Jason Momoa Has Seen The Snyder Cut Of Justice League
Justice League may have been released almost two years ago back in November 2017, but there's still plenty of mystique surrounding the film. Director Zack Snyder suddenly left Justice League in May 2017 as post-production was about to start, deciding to stay home and support his family after the death of his daughter, Autumn. Into the void stepped Avengers director Joss Whedon to complete the film. But according to those who worked on the movie, he didn't exactly pick up where Snyder left off, making drastic changes to the final product. The theatrical version of Justice League resulted in mixed reviews, but then came hope for DC fans in the form of the newsflash that Snyder, despite his departure from the film before completion, still has his version of Justice League.
That juicy little tidbit has had DC fans' tongues wagging, eager to see what has been dubbed "the Snyder Cut." It's been a long time waiting for an update on that cut, and while it seems increasingly unlikely the cut will ever be released to the public, there are some in higher circles who have been lucky enough to lay eyes on it. Jason Momoa, who starred in Justice League as the underwater superhero Aquaman, is one of that very elite group.
That sneaky marine Marvel man...
Momoa was speaking to MTV News' Josh Horowitz when he revealed maybe a bit more than Warner Bros. executives will be pleased with. When Horowitz brought up a past comment Momoa made about the Snyder Cut of Justice League — that being, "F*** yeah, I need to see that" — Momoa dropped the bombshell: "Yeah, absolutely. But I have seen it, so... I've seen the Snyder Cut."
That comment came after Momoa revealed on Instagram in August that he had seen the Snyder Cut, calling it "ssssiiicccckkkkkk."
Though Snyder left Justice League before post-production started, Momoa seemed to hint that Snyder may in fact have completed his original vision for the film — effects and all. After Momoa revealed he's already seen the Snyder Cut, Horowitz posed the question, "So what does that mean? Because the effects aren't done. You've seen his assemblage of footage and alternate takes?"
A sly smile crossed Momoa's face as he quipped back, "Oh, you think Zack couldn't finish it?"
The actor didn't let too much slip though, following with a quick "next question!" when Horowitz tried to get confirmation about whether the Snyder Cut is fully edited. Despite the secrecy surrounding the cut, Momoa does feel that it's worth making it available to the public. Momoa's also hoping his statements doesn't get him fired from Aquaman 2, the sequel to his surprise smash-hit standalone from December 2018.
"I think the public needs to see it [...] I'm obviously indebted to Warners and DC and I don't know how they feel about it. But as a fan, I'm very, very happy I got to see it," he said. When Horowitz asked whether the Snyder Cut of Justice League "feel like a totally different movie" than the one screened in theaters, Momoa gave a simple "yeah."
Justice League: The "Frankenstein" Film
The final product that was ultimately released to the public in November 2017 wasn't well received, with fans saying they could clearly see where one director's vision ended and the other's began. According to The Wrap, the incomplete look of Justice League spurred an insider to give it the unfortunate description of "a Frankenstein" film.
Sources with knowledge of the production have also revealed that approximately 30 minutes of the released film was actually directed by Whedon, replacing 30 minutes of filming done by Snyder the first time around (via Screen Rant). That doesn't include footage shot by Snyder that Whedon edited into a completely different context for the final product.
Whedon, who is known for his work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, managed to disappoint DC fans as he tried to incorporate misplaced humor into an altogether darker universe. Followers of the franchise are thrilled there's another version of Justice League, and have been calling desperately for it to be released. The hashtag #ReleaseTheSnyderCut has been doing the rounds on social media — with a petition started as early as the film's release in November 2017, and efforts only amped up after Momoa confirmed its existence in October 2018. Momoa's recent remarks to MTV News only add fuel to this ever-burning fire.
You're not alone in wanting the Snyder Cut, DC fans
On November 3, cinematographer Fabian Wagner, who worked with Snyder on Justice League, also came out in support of the Snyder Cut being released. He took to Instagram to post an altered Justice League poster, in which the "JL" in the logo had been changed to "SC" for "Snyder Cut." Wagner captioned the image, "Sunday's [sic] are for the League and the Snyder cut. Thank you @rameshdesilva2 for this cool piece of art. You guys are doing amazing supporting Zack and the movie we made."
Ray Fisher, who played Cyborg in Justice League, has also made his support of the Snyder Cut known. The actor reportedly said he wished he could release the Snyder Cut himself, but offered little information on his knowledge of the completion of the original version of the film.
Others who worked on the movie have come forward to share details of the differences between Snyder's Justice League and the one that hit cinemas. Jesse Eisenberg, who portrayed Lex Luthor, was one of them. The actor recently told Yahoo! that he believes he filmed more footage than what ended up in Justice League: "I guess [the Snyder Cut] would be a cool thing to see, right? I might be in another scene of it, so sure, yeah. Because I did some scenes that I think are not in the movie, but I haven't seen the movie."
Though Warner Bros. is remaining tight-lipped at this stage about the Snyder Cut of Justice League, the excitement surrounding it sure isn't dying down. With little details being leaked here and there, the studio might one day be persuaded to let the heroes loose as they were originally intended.