Zack Snyder explains the symbolism behind a deleted Justice League scene of Superman

Warner Bros. has released two deleted Justice League scenes and now they hold more meaning after Zack Snyder confirms a fan-theory on Superman’s return.

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Superman had begun his journey into DC’s cinematic universe with Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. While his appearance in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice wasn’t lauded by critics, it was still appreciated for being in line with Snyder’s vision. However, by the time he was resurrected for Justice League, due to a directorial shuffle up and significant re-shoots, the last son of Krypton was absolutely butchered. And while the demand for a “Snyder cut” had cooled down, Warner Bros. might’ve made matters worse as Snyder’s explanation on a deleted Superman footage shows that his version would’ve been at least tonally consistent.

The scene in question possibly happens after Kal-El (Henry Cavill) is brought back to life by the Justice League and, after a brief fight sequence, is taken to the Kent farm by Lois Lane (Amy Adams) to calm his senses.

While the final cut shows Superman coming to the League’s rescue fully clad in his red and blue suit, this deleted footage would’ve shown how he acquired it and (according to Snyder’s response to Nick Albright’s query) explained the symbolic meaning behind why he chose the traditional suit over the grey and black one.

"Nick Albright: “I’m rewatching Man of Steel and I’m starting to think THAT deleted scene of Justice League originally was intended to be more than just a normal Easter egg. I think it was going to be a callback to this line and theme from MoS: ‘All these changes you’re going through, one day you’re going to think of them as a blessing. And when that day comes, you’re going to have to make a choice: a choice of whether to stand proud in front of the human race or not.’ Clark deliberately chooses to return to his classic blue and red suit instead of the dark black suit. Is there any truth to this suspicion, Zack Snyder?”Zack Snyder: “I think of course it’s that (what you said) and that now in one sense he has been born twice once on Krypton once one Earth and it is this reality that he now is starkly aware of as he moves through the ship.”"

Although the marketing team of Justice League tried their best to sell the notion that Superman isn’t in the movie, it was very apparent that he was going to make a return. In addition to that, since Clark’s previous two entries had portrayed him as a depressed and insecure hero, it looks like Snyder was going to transform him into the optimistic and jovial Superman that we know from the comics. However, going by the director’s thoughts, this transition would’ve been far less jarring than how Joss Whedon dealt with it. So, does that mean fans should carry on demanding for the “Snyder cut” in order to witness the true Justice League movie? Probably not.

How should fans and Zack Snyder move forward with the DCEU?

While hardcore fans of various franchises can bicker over who has the best characters and satisfying stories, there’s no denying that all of them are trying to emulate the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Furthermore, although DCEU fans would like to establish how critics are wrong, after the critical and financial failure of Justice League, I think it’s time to accept the franchise’s shortcomings as that’ll allow us to find a solution. And we don’t have to look very far because the key to solving this mess is Zack Snyder himself.

As mentioned before, it’s a fact that the MCU is a spectacular and successful change in the way movies are made, and there’s no harm in taking notes on how to structure a franchise. However, instead of trying to mimic its light-hearted tone, Warner Bros. should appoint a creative lead (similar to Kevin Feige) who’ll be in charge of maintaining the franchise’s tone and the larger story it’s trying to tell. Considering how Snyder has a deep understanding of the characters and how he wants to take them forward, the producers should take a step back and let him take charge, whilst keeping in check that he doesn’t go crazy with the slow-mo.

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As for the fans, they should try to focus their energy on demanding better scripts, meaningful dialogue and eye-popping action sequences, instead of ask for a movie that may or may not exist. Although Snyder is a tremendous visual director and does a flawless job at bringing comic pages to life, he lacks the ability to make a coherent movie out of it. That’s why the fans should provide proper inputs to Snyder, while accepting the fact that he’s creating an alternative version of our childhood heroes, and help him to create a cinematic universe that’ll produce quality films.

Do you think Zack Snyder should be the creative lead of the DCEU? Let me know in the comments.