Estimated reading time: 16 minutes
Zack Snyder had intended to make more DC movies after Justice League (2017). But after leaving the project in a tense and painful situation, he has already made peace with the idea and may never venture into the "Snyderverse" world again.
But he still had a plan. Now he can reveal what those plans are.
"When I first made the film, it was part of a five-part process," Schneider told me. His new version of "Zack Snyder's Justice League" (2021), premiered on HBO Max today (March 18), is actually supposed to be the middle of the original storyline, preceded by "Man of Steel" (2013) and "Batman v Superman" (2016), "with two more episodes of Justice League to be filmed. ”
Schneider knew it would have been impossible for him to talk about these things. But as he points out, "I didn't expect me to be talking about [the restored] Justice League here, so never say forever." ”
He even invited Legendary DC Comics artist Jim Lee to help draw all the stories, because he hopes to one day include them all in one book. "Jim Lee painted almost everything for me, from the entire Pantheon all the way up to the new Batman after Batman's death." Schneider said.
He hastened to add, "Well, that's a bit of a spoiler. ”
<h2 toutiao-origin="h4" >▍ What would Batman do? </h2>
yes. In a follow-up film that Schneider didn't make, Batman, played by Ben Affleck, dies. Before divulging more, let's break down two deliberately misleading sequences from the film that appear in the middle and end of the "#SnyderCut" section.
If you want to keep this surprise, you can stop here!
The "Schneider Cut" ends with a bizarre dream by Bruce Wayne as a prelude to Schneider's next two films— a new section that was remade last fall.
The filmmaker said Warner Bros. initially resisted the move: "They didn't want me to herald more series to follow." They wanted me to end it as much as possible. "I was like, 'Hey, listen to me, this is not the style of this type.' Whether or not we're going to continue making [another] movie, that's not how the comic book genre ends. ”
Bruce Wayne had a similar doomsday dream in Batman v Superman. In that film, a trench-clad crusader wanders through hell besieged by the insect-like troops of the cosmic tyrant Darkseid, parademons.
This devastated future shows what would happen if Darkseid's army triumphed in the conquest of Earth. They came here in search of what DC legend calls the Anti-Life Equation – a mysterious "formula" hidden somewhere in our world that would give Darkseid control of any living creature, thereby eliminating the power of free will and allowing him to rule the universe.
In Batman v Superman, this "dream" takes place when Bruce Wayne receives a visit from Ezra Miller,who is using his speeding abilities to deliver warnings from this future. "Bruce, listen to me! It's Louise! It's Lois Lane. He said, "She's the key person." ”
Then he disappeared. In Schneider's Justice League, we'll get more hints about that dream.
<h2 toutiao-origin="h4" >▍ What is that unpleasant flashback in the middle of the movie about? </h2>
In short, The Flash isn't just running fast, his ability to break the laws of physics and open a window connecting the past and the future by bending space-time.
"When I'm close to the speed of light, crazy things happen in time." Miller's character is said in "Schneider's Cut." Remember this sentence. It becomes important after that. The premonition that plagued Wayne seemed to be some sort of side effect of the disturbance caused by the Flash.
In "Schneider's Cut", his abilities subject Ray Fisher's steel bones (Cyborg) to a nightmarish-like hallucination. Casual viewers and hardcore Schneider fans might wonder what really happened: a dead Wonder Woman with her eyes covered in coins, lying in a raging fire; Darkseid brutally stabbed Jason Momoa's Neptune with his own trident while firing zigzag red "Omega beams" from his eyes to wipe out the swarming Atlanteans. Readers who have been flipping through DC for a long time should be familiar with this superpower.
Then we see Henry Cavill's Superman, grief-stricken at a charred corpse, darkseid approaching and placing a giant hand on his shoulder, almost comforting him. The next shot swoops low over some outdoor rubble, including the body of a member of the Green Lantern Corps who looks a lot like an alien character known as Kilowog. (The late Michael Clarke Duncan voiced the character in a 2011 film starring Ryan Reynolds, though it wasn't part of the film.)
In the background, Superman floats down to a broken stone arch emblazoned with the words "Justice League." His eyes glow with red flames similar to Darkseid's – suggesting that he is being controlled by the villain through the anti-life equation. He holds Batman's hood like the head of a slain enemy.
All of this is a prelude to the broader dream scene at the end of the "Schneider Cut", but even then there are two scenes that need to be explained.
<h2 toutiao-origin="h4" >▍ "Schneider Cut" ending decrypted</h2>
It's actually the ending, but it should be plural, because there are many endings.
In the final finale of the film, Martian Manhunter, played by Harry Lennix as an alien observer, appears and descends from the sky to meet Bruce Wayne, who has just woken up. He congratulates Batman on uniting the heroes of Earth. Schneider said the Martian Manhunter was supposed to be a different character.
