For the YMMV page of the 2017 theatrical version, see here.
- Accidental Aesop: Keep your damn eyes on the road. If you grab a cheeseburger (the truck driver who's about to hit Iris), stare at a pretty guy you like (Iris herself) or have a heart-to-heart talk with your son (Elinore Stone), do not look away from the road if you are still driving under any of these circumstances. Iris had the luxury of having the Flash to save her. Elinore didn't and died while crippling her son as a result.
- Adorkable:
- Alfred Pennyworth is extremely giddy every time the energy-dissipating gauntlets that he built for Batman work. Throughout the movie, he's in a much more chipper mood than he was in Batman v Superman, at one point happily humming to himself while he pours himself a glass of whiskey, or teaching Wonder Woman herself how to properly prepare tea.
- Barry Allen/The Flash once again. Special mention has to go to his "sorry" face after Aquaman points the finger at him after he crashed into him during the fight against a resurrected Superman.
- Alternative Character Interpretation:
- Was the Joker momentarily shocked (before brushing it off with a "you almost had me") by Batman making it perfectly clear that he would kill him this time, or by his claim that Harley Quinn herself wanted him to do it?
- Also, was Joker's line about how he misses Harley an expression of genuine guilt on his part or just him being possessive?
- Many have noted that Lex Luthor seems to be acting much less manic and much more focused in the epilogue than he did in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Does this support the theory that it was all an act in that movie to set up an insanity plea if his plan failed, or is his supposed personality change due to his stint in Arkham Asylum, as he says to Deathstroke?
- Was the Joker momentarily shocked (before brushing it off with a "you almost had me") by Batman making it perfectly clear that he would kill him this time, or by his claim that Harley Quinn herself wanted him to do it?
- And You Thought It Would Fail: This movie had the deck stacked heavily against it, to say the least. And it's safe to say it defied the odds.
- The #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement was dismissed as a doomed effort or mocked by many. Circumstances ended up playing in its favor.
- For those who thought the film would be as ill-received as Batman v Superman was and that it wouldn't be an improvement over the 2017 theatrical cut, what the film got instead can come off as a shocking surprise. The interest for the film also grew way beyond the "for the fans only" niche that some deemed it, as its very positive audience scores and impressive international VOD/streaming numbers are of any indication.
- By all accounts, Warner Bros. executives themselves expected the film to fail (Snyder even mentioned that they wanted to release it unfinished partly out of deliberately seeking such an outcome) as this film didn't factor in their plans for DC Films in the future. It ended up a success with its good reception across the board and international streaming and VOD numbers (even with the uncertainty/silence about the HBO Max numbers stateside), as well as garnering high sales on home media when it came out on DVD/Blu-Ray. While they refuse to continue from there, the fan pressure on them to do so grew even larger than the campaign to get the film released at one point.
- Can't Un-Hear It: Ray Porter's intimidating performance as Darkseid has received a great deal of praise, even for how short it is.
- Catharsis Factor: "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen plays over the first official trailer
. The trailer is composed in such a way that the chorus chimes in right when we see the members of the Justice League doing heroic feats, as well as when the new-and-improved Steppenwolf makes his entrance. For fans who have been campaigning for years to see the film Snyder originally envisioned, it's an incredibly appropriate way to say that their efforts have paid off. - Character Rerailment:
- Many fans thought that the 2017 theatrical version turned Batman into a laughing stock with some embarrassing lines and an awkward smile upon Superman's return. Here, he's a dignified leader again just like the end of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice suggested he would become, and more badass too as he gets more involved in the action, especially in the climax against the Parademons.
- Barry Allen's awkward obsessions with "brunch" and "Pet Sematary" that amplified the perception of apparent autistic/ADHD traits plus other things that exaggerated his status as the Plucky Comic Relief at the cost of his badassery, are nowhere to be found, and he's not afraid to do superheroics here.
- Superman is much less of a Smug Super upon his return here with no quipping in his fight against Steppenwolf bar "Not. Impressed.", which is more in line with his portrayal in the previous two films without sacrificing his full transition into The Cape.
