The Wonder Woman Prop We Won't See In The Justice League Snyder Cut
As the DCEU is slowly getting back on track, by focusing on the vision of individual movies over the shared universe, fans are getting more and more excited to see the "Snyder Cut" — the version of Justice League crafted by the original director, Zack Snyder. Many people blame the film's initial failure on Joss Whedon, who replaced Snyder after he left the project due for personal reasons: It's believed that Whedon changed much of what Snyder initially planned for the film, and based on sneak peeks of the Snyder Cut so far, and the ongoing issues relating to Ray Fisher's treatment on set, it seems like this likely was, indeed, a big factor in why the finished movie was such a mess.
Now, Snyder finally has the chance to finish his work, and show fans his own Justice League, in the form of four hour-long segments to be released on HBO Max. With a home on the streaming platform, Snyder is able to do a lot that would otherwise be impossible for a theatrical release, like (possibly) having an R rating. Snyder's release is currently set for March 2021, and fans are patiently waiting for the day it drops. Meanwhile, Snyder has been consistently sharing pictures and other behind-the-scenes tidbits about his DCEU work on social media.
In one such reveal, Snyder posted a prop photo of Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) that was originally planned to be used in one of his DC films, portraying a much darker version of the character than anyone has ever seen, or probably ever will see, on the big screen.
No, fans won't see this murderous version of Wonder Woman in the Snyder Cut
The photo, taken by Stephen Berkman and posted on Snyder's personal Twitter, is a black and white image of Diana Prince in her Wonder Woman armor standing next to various warrior figures while holding three severed heads — which she presumably cut off. Snyder stated that the image is set in the year 1854, likely during the Crimean War. Snyder described this image as an "an else-world, war weary Diana, who had chased Aries across the battlefields of the world and had yet to meet Steve, who would help her restore her faith in mankind and love itself."
Of course, any fan who has seen Wonder Woman, or Wonder Woman 1984, knows that this image of a dark, violent Diana doesn't match the version depicted by director Patty Jenkins. In her solo films, Diana is a kind and strong woman who, from the beginning, fights for love and peace, and has faith in humanity. This never wavers, even in the midst of a World War.
In a conversation with Marc Maron for his podcast, WTF with Marc Maron, Jenkins went into detail about the "internal war" at Warner Bros. over what they wanted Wonder Woman to look like. Jenkins stated that she stood strong behind her vision of the film and told the studio that "Women don't want to see that. Her being harsh and tough and cutting people's heads off... I'm a 'Wonder Woman' fan, that's not what we're looking for."
Now, seeing Snyder's image, it becomes clear that it's exactly the sort of thing Jenkins was referring to.
Zack Snyder clarified that he won't contradict Patty Jenkins' story
Snyder is known for his darker vision of DC icons, evident in Ben Affleck's version of Bruce Wayne, and the depressing world shown in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which has the caped crusader trying to kill Henry Cavill's Superman. Although the prop image Snyder posted would have fit perfectly with this tone, the image directly contradicts the portrayal of Diana that Jenkins has created over the course of two — and hopefully soon to be three — successful films.
Thankfully, Snyder clarified for fans that although he shared the image in reference to the films, it will not appear in Zack Snyder's Justice League on HBO, or the remastered Batman v Superman (the latter project being something he revealed through his account on Vero). The reason being, mainly, that he loves Jenkins' version, and does not want to go against it, as he said in a reply to user stebob1984: "It will not be used as it contradicts the brilliant movie Patty made and I supported and did the story for," referencing his own involvement in the first Wonder Woman film.
Although Zack Snyder's Justice League, and the remastered Batman v Superman, are obviously Snyder's creations, and he has the right to depict the DC characters however he sees fit, it's good to know that he respects his fellow DCEU creators and the work they've done, and will keep Wonder Woman and the other heroes in line with past character development.