While superhero movies are everywhere, none have had the unprecedented life of Zack Snyder’s Justice League. After the 2017 theatrical cut failed to perform critically and financially, fans campaigned for the Snyder Cut to be released. That eventually happened earlier this year, and now Steppenwolf actor Ciarán Hinds has reacted to that unexpected release.
Ciarán Hinds played the villainous Steppenwolf in both versions of Justice League, with the Snyder Cut greatly expanding his backstory and motivations. The Game of Thrones alum was recently asked how he felt about the full four-hour epic being released via HBO Max, saying:
I can't be honest to this because I haven't seen Zack's version, but I should imagine Zack's version by far because that is the story that he meant, that's the one he planned for. He meant to have all that tangential stuff moving in so that you could understand the movement. So, when it was cut to a very short film overall, it didn't, a lot of it didn't make sense, but I believe I've heard that the people who saw Zack's version enjoyed it a lot.
There you have it. While Ciarán Hinds hasn’t sat down for the full runtime of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, he seems pleased that the full vision has been released. He specifically mentions the runtime of the theatrical cut, and just how much material was ultimately left on the cutting room floor. Now let’s get this man his own copy of the Blu-Ray.
Ciarán Hinds’ comments to ComicBook help to show what it was like working as a cast member when Justice League hit theaters back in 2017. He admits that the theatrical cut didn’t make much sense, mostly because Joss Whedon and company cut down so much of the story for a more digestible runtime. That was definitely true for Steppenwolf himself, who was also given a brand new design after Zack Snyder departed the set.
Zack Snyder was doing a ton of world-building in Justice League, which set the scene for DC spin-offs as well as his two planned sequels. The theatrical version left out the backstories of heroes like Flash and Cyborg, in addition to the villainous Steppenwolf. As a result, much of Ciarán Hinds’ performance wasn’t revealed until the Snyder Cut finally got completed and released.
In Zack Snyder’s Justice League, we saw a Steppenwolf who was far more deadly and terrifying to behold. His assault on Earth came at the behest of Darkseid, and he was desperate to prove himself to his master and hopefully get an invite back to their home planet Apokolips. Of course, we all know how well that ultimately turned out.
The Snyder Cut is currently available on HBO Max, and fans can also purchase their very own home copy. Be sure to check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