- Common Knowledge: Many people say that the film is Snyder's original vision for the film, hence why some call it the "Snyder Cut". While to an extent it is, as it takes ideas and cut footage and restores it, Snyder's original vision was adjusted into his own 214 minutes long version from 2017, and when he was given the chance to complete this film in 2020, he used that chance to film new footage (the Bad Future scene between Batman and Joker most prominently, which wasn't part of his plans back in 2017) and adjust elements of the film, which is why the film is longer than a typical theatrical release.
- Complete Monster: Darkseid, once known as Uxas, is the dark ruler of Apokolips hell-bent on finding the Anti-Life Equation to subjugate all life in the Multiverse. To this end, Darkseid conquers 100,000 worlds and terraforming them into a new Apokolips, cleansing them with fire and turning its inhabitants into soulless slaves aware but without freedom. Darkseid would later invade Earth upon learning it contains the Anti-Life Equation, and tries to terraform it, only to be defeated and driven back. Darkseid would later banish Steppenwolf from Apokolips, forcing him to conquer thousands of planets should he ever want to return. Upon learning that Steppenwolf found the Anti-Life Equation, Darkseid orders him to scorch the planet; when Steppenwolf failed, Darkseid simply crushes his decapitated head. In the "Knightmare", Darkseid kills most of the Justice League, brainwashes Superman into being his servant, and reduces the Earth into a barren wasteland.
- Continuity Lockout: More for people who aren't fans of the comics or other adaptations than those who have been paying attention to these movies — the first Martian Manhunter scene where he impersonates Martha Kent is bound to leave some confused, given that the character has not been previously established (aside from his civilian identity as Calvin Swanwick) and that the character's power set was not previously identified. It may come across as jarring considering the scene preceding it.
- Cry for the Devil: Despite being an unrepentant conqueror, Steppenwolf does have moments where the audience can sympathize with him. It's mentioned that he had some kind of clash with Darkseid when the latter took the throne, which is left open to interpretation. He decimates worlds because it's the only way Darkseid will forgive him and he has to deal with Desaad kicking him while he's down, his look of sadness seems shockingly genuine. After being beaten and killed by the Justice League, Darkseid dismisses him as a failure in spite of his near-success, with Desaad getting in one more snipe at Steppenwolf's expense.
- Ending Fatigue:
- While the film is very long, it technically "ends" at an exact three hours and forty minutes, with the rest of the runtime being dedicated to set-ups and sequel teases (Lex Luthor and Deathstroke on the boat, the Knightmare sequence and Bruce meeting Martian Manhunter) to movies that Warner Bros. no longer had intentions to make, with the last two sequences being filmed years after principal photography wrapped. Whilst all this stuff is fun, none of it contributes to the actual plot of the movie and can feel to some like it's just dragging the runtime out. Some viewers have noted that on rewatches, they prefer to stop the movie with Superman's classic shirt rip.
- This phenomenon was even acknowledged by Snyder himself, with the chapter marks allowing viewers some room to breathe. He personally said that he felt the movie was best seen in two batches, taking a break between Chapters 4 and 5 — which is incidentally where the intermission for IMAX screenings occurs. He also previously discussed plans to split the movie in half before he stepped down, with the split likely occurring at this point.
- Ensemble Dark Horse: While he doesn't really get to do very much in the movie, Ryan Choi seems to be particularly liked as a character thanks to his actor's charisma.
- Epileptic Trees:
- It didn't take long for some to see the saved schoolgirl who trades smiles with Wonder Woman as Donna Troy. The girl asking if she could one day be like Wonder Woman only fanned the flames.
- Some fans speculate that due to the Arrowverse's major crossover event, Crisis on Infinite Earths — and its reality-altering implications across the entire live-action multiverse — are either the reason the film's story never happened as originally planned, or it's the reason it ended up being saved and makes the theatrical cut's story Canon Discontinuity. It helps that DCEU's Flash briefly and mysteriously cameoed in Part 4 of the event.
- Evil Is Cool:
- Darkseid won over a lot of fans with his deep voice and threatening presence.
- Steppenwolf doesn't disappoint, with his sentient armor that can snap arrows, his incredibly intimidating voice, and genuine badassery against the Justice League which is enough that he very briefly succeeds in his goal to activate the Mother Boxes' Unity and destroy Earth with it.
