Jason Momoa's Aquaman and Ezra Miller's Flash. Unfortunately, the final product left much to be desired.
Related: Justice League Crew Member Drops F-Bomb Over The Snyder Cut
Joss Whedon put the movie through extensive reshoots, seemingly stretching the massive $657.9 million budget to its limits. The film's tone ended up being somewhat muddled, with poor visual effects (including Henry Cavill's mustache) proving distracting. This disappointment hit the fans and studio hard. And while the DCEU has recovered with solo projects like Shazam! and Aquaman, fans began campaigning for the Snyder Cut, even crowdfunding to raise awareness at San Diego Comic-Con.
Of course, it's more than possible that the Snyder Cut will never see the light of day. That version is unfinished, especially regarding its visual effects. And given what a box office bomb the movie was, it seems unlikely that Warner Bros. would be willing to shell out any money to make that version of Justice League available.
The next installment in the MCU is Birds Of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) on February 7th, 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
