Zack Snyder shares a glimpse of the Snyder Cut's true villain in new still.It's real, and it's spectacular.
By Tres Dean
It’s always kinda wild to see clear-cut evidence that the infamous Snyder Cut of Justice League exists. Recently Aquaman actor Jason Momoa discussed being shown the film by director Zack Snyder himself (and described it as “SICK,” though his bias as a star of the film is undeniable), joining the likes of Kevin Smith (who confirms that it exists but is largely unfinished) in people who have confirmed the film’s existence. If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re well aware of the story surrounding the Snyder Cut, including the fact that it may never be released to the general public.
As such, it’s always fascinating to see or hear what this now-mythic film might have been. Recently Snyder gave us a fleeting glimpse (seriously, about as fleeting as you can get) of his cut of the film and in doing so confirmed a long-standing rumor regarding the identity of the film’s reveal of the DCEU’s ultimate villain.
The shot released by Snyder (via Cinemablend) pairs well with some recently-leaked ones, all of which depict Diana (aka Wonder Woman) in civilian clothes in an ancient tomb-like structure somewhat resembling the pyramids of ancient Egypt. She’s discovering an ancient relic, something that we now understand to be a thousand-year-old mural depicting a battle against none other than the biggest bad guy the DC universe has to offer: Darkseid.
While there’s little confirmation as to where exactly she’s supposed to be, the leaks refer to this set piece as a shrine, implying that it’s a place of Apokaliptan worship. Whether or not this means it’s on Earth or that the film would have taken us all the way to Darkseid’s home planet of Apokalips remains to be seen.
This shouldn’t come as any surprise, mind you. Rumors have long circulated that Darkseid would be revealed in Snyder’s version of the film, though his appearance was cut in the reworked version that was released theatrically.
What does stand out here is Snyder’s caption on the photo he released: “At the end of the story…Darkseid.” This seems to confirm that in Snyder’s version, Darkseid is revealed towards the film’s conclusion — perhaps in a post credit scene?
With Justice League 2 now very much an uncertainty as the DCEU course-corrects (successfully, we might add), the Snyder Cut becomes all the more fascinating a relic and myth. While the fanbase surrounding it may be a bit intense for some, it’s always fascinating to see glimpses of what almost was. Whether or not we ever get the chance to see the whole thing remains to be seen.