- Fandom Rivalry:
- While there are fans who get along well with fans of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, there are others (specifically, fans of Shang-Chi's fellow Asian superhero Ryan Choi) who are much less happy. For context, it was revealed by Zack Snyder in a 2021 interview how, during production for Justice League (2017), he'd had plans for Ryan (portrayed by Ryan Zheng) to star in a standalone Atom movie set in China, only for these plans to fall through after Snyder's departure from the film and Zheng's scenes getting removed from the theatrical cut. Following the success of this movie, which restored Ryan's appearance, many fans, particularly those of the DCEU as a whole, were understandably upset over the lost opportunity, which would have potentially allowed DC Films to gain a second edge over its rival Marvel Studios in debuting the "First Asian Solo Superhero Film" after having previously gained an edge over them in releasing the "First Successful Female Solo Superhero Film" via Wonder Woman (2017) getting successfully released before the MCU's Captain Marvel (2019). And as a result, some Atom fans have directed their ire towards Shang-Chi for "stealing their thunder".
- About the usual DCEU/MCU rivalry, the movie winning the very controversial (and social media poll-based) "Cheer-worthy Moment" category that was added at the Academy Awards in 2022, with Flash entering the Speed Force to rewind time. The category appeared to be tailor-made as a Consolation Award for the MCU with no less than two of its movies (Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: No Way Home) competing for it, and ZSJL winning it (through sheer number of voters) rubbed some MCU fan corners the wrong way.
- Also one between the fans of this film and those of James Gunn's DCEU projects, due to The Suicide Squad being released the same year and being very well received. It's essentially about which style is a better fit for ensemble DC movies (even though Warner Bros. executives have made it clear they're not interested in continuing with Snyder's Myth Arc and style).
- Fan Nickname:
- Due to the film having been called "Justice League: The Snyder Cut" or simply "The Snyder Cut" for a long time, the name still sticks. It wasn't lost on the people behind DC FanDome, and it was kept to entitle the film's panel at that online event, even though the official title is Zack Snyder's Justice League.
- Martha Kent has been given the nickname of "Martha Manhunter" due to the new scene where it's revealed that Martian Manhunter impersonates her to talk to Lois Lane, before turning back into Calvin Swanwick.
- The Parademon that manages to stop the Flash with a well-timed cannon shot is often nicknamed "Gary the Legend" per his Memetic Mutation.
- Fanon: While out of universe, the fans have largely considered the theatrical cut to be Canon Discontinuity. Some have come up with an In-Universe reason: the Cosmic Retcon caused by the Crisis on Infinite Earths, using Barry's speed force interaction with the Barry Allen of Earth-Prime to justify it.
- Fanon Discontinuity: Some like to ignore the extended part of the epilogue, which hints at sequels that will most likely never be made. A key reason for this is due to the emphasis on the Knightmare, which implies that everything the heroes did was All for Nothing and was a bleak note to end this iteration of the franchise on (though it's also implied that the heroes can ultimately stop it too).
- Fanfic Fuel: Given that the movie concludes on a relatively open-ended note rife with all sorts of possibilities, it's all too easy to write out your own sequel, especially since the "Snyder-verse" appears to have concluded.
- Friendly Fandoms:
- With some Joker fans. It helps that besides the fact both are Darker and Edgier DC live action works with attempts at realism in play (and the presence of the Clown Prince of Crime in both, as it turned out), Joker is a creator-driven work that for the most part didn't have to deal with Executive Meddling.
- The "Save Daredevil" campaign got support from the Snyder Cut movement, as they see it as the MCU counterpart to this campaign. Charlie Cox's Daredevil ultimately came back to the MCU later that year in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
- There's also some friendliness with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings due to star Simu Liu having been a supporter of the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement.
- Among the fandoms that generally don't like Snyder's DC movies but don't dig further in the negativity (especially against his fandom), there were people who genuinely congratulated those that fought for this film's release for their victory.
- He Really Can Act:
- Ray Fisher has received significant praise for his performance in Cyborg's expanded role, giving the character a great deal of depth that was axed from the theatrical version.
