The internet was on fire this week following the news that Zack Snyder planned to host a Vero screening of his DCEU origin story, Man of Steel, followed by a Q-and-A. Rumors swirled, then heated up, that Snyder could actually drop details on the planned release of his fabled Snyder Cut of Justice League, a version of the film that fans have been clamoring for since 2017. Those rumors are unsubstantiated for the time being, but a hashtag on the announcement caught our eye, and got us thinking about the big-picture movements in play here:
That’s the Vero announcement for the Man of Steel Watch Party that Zack Snyder plans for Wednesday, May 20. And I’m drawing your attention to the final hashtag on that post.
PausedNotStopped
That got tongues wagging. It’s even more intriguing when you realize that on his OWN announcement for it. Zack Snyder changed it, and only went with #ManOfSteel and #Superman.
Why the change? Did the original Vero post tip its hand too far? Was it informed speculation, or a possible reveal of what might happen on Wednesday, after the Man of Steel Watch Party?
Let’s take a deep dive, confirming up front that we’re not able to report anything beyond the fact that we have been told by people in the know that Wednesday’s live feed will be a can’t-miss affair. Here’s what we anticipate might happen. Zack Snyder will reveal plans for a release of his Snyder Cut of Justice League. It likely will go to HBO Max, because a theatrical release in the age of delays and closures will be damn-near impossible.
When will it arrive on HBO Max? That’s anyone’s guess. It’s possible that Zack Snyder planned to film additional scenes to fill in the gaps of his movie, or maybe even give it an ending, instead of a cliffhanger. Or… what if his endeavor in the DCEU was only paused, and not stopped.
There’s that hashtag again.
It has been made clear that Zack Snyder had a five-film arc of stories that would have covered such elements as the arrival of Darkseid, the death of Batman (possibly in sacrifice to save Lois Lane), more Knightmare scenarios, and the possible birth of Superman’s child. The director once released a diagram that’s filled with Easter eggs about where his story arc would have gone. It looks like this:
Is it possible that the hashtag #PausedNotStopped means that Zack Snyder’s involvement in the DCEU is about to resume, and not just to finish his Justice League? It’s possible. One of the rumors that has been swirling around the potential release of the Snyder Cut of Justice League is that HBO Max might want it to be a series, taking the existing footage and breaking it into multiple parts. Imagine Zack Snyder’s Justice League, but as a Game of Thrones-style epic saga told over multiple episodes.
Hell, you already have Jason Momoa.
This prevents the need to put Justice League in theaters, and also builds momentum for a streaming service that needs subscribers. Now, don’t get me started on the endless headaches that would come with reuniting Snyder’s cast for this. But has anyone seen Ben Affleck lately? He’s spending quarantine getting into incredible shape. For reshoots? Or for more?
The conversation is on hold for now. We’ll all be tuned into the Man of Steel Watch Party. Say a prayer that Vero can handle the amount of traffic.
