The Amazing Link Between Snyder's Justice League And Batman V Superman
Warner's DC Extended Universe always feels like it's struggling just a few steps behind Disney's behemoth Marvel Cinematic Universe, but Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice filmmaker Zack Snyder just proved that he can weave a multiple feature film-spanning continuity as well as the next director.
One of the most memorable scenes from Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice was the Man of Steel's (Henry Cavill) tragic death at the hands of Doomsday. Viewers may remember Superman's uncharacteristic scream as he suicidally plunged that kryptonite spear into Doomsday's chest during the film's climactic final battle. As it turns out, Snyder actually crafted that moment to hold deeper significance for his follow-up movie, Justice League.
Snyder shared this behind-the-scenes info with fans over a recent Vero livestream (via CinemaBlend). According to the director himself, that animalistic battle cry was enough to awaken the Mother Boxes from their dormancy on the other side of the universe. These devices figured heavily in the plot of Justice League, an element that was carried over from Snyder's original version of the script. This explanation fits well within the established rules of the DC universe; Superman, with his Kryptonian heritage, is very likely one of the only forces on Earth that could have plausibly awakened the alien Mother Boxes.
Snyder's new intel is likely to increase calls for a 'Snyder Cut' of Justice League
Although the powerful alien artifacts weren't directly implicated in the conflict of Batman v. Superman, Snyder did allude to their significance. In the movie, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) got his hands on footage showing Silas Stone in the middle of an attempt to resurrect his son Victor. That strange technology Stone was using for the resurrection? A Mother Box, of course.
In Justice League, the Mother Boxes moved front and center as the good guys raced to stop the nefarious Steppenwolf (Ciaran Hinds) from locating them first. At the outset of that film, the first box was still with Silas Stone, while the others were hidden in Atlantis and Themyscira. Before Snyder's livestream explanation, fans had to accept that the Mother Boxes simply reactivated spontaneously or in response to the events of Justice League. For some, it was a plot hole that you could drive a truck through. Activating the boxes by way of Superman's death cry is a much more satisfying way to close the circle and tie the two films into one cohesive mythology.
This isn't the first piece of inside info that Snyder has dished out to fans in recent weeks. He's been on a bit of a virtual publicity tour, touting details of a five-film arc he had originally envisioned for the DCEU. Much of that original plan was apparently scrapped when Warner Bros. took a hatchet to the director's cut of the Justice League film. These new details are unlikely to deter fans from wondering what might have been, and maybe that's the point. It's possible that Snyder is actually trying to feed into the increasing calls for Warner to release the long-rumored "Snyder Cut" of Justice League. Until that happens, we'll just have to keep waiting for Snyder to jump on Vero to connect the missing dots.