- Ezra Miller, written off by some as portraying a goofy comic relief character in the theatrical version, gets a better chance to show their range as Barry Allen here, particularly during the final battle and especially during the Speed Force sequence.
- When Ray Porter's name was revealed for the part of Darkseid, he was largely unknown to many, having mostly done audiobooks and obscure voice roles, but he seriously impressed a lot of people with his performance in the film, perfectly capturing his character and making it clear in every scene why even Diana is frightened of him and why he's considered one of the biggest threats in the DC universe. A few fans have even adopted Porter's voice as THE voice of Darkseid. It helps that he trained as a Thespian before his voice acting/audiobook career.
- After the initial negative response to his Suicide Squad performance, Jared Leto won a lot of people over with his performance here as the Joker in the Knightmare sequence, striking just the right balance between fake geniality and creepiness and having a terrific dynamic with Ben Affleck's Batman that perfectly reflects the characters' shared history.
- Hilarious in Hindsight:
- In the third act, the Flash jokes that they will save the world with "The Power of Love". In the same month of the Snyder Cut's release, the CW also released the seventh season of The Flash (2014), which became infamous among critics and fans because many episodes end with the villains surrendering after hearing a motivational speech from the heroes about the power of love.
- Barry sees footage of himself and half-heartedly tries to blow it off by saying it's just a guy who looks like him with longer hair. Then the teaser for The Flash (2023) dropped and showed that Ezra Miller plays two Barry Allens, one of whom has longer hair.
- SHAZAM star Zachary Levi joked that the Snyder Cut didn't exist. The first trailer for SHAZAM! Fury of the Gods opened up with footage from the Snyder Cut.
- This movie was something of a Sam Raimi's Spider-Man Trilogy reunion, with Joe Manganiello, Willem Dafoe and J. K. Simmons appearing. Then several months later, the fans got the real deal with Spider-Man: No Way Home, which brought back Alfred Molina, Thomas Haden Church and Tobey Maguire along with the aforementioned Dafoe and Simmons.
- Ho Yay:
- Just like in the theatrical version, Bruce Wayne buys the bank that foreclosed on the Kent Farm, as if to prove to Clark how much the latter means to this brooding loner. His pleading with Clark when the latter has gone berserk makes him sound positively broken-hearted.
- Barry and Victor bounce off each other a lot.
- Improved by the Re-Cut: The theatrical version of Justice League was a two-hour film composed of almost 50% new footage by Joss Whedon (who took over the film during post-production), whereas this version is a four-hour movie consisting solely of Snyder footage (and also uses Junkie XL instead of Danny Elfman as composer) that was mostly scrapped in the making of the theatrical cut, plus 4-5 minutes that Snyder filmed in 2020. While the theatrical cut, nicknamed "Josstice League", received mixed reviews and was considered a box office disappointment, the Snyder Cut received mostly positive reviews, and many praised it for spending more time fleshing out and developing the characters, having better VFX, and generally feeling more coherent, among other things. Even those who aren't fans of Snyder's version generally consider it to be better by comparison.
- Informed Wrongness: When Steppenwolf tells Diana that "This one is mine", she retorts with "I belong to no one". This has been interpreted by some as if she thinks he had made a sexist or even misogynistic comment, even when it is obvious that he was referring to having a one-on-one duel. Some actually prefer the theatrical version's take on the conversation, where Wonder Woman says he's overestimating himself, to which he replies that his weapon is still bloodied with dead Amazons. Then again, in the new cut she might just be boasting that she's gonna win, without any intended reference to sexism.
- Love to Hate: Despite his scant screentime, Darkseid manages to be a memorable and despicable villain, owing to his famously cold-hearted, monstrous, and menacing nature being accurately represented, and Ray Porter nailing his character.
- Memetic Badass: The Parademon that shot the Flash is often jokingly referred to as "Employee of the Month", since its one action turned out to be crucial to Darkseid's Near-Villain Victory. He even got his own Fan Nickname in being called "Gary the Legend".
- Memetic Mutation: Now has its own page.
