Zack Snyder thought Warner Bros’ suggestion his Justice League should be two hours "was a joke"

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"In what world is that a two-hour movie?"

(Image credit: DC/Warner Bros.)

Zack Snyder is finally getting his way – a four hour ‘Snyder Cut’ version of Justice League split into four parts set for release on HBO Max in 2021. But the director has revealed that the original studio-mandated intention was to aim for half that.

“I always thought that was a potential for the film, the way I shot it,” Snyder told the Reel in Motion podcast when pressed on whether his original version would have been a long film. “When they said two hours, they kept telling me two hours. I literally thought it was a joke… in what world is that a two-hour movie? I shoot notoriously long, right?”

The 2017 theatrical release ended up being exactly that at 120 minutes – but it’s not something Snyder will be cribbing from extensively, that’s for sure.

He recently said at the JusticeCon event that "I would destroy the movie," if he used any footage that wasn’t his. "I would set it on fire before I use a single frame that I did not photograph."

In typically forthright mood, Snyder also said on social media that he wasn’t going to use a line from Joss Whedon’s version because “it literally makes no sense.”

On the topic of the new Snyder Cut trailer, he confirmed that there was indeed a Joker Easter egg floating about in the ‘Knightmare’ sequence showing a destroyed Earth – plus three more nods for fans to uncover.

If you look close enough, there’s apparently a Thomas Wayne portrait, Aquaman’s trident, and a Roman shield scattered among the ruins. If that’s what Snyder is hiding in just one shot, imagine what he can do with four hours. The mind boggles.

Bradley Russell
Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.