Much of the excitement for HBO Max’s Justice League Snyder Cut had to do with the world being thrilled for new blockbuster-type content (see Leslie Jones excitedly tweeting, “WARRIORS!!!”) However, there’s no getting around the fact that the project came to the small screen after a persistent fan campaign. This led to a four-hour extravaganza with crowd-pleasing character development swirling around magic boxes, although the film now has a heart, and the general sense is that fans are very pleased to see Snyder’s original vision live, even if Joss Whedon’s inferior theatrical version will remain canon. And one wonders if seeing Snyder’s vision realized will lead to more alternate “cuts” being greenlit, which also presents a slippery slope when it comes to aggressive fandom and hashtags that simply won’t die in pursuit of other director’s cuts. WarnerMedia Studios CEO Ann Sarnoff addressed the subject (and much more) while speaking to Variety: “We won’t be developing David Ayer’s cut.”
That sure seems like a done non-deal there. And that’s a completely fair answer, too, given that Ayer’s movie is currently being rebooted as The Suicide Squad by James Gunn, and there’s no need to undermine that current WarnerMedia investment with an alternate version. Also, it’s difficult to guess how Ayer’s 2016 flick could be improved too much. Blob villains in slow motion wouldn’t exactly cut it, and god only knows if Leto Joker #2 would pop in for Leto Joker #1. It all seems like a messy prospect, and Sarnoff adds that she’s also not here for any “toxic” fandom-based threats that popped up surrounding the Snyder Cut and perceptions that not all executives were game:
“We’re not tolerating any of that. That behavior is reprehensible no matter what franchise you’re talking about or what business you’re talking about. It’s completely unacceptable. I’m very disappointed in the fans that have chosen to go to that negative place with regard to DC, with regard to some of our executives. It’s just disappointing because we want this to be a safe place to be. We want DC to be a fandom that feels safe and inclusive. We want people to be able to speak up for the things they love, but we don’t want it to be a culture of cancelling things that any small faction isn’t happy with. We are not about that. We are about positivity and celebration.”
Sarnoff does address the #RestoreTheSnyderVerse campaign, too, while saying that WarnerMedia is happy about the Snyder cut and stopping short of mentioning any further contributions by Zack. Instead, Sarnoff says, “We’re very excited about the plans we have for all the multi-dimensional DC characters that are being developed” in current time. Again, a very fair declaration.
(Via Variety)
