‘Snyder Cut’ of ‘Justice League’ Features Palisadian Ben Affleck

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

“Zack Snyder’s Justice League,” the upcoming director’s cut of the 2017 film “Justice League,” stars Palisadian Ben Affleck in his role of Batman.

“Justice League,” which marked the fifth film in the DC Extended Universe, is based on the DC Comics superhero team, following the story of Batman, Superman (Henry Cavill), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Cyborg (Ray Fisher), Aquaman (Jason Mamoa) and The Flash (Ezra Miller). In the film, the Justice League is attempting to save the world from the threat of Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds) and his army.

“Determined to ensure Superman’s ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne (Batman) aligns forces with Diana Prince (Wonder Woman) with plans to recruit a team of metahumans to protect the world from an approaching threat of catastrophic proportions,” according to a synopsis on IMDb.

Affleck’s role of Batman is reported to have been described by Snyder as on a path of redemption, following feelings of guilt for his actions in “Batman v Superman.”

The film will also feature Theatre Palisades-trained Amy Adams in the role of Lois Lane.

The theatrical release of “Justice League” by Warner Bros. went through what was described as a “difficult production.” The script had gone through sizable changes before and during production over the course of two years.

In May 2017, Snyder stepped down from the film during post-production, with Joss Wheadon taking over, completing the film as an uncredited director.

Wheadon oversaw reshoots and additional changes—overall incorporating a “brighter tone and more humor,” as well as “significantly” cutting down the run time.

After the movie did not find much success in the box office and details surfaced about the film’s production and state before Snyder stepped own, DC Comics fans expressed interest in seeing an alternate cut of the film that was more aligned with Snyder’s original vision. There was even a petition circulated and signed by fans and members of the cast and crew for the release of what was dubbed the “Snyder Cut.”

Warner Bros. moved ahead with the director’s cut version starting in February 2020, with Snyder revealing it would be available via streaming service HBO Max.

New material for the cut was reportedly filmed in October 2020.

The film, rated R, is slated to release March 18 with a run time of four hours.