"We used to shoot the version of this scene with Green Lantern, but the studio really got up with me and they said, 'We really don't want you to make Green Lantern,'" Schneider said, "so I made a deal with them and they asked me to use Martian Manhunter [instead].' ”
Okay, but which Green Lantern would Schneider want to use? It would be John Stewart [1] or Green Lantern, a fictional DC Comics superhero who originally appeared in Green Lantern #87 (December 1971/January 1972) and was written by Dennis O'Neill and Neil Adams. John Stewart (with the letter "H") was the figure who took over the Green Lantern mantle in the 1970s and the first black superhero in DC history, Schneider said. Reynolds' "Green Lantern" is another character, known as "Hal Jordan[2] Another Green Lantern, a fictional superhero owned by DC Comics, originally appeared in Showcase #22 (October 1959), created by John Bloom and Jill Kane. ）”。
Schneider expressed regret that the studios prevented him from bringing Stewart to the screen for the first time in such a way. "They're like, 'We have our own plans for John Stewart, we need to make our own proclamations.'" So I said okay, then I'll give it to you. So [the Martian Hunter] is the result of the final compromise. He said.
Lennix has appeared in both Batman v Superman and Iron Man as a U.S. military commander known as General Swanwick. In "Schneider's Cut Edition", the military character is debunked as a disguise for this powerful man from another planet. "The purpose of the design is to show that Swanwick has always been a Martian manhunter." Schneider said. If he is allowed to make a cameo appearance this time, Swanwick's revelations will probably appear in his future Justice League story.
There's a brief scene before this revealed that feels like another epilogue. Lex Luthor, played by Jesse Eisenberg, escapes from an insane asylum and gets in touch with Deathstroke, the masked killer played by Joe Manganiello. He's at war with Batman, and Eisenberg gives him the key message that Batman is Bruce Wayne's alter ego.
The scene was originally planned as an end credit, setting the stage for the "death knell", a key villain in the Affleck's planned independent film, which Manganiello explained in detail to Vanity Fair. But even before Justice League was filmed, that Batman movie blew up because Affleck quit the project.
Now, it's just setting the stage for the final dream fragment, revealing that The Death Knell and Batman formed an alliance in the Apocalypse.
<h2 toutiao-origin="h4" >▍ Decipher Bruce Wayne's last dream</h2>
Just before his contact with the Martian Manhunter, here are the dreams (prophecies) Batman experienced:
Aquaman heroine Maela (Amber Heard), Cyborg, The Flash (the same costume as he did in Batman v Superman) and Death Knell (now with a white Mohawk haircut.[3]... Continue reading) travels to the fallen world of the future with another unexpected ally: Jared Leto as the Joker. Affleck's Batman is still alive at this point. Steel Bone then warns that if their whereabouts are discovered, an undefined "he" will come to them.
But who is "he" – Darkseid or Superman? "Let that bastard come." Maela said as he slammed the concrete ground with the bottom of the trident, "I'm going to pierce the heart for what he did to Arthur [aquaman]."
At this point, Leto's Joker repeatedly mentions how revenge distorts and weakens Batman. He mentions not only the death of Batman's parents, but also Wayne's "adopted son," Robin. In Batman v Superman, it is mentioned that he died at the hands of the Joker.
"What's cool about this scene is that it's the Joker talking directly to Batman about Batman," Schneider said, "it's the Joker analyzing who Batman is and what he is." That's also something I think fans should get out of the DC Universe. That said, Jared Leto's Joker and Ben Affleck's Batman, they never really fought. ”
The Joker asks Batman, "How many more dead eyes do you want to see before you die inside?" ”
When Batman threatens to attack him viciously, the Joker says, "You need me... To help you destroy the world you created by letting her die. ”
Well, here's a hint. Who died?
<h2 toutiao-origin="h4" >▍ Synopsis of the second "Justice League"</h2>
As The Flash said to Bruce Wayne in Batman v Superman, the "key character" is Louise Lane, played by Amy Adams. Or like the Joker's mocking lyrics in "Schneider's Cut." "Poor Louise! How painful she is!"
Louise is the scorched corpse of Superman seen in the movie with Steel Bone in his tearful arms.
Schneider explained that this heralded the next two Justice League movies he was mulling. "Darkseid invades Earth, and Superman says to Batman, 'Please help me protect Louise.' This is the war between me and Darkseid. If you're my friend, please help keep Louise safe. ”
As aliens attack Earth, Luthor allies with the invaders. "Lex told Duckdesy that the key to attacking Superman's weakness was to kill Louise Lane," Schneider said. "For whatever reason, Batman failed. Darkseid returns and kills Louise. Batman failed, and he hesitated. They had an argument. ”
In other words, Batman is distracted and Louise dies.
So what happened to Louise and Bruce over the dispute? Schneider didn't specify, but his original plan to be killed by Warner Bros. was to have Bruce Wayne and Louise Lane have a relationship during superhuman's death.
