The comic book genre is everywhere, but few projects had as unique of a life as Justice League. The movie (which is streaming with a Max subscription) was early in the DCEU's run, and went through extensive changes during Joss Whedon's reshoots. And aside from the theatrical and Snyder Cuts, there were also other drafts of the project that never saw the light of day. Original Justice League writer Will Beall compared his version of the DC Flick to Back To The Future, and now I’ve got FOMO.
DC fans are gearing up for co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran's new shared universe, which will begin with a slate of projects titled Gods and Monsters. But details about the DCEU are still coming out today, including Justice League. While speaking with The Wrap, Beall revealed that he worked on an early draft, some of which made it into The Snyder Cut. In his words:
I did a very early draft of ‘Justice League.’ Some of it found its way into the Snyder cut. I was delighted that I could help.
The Snyder Cut came after years of fan campaigning, when it was made clear that the theatrical version was greatly altered from the titular filmmaker's vision. The Snyder Cut did well on Max, leading some fans to ask Warner Bros. to #RestoreTheSnyderVerse. In the same interview, Will Beall spoke about his take on the DC blockbuster, offering:
The biggest difference with mine, I think, was that much of the second act was that little sort of coda that was on the Snyder cut, where it’s this post-apocalyptic sort of dream sequence or flash forward, and there’s good guys and bad guys, they’re forced to team up. Much of my second act was taken up with that. My version of it owed a lot to Back to the Future II.
Well, I'm intrigued. The Knightmare reality has been one of the most talked about aspects of Justice League, specially once the Snyder Cut was released. But while Snyder's plans for a Justice League sequel would have focused Beall's take on the movie would have brought that part of the story into the first film in the series.
In the end, the Knightmare plot line became just a hand full of scenes in both Batman v Superman and Justice League. While Zack Snyder gave us more time in that alternate reality thanks to Snyder Cut reshoots, the sequels really would have fleshed it out. It was fascinating to see the uneasy alliance of Batman, Joker, Mera, Flash, and Deathstroke in that alternate reality. Perhaps one day alternate scripts will reveal how it all would have went well.
The DCEU is streaming in its entirety on Max. Check the 2025 movie release dates to plan your trips to the theater next year.
