How will the Heroes Park battle against freshly-revived Superman change in the Snyder cut of Justice League? After years of hashtags, flyovers and studio lobbying, Warner Bros. have announced the Justice League Snyder cut for 2021 on HBO Max, bowing to considerable public pressure. Released in 2017, Justice League was widely panned by fans and critics, and a major sticking point for both was how heavily and blatantly the film was altered from what Zack Snyder had originally filmed before Joss Whedon took over post-production and reshoots.
Only when the Snyder cut actually arrives will audiences be able to fully appreciate how different the two cuts of Justice League are, but the images and footage released so far, in addition to comments from those associated with the film, give some extensive insight. The addition of Darkseid, Superman's black suit, a potential Green Lantern appearance, previously unseen characters, and a naturally-bald top lip all set the Snyder cut apart from Justice League's theatrical release, but another key scene that appears to be vastly altered is Superman's battle against the Justice League at the site of his fallen monument.
With their backs against the wall, Bruce and his new friends decide the only way to deal with Steppenwolf's impending arrival is to bring the Man of Steel back to life. Jump-started by a Mother Box, Clark doesn't awaken in the best of moods, and begins attacking the Justice League where his monument once stood. The battle scene features Superman headbutting Wonder Woman, keeping up with The Flash and mocking Batman, but most of the sequence is subject to change in the Snyder cut. Here are the differences revealed so far.
Justice League's Lighting
One of the biggest visual discrepancies between earlier Justice League trailers that used Snyder footage and the Whedon reshoots is the lighting, and the Heroes Park battle is a shining example of this. Originally, the confrontation between Superman and the Justice League was to take place in the evening at the monument where Clark's statue once stood. This brought a darker quality to the sequence, both literally and in terms of representing Clark's state of mind. When the 2017 Justice League hit theaters, fans were surprised to see the action moved to the early hours of the morning, casting a strange, soft light over the superhero pummeling. As evidenced by the Snyder cut teaser for DC's Fandome event, the original darker lighting from those initial trailers has been restored. Most fans seem in agreement that the nighttime battle was more visually attractive, and the darker atmosphere will add to the gravity of the fight.
Tanks & Cops
The Justice League vs. Superman fight that found its way into cinemas stayed strictly between the superheroes. Clark simply batters his five friends and is then lured away by the arrival of Lois Lane. However, trailer footage proves that many elements from Snyder's version of the battle were left on the cutting room floor back in 2017. Both the old pre-Whedon trailer and the FanDome teaser include a major shot where a flying tank is hurled towards a police officer (played by Superman's Marc McClure, incidentally), with Cyborg saving the day and wryly advising the stunned cop to move aside. The battle in 2017's Justice League includes a few police cars and burning fires in the background, but certainly nothing on the same "tank flying through the air scale," which hints at a far more epic confrontation in the Snyder cut. McClure has echoed these sentiments, claiming the battle scenes he was involved in shooting were far more expansive.
The Battle Comes Earlier
Another interesting detail from Marc McClure was that Snyder's battle came earlier in the story compared to the theatrical edit, which suggests the circumstances surrounding Superman taking on the Justice League are subject to change. It's possible that Superman is revived quicker in order to leave more time for Clark to reflect on his death and second chance at life, considering his morality and legacy. This would tie in neatly with the appearance of the black Superman suit. However, the presence of law enforcement during the battle might also indicate that the fight doesn't take place immediately after Superman is resurrected, with the Kryptonian causing havoc elsewhere before confronting his friends at Heroes Park.
Do You Bleed?
At the climax of the 2017 Justice League battle, Superman grabs Bruce Wayne and begins to drop gravelly-voiced threats on the Caped Crusader. Clark's big mic-drop line is "do you bleed?" calling back to what Bruce said during the pair's big superhero bust-up in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. The exchange feels a little contrived, and made exponentially worse by Henry Cavill's quivering CGI lip. The menace of the line also contrasts awkwardly with Superman's quick turnaround when Lois Lane arrives moments later. Zack Snyder has been quite clear about his distaste for this line, claiming the callback doesn't make sense. It'll be fascinating to discover how much material around the "do you bleed?" line also came from Whedon, and will therefore by scrapped by the Snyder cut. Does Superman's verbal battering of Bruce Wayne happen at all? And is Lois still the one who breaks up the fight?
The League Arrives
The arrival of the Justice League at Superman's monument is clearly very different between the Snyder cut and the 2017 theatrical cut. The reworked, daylight version of the scene sees all of the League except Batman appear subtly behind a confused Superman as he peruses his monument, then once it becomes clear that Clark isn't his usual self, the punching commences. The Snyder cut will seemingly make a bigger deal out of the League's entrance, as each of the quartet lands dramatically, the camera focusing in low on each of their superhero landings. Not only does this highlight how the Superman vs. Justice League battle will be more drawn-out and detailed in the Snyder cut, but the grand entrance further implies that the League are coming with the express intention of battling Clark.
Aside from the altered color grading of the scene, the Snyder cut's Heroes Park battle will apparently utilize a wider range of shots and camera angles. After Clark is resurrected in the theatrical Justice League, the camera largely remains tight to Henry Cavill, sprinkling in a few longer shots of the monument as a whole. The Snyder cut teaser has already showcased some fresher angles - the overhead image of Clark reading his epitaph, and the landing feet of the League, for example.
Batman V Superman Connections
Joss Whedon's Superman vs. Justice League connected to the DCEU's previous Bruce vs. Clark clash via the "do you bleed?" line, but it's strange that another link between the two films was cut. In the new teaser footage, the camera lingers on Clark as he reads the inscription left on his monument at the end of Batman V Superman, giving the viewer a clear view of the quote and allowing the words to resonate. While the white writing is just about visible in the 2017 sequence, it's not clear enough to read, and the meaning behind this Batman V Superman allusion is lost. If Zack Snyder felt that Clark tauntingly repeating Batman's old threat made no sense, this callback feels more thematically appropriate given Superman's recent return to the land of the living in Justice League.