"Our intention was that Bruce fell in love with Louise and then realized that the only way to save the world was to bring Superman back to life," Schneider said, "so he had this crazy inner conflict because Louise was clearly still in love with Superman." We also have a beautiful passage where [Bruce] says to Alfred: 'I've never enjoyed life outside the cave.' I never imagined a world other than that. But this woman made me feel that if I could gather this group of gods, then my work would be done. I can stop doing it. I can stop'. Of course, he didn't succeed. ”
Schneider said that even without this side line of romantic relationship, Batman would have been mired in guilt for not protecting Louise before the explosion killed her. After Louise's death, Superman was heartbroken and lost the will to fight. Darkseid took advantage of the fragility of the moment to seize control of him, and the fall of Superman led to the deaths of Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and countless others.
"The world fell because Superman succumbed to the anti-life equation, nothing more." Schneider said, "This is the end-time world: Superman has always wanted to find Batman and kill him to avenge Louise's death." ”
In "Schneider's Cut," Bruce Wayne's dream ends before "He found us." Steel Bone said.
"He" turned out to be Superman, who landed nearby with burning red anti-life eyes. He was controlled by Darkseid. Now he's going to fight to the death with a bunch of his superhero friends.
It's a frustrating thing, even for a series of movies that are sometimes described as "dark." Of course, this is not the real end. Like The Thano ringing finger in Marvel's Infinity War (2018) that wiped out half of all creatures is a gripping suspense that leads to the redemption of the finale.
<h2 toutiao-origin="h4" >▍ Synopsis of the third Justice League movie</h2>
The characters who appear in Bruce Wayne's dreams seem to be aware of the multiverse – and the potential for happier endings.
"I've often wondered, in how many alternate timelines, frankly, you'd destroy the world because you didn't have the courage to sacrifice yourself?" The Joker asks Batman in "Schneider's Cut.".
The Flash added, "Crazy things happen in time. "You can see what's going on: the solution is to redo.
Schneider explains that McGuffin in "Schneider's Cut" – the existence of an all-round machine known as the Mother Boxes – will help reverse history in the final installment of his series. "What happened in the end times was that Steel Bone used an equation to activate the mother box to send the Flash back in time to warn Bruce of a moment when he didn't have the courage to sacrifice himself to save Louise," Schneider said.
In fact, we've seen that moment: it was The Flash who appeared through a strange portal in Batman v Superman.
Once bruce of the past realized what he was going to do, he wouldn't fail when Louise was in danger. "So in that moment, he did the right thing and sacrificed himself." Schneider explained.
This reversed everything: "Superman didn't succumb to the anti-life equation," Snyder said, "and then in the final film, Aquaman leads Atlantis' forces, Diana (Wonder Woman) brings the Amazonian warriors of Themyscira, Superman and The Flash lead the forces of [humanity] to fight the ultimate war against Darkseid." ”
Obviously, the good guys won in the end. But there will be more stories...
<h2 toutiao-origin="h4" >▍ The birth of the new Batman</h2>
Darkseid's invasion, the fall of Earth, and the tragic reversal all occurred fairly quickly after the Justice League incident – within a few months, for example. Grown long enough for a child to be born shortly thereafter.
This is another big spoiler in "Schneider's Cut Edition". Schneider said: "Louise was pregnant at the end of the film. A pregnancy test stick can be seen on her nightstand – with a tag from the fictional brand Force Majeure on it, a French phrase that basically translates to "can't foresee its inevitable.".
Her pregnancy was another storyline that Warner Bros. wanted to remove from the Schneider film, and he said that before he left the project in 2017, "it was always my hope, but they simply told me not to do it." But I put it in anyway. ”
Presumably, the child was conceived before Superman died in Batman v Superman. (They do have that romantic bathtub scene, and it's probably more important than the audience realizes.)
Remember at the beginning of it all, when Schneider said there would be a new Batman who would replace Affleck's Bruce Wayne? "It's going to be the son of Louise and Superman," Schneider said, "he doesn't have any superpowers, and then he's going to end up being a new Batman." ”
There's a flashback scene in "Schneider's World" where Clark Kent and Louise Lane take their grown-up son to visit a familiar location. There, they asked him to continue to take on the campaign of their dead friend." 20 years later, on the anniversary of [Batman's] death, they took young Bruce Kent to the Batcave and they said, 'If you do this, your uncle Bruce will be very proud'. Schneider said.
"In short," the director adds, "it's something like that." ”
| Translation: Derek
< h1 toutiao-origin="h3" > correlated</h1>
exegesis
↑1
Also known as Green Lantern, is a fictional DC Comics superhero who originally appeared in Green Lantern #87 (December 1971/January 1972), created by Dennis O'Neill and Neil Adams.
↑2
The other Green Lantern, a fictional superhero owned by DC Comics, first appeared in Showcase #22 (October 1959), created by John Bloom and Jill Kane.
↑3
The name Mohawk hairstyle is derived from the Mohawk people, who are natives of the Mohawk Valley in upstate New York. The Mohawk connection to the hairstyle became popular with the 1939 Hollywood film Predator starring Henry Fonda.
American journalist and novelist, contributing writer for Vanity Fair magazine
"Little Axe" director Steve McQueen's self-description: Light in the corner (by Steve McQueen)
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