A guide to Zack Snyder's Justice League: mythology, history, first reactions, where to watch in India

The highly-anticipated Snyder Cut of Justice League is readying to hit streaming platforms across the world soon.

The film was originally slated to release in 2017, but Snyder, who had previously helmed Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, had left Justice League during the post-production due to a family tragedy.

The studio had then roped in Joss Whedon, best known for Marvel tentpole The Avengers and its follow-up Avengers: Age of Ultron, to oversee the post-production as well as the film's reshoots.

However, many people believe that Whedon had toned down the film, making it totally different from the one envisioned by Snyder. The film ultimately went on to perform moderately at the box office.

The theatrical release of the movie was followed by DC Extended Universe (DCEU) fans petitioning the studio to release the original cut of the film from Snyder.

Ever since Warner Bros revealed plans to release Snyder's version to the world, the studio has employed an aggressive campaign to maintain the hype around it. There have been several new character posters, Easter eggs in teaser-trailers and the revealing of the film's chapter titles that you can check out on the film's official Twitter account.

Who is in the film?

Zack Snyder's Justice League stars Ben Affleck as Batman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Henry Cavill as Superman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Ezra Miller as The Flash, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Ray Porter as Darkseid, Ciarán Hinds as Steppenwolf, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor and J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon.

What's the story?

The official synopsis reads: "In Zack Snyder's Justice League, determined to ensure Superman’s ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne aligns forces with Diana Prince with plans to recruit a team of metahumans to protect the world from an approaching threat of catastrophic proportions. The task proves more difficult than Bruce imagined, as each of the recruits must face the demons of their own pasts to transcend that which has held them back, allowing them to come together, finally forming an unprecedented league of heroes. Now united, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash may be too late to save the planet from Steppenwolf, DeSaad and Darkseid and their dreadful intentions."

How long is the film? 

Snyder's Justice League has a runtime of 4 hours and 2 minutes. The director had originally intended to release it as a four-hour movie and a miniseries. However, in an online interaction with fans asked whether Snyder Cut would release as a "series" or a "one shot of a movie", the filmmaker said said, "One shot."

ScreenRant writes, historically, Snyder's director's cuts have been markedly longer than their theatrical releases. Snyder has said that he has made 'no compromises' on his version of Justice League, leading to many believing that a four part film would be make a satisfying watch.

Snyder has also teased a black-and-white edition Justice is Gray in February. In an interview with Minutemen, he had said, "We're finishing right now the black and white version of Justice League. It's called the Justice Is Gray Edition. That's what I call it." The film is expected to be available sometime in late 2021 on HBO Max.

Justice League chapter titles

Snyder had, in a Twitter thread, shared that the film has been structured into six parts:

Part 1: "Don't Count On It, Batman"

Part 2: "The Age of Heroes"

Part 3: "Beloved Mother, Beloved Son"

Part 4: "Change Machine"

Part 5: "All the King's Horses"

Part 6: "Something Darker

Where can Indian viewers watch the film?

Snyder Cut will premiere on 18 March. In the US it will be out on HBO Max, but Indian viewers can watch the film on BookMyShow Stream, Apple TV, Google Play, Hungama Play and Tata Sky.

On BookMyShow Stream, a new service, viewers can pre-rent a screening for ₹149 or buy the film for ₹689. Justice League will be out on BookMyShow Stream on 1:31PM IST following which it can be downloaded for viewing.

Hindustan Times writes that other platforms like Apple TV, Google Play, Hungama Play and Tata Sky will also make the film available soon, however, they are yet to reveal the tariff.

For cinema enthusiasts, who like to own a physical copy of their films, Justice League will be released on 4K Blu-ray in late May, reports NDTV.

First reactions

Judging from the early reactions from critics after the social media embargo was lifted, the film has lived up to expectations and more. Many wrote that the new version is incomparable in terms of quality, action and plot line compared to the "atrocious" theatrical release. Critics noted that Snyder Cut has a superior plot and characters with satisfying arcs.

Here are the responses:

Zack Snyder's Justice League: I enjoyed it thoroughly. It's both very different, and eerily similar, to the original film with almost all of the changes and additions improving the characters and story. Better motivations. Bigger stakes. It's bloated but superior & worth the wait pic.twitter.com/h7PRADzeJn

— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) March 14, 2021

#SnyderCut: More cohesive than the atrocious other one, but 4 hours is an exhausting heft for excessive style & messy world building. But Cyborg’s plot is more satisfying & the missing Flash scene is fun and...hey, have you seen BACURAU? Tomorrow: Review embargo trolls #Oscars.

— erickohn (@erickohn) March 14, 2021

Yes, it's somehow true: Zack Snyder's Justice League turns Steppenwolf from a laughably thin/weird villain into easily one of the strongest superhero movies have seen.

Forget motivation, writing, and performance--I had a genuine emotional reaction. No, I can't believe it either. pic.twitter.com/1sFsrLJWBL

— Andrew Dyce (@andrewbdyce) March 14, 2021

#TheSnyderCut is loaded with scenes people haven't seen & are going to love. It is such a better movie than the theatrical cut of #JusticeLeague. Night and day difference. Saying that have no idea how this version could have ever been released in theaters. Perfect for @hbomax. pic.twitter.com/Fnamv6GcKj

— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) March 14, 2021

...they’re most impactful because the characters are given the necessary time to develop and interact in between each massive sequence. Ray Fisher’s storyline affected me most, and it is, in fact, the heart of the movie. Existing fans are going to feel euphoric. #TheSnyderCut

— Brian Davids (@PickYourBrian) March 14, 2021

I’ll also say this, it feels long but not 4 hours long. Maybe that’s just because of the format but it felt more like I just watched a few episodes of a show back to back

— Kenjac (Team ‘Zilla) (@JackKennedy) March 14, 2021