Partway through Zack Snyder's Justice League, Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and Flash (Ezra Miller) exhume Superman's body from his grave. As The Flash points out, the duo could get the job done "in a nanosecond." Despite Barry Allen's speed and Victor Stone's many abilities, the two take their time. So why do they take their time digging up Superman?
Snyder's rendition of Barry Allen marks one of the biggest departures from the 2017 Justice League. The character's arc is much more fleshed out in the Justice League Snyder Cut, but he still maintains his trademark sense of humor. Snyder has been both praised and maligned for his dark and brooding approach to superhero storytelling, but the director still allows his sense of humor to shine, primarily through Barry's quips.
Even as Zack Snyder embraces his lighthearted side at different times in the Justice League Snyder Cut, one of the Flash's jokes quickly leads into one of the film's darker moments, bringing levity but also a deeper meaning. When Flash and Cyborg go to exhume and retrieve Superman's body, Barry Allen quips lightly that they could just use their powers and get the job done exponentially quicker. And yet, both heroes keep on digging, opting for the much slower and thoughtful manual labor over a superpowered shortcut. This scene ultimately embodies Snyder's overarching outlook and treatment of superheroes, and even acts as a slight dig towards the countless action-comedies occupying the superhero genre today.
In the Snyderverse, superheroes are seen and treated as godlike – indeed, many of the superheroes are actually gods. Snyder has a unique reverence towards his characters, and he treats them accordingly. It's part of the reason the Snyder Cut opens on Superman's death, as the director takes care to emphasize the heightened importance heroes play in his universe. Whereas the MCU, and even Joss Whedon's finalized version of the 2017 Justice League, take a more lighthearted approach to their characters, Snyder ensures that a hero like Superman maintains his mythic status, especially in death and beyond. Cyborg and Flash take their time digging up Superman because to do otherwise would be disrespectful to such a powerful and influential figure. For them, and for Snyder, exhuming Superman's body must be done in good faith.
Snyder's DCEU is drastically different from the MCU, even if ideas in the movies of both can seem copied at times. The MCU has perfected the art of the action-comedy movie (and series), and has its niche carved out. But, at the same time, the MCU's approach to superhero storytelling can sometimes feel cheap or even like it comes at the expense of necessary character development. Snyder's approach is to the other extreme, adopting a particularly serious and dour perspective on his central heroes. Such a tone can sometimes feel excessive; these are stories about men and women wearing elaborate costumes, after all. But fans of DC Comics have always taken these characters seriously, and a more comedic approach to the DC Universe was clearly ill-advised with the changes in 2017's Justice League. Ultimately, Snyder demonstrates a deeper understanding of DC fans and DC Comics at large. There is something admirable about Cyborg and Flash's decision in Zack Snyder's Justice League and the film's broader commitment to paying respect towards godlike heroes such as Superman.