- Most Wonderful Sound: The theme from Man of Steel plays again for the first time since 2016 when Superman puts on his black suit and takes flight. And that's shortly followed up by an even more rousing and triumphant fanfare version during his Big Damn Heroes moment and ensuing fight against Steppenwolf.
- Narm: See here.
- Narm Charm:
- For some, Steppenwolf's design is an example of this. While it is a bit over the top, defenders have pointed out it works nicely to show his alien nature, is a memorable look and that similar weird appearances had already been used in the past for Darkseid and the other inhabitants of Apokolips. It also helps that it's much more intimidating than how he looked in the theatrical cut.
- The "ancient lamentation music" that plays through many of Wonder Woman's scenes (and some of the Amazons') is criticized for being overused... but at the same time, it does fit Diana and the Amazons as Ladies of War and the memes make it funnier in hindsight.
- Older Than They Think: There are occasional remarks about the designs of the New Gods looking too much like the Children of Thanos / The Black Order from Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, especially DeSaad and Corvus Glaive. Both groups of aliens happen to have been designed by the same concept artist, Jerad Marantz, and he worked on the New Gods first in 2015-2016. The Executive Meddling that led to the New Gods outside Steppenwolf being deleted and the years it took to release Zack Snyder's Justice League explain the rest.
- Only the Creator Does It Right: Taken to its most literal interpretation. When Snyder was announced as stepping down from Justice League and Joss Whedon was stepping up, many people believed that this would get the film and the DC Extended Universe in general on track to achieve the same praise and notoriety as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The resulting film evidently didn't reach that lofty goal, and the DCEU went on to gain success in other ways with Aquaman and SHAZAM!. But at the very least the theatrical version suffered from having two wildly conflicting visions and styles and a shocking amount of special effect failures, so having Snyder step back in and deliver the story he intended to tell is seen as a move to release a more coherent (having more continuity in story, tone and aesthetics with the two films it is the sequel of than the theatrical), fleshed out and polished film handled by the sensibilities of one single director. This trope is evident in how many critics and audience reviewers consider this version of the Justice League better than the theatrical film.
- One-Scene Wonder:
- The Struggling Single Mother tied into Cyborg's backstory, especially since she was actually cut from the original theatrical release.
- The Joker appears in a Knightmare sequence, and it's the first time in this cinematic series where he interacts with Batman.
- Granny Goodness appears alongside Darkseid during the climax. She has no lines of dialogue, nor is she particularly focused on, but her very inclusion was a pleasant surprise to fans who never expected her to be in any movies.
- Padding: The film is four hours long, and not all of it exactly contributes to the plot. Some scenes from the theatrical cut (Wonder Woman saving the Old Bailey, Flash driving the truck with Cyborg) become overlong shown without any cuts. And while slow motion like the Flash's Speed Force scenes are justified cases of Zack Snyder's Signature Style, they make up a whole 24 minutes, including the film's opening sequence.
- Pandering to the Base: Zack Snyder knew this film had high chances of being his final DC Comics-based creation, so he arranged for this cinematic universe's Batman to interact with this universe's Joker in the Bad Future scene, something that wasn't given a chance to happen before due to both Jared Leto and Ben Affleck parting ways with DC Films. It's primarily intended as a gift to the fans who fought for the film to be released, and given the positive reception to that encounter, it wasn't a bad thing to do.
- Rescued from the Scrappy Heap:
- Steppenwolf. After being rendered into a one-note villain in the theatrical release, here, with nothing left on the table, Steppenwolf has been received far more positively. With a much more imposing and intimidating design, more detailed motivation, and generally being a far more impressive battle opponent, Steppenwolf has quickly established a new reputation for himself. It doesn't hurt that he's also responsible for discovering the Anti-Life Equation and relaying it to Darkseid, setting up conflict for a future film. In fact, this movie had a double effect in that Steppenwolf who was basically a foot note among the New Gods is now received as one of the more memorable villains of DC movies, only outranked by Darkseid, Desaad, and Granny Goodness.
- The Flash was little more than comic relief in the theatrical cut and was barely given much to do. Here, he's given more depth, his backstory expanded to give it more weight, and his comic relief feeling much more organic. Most of all, his ability to tap into the Speed Force is utilized much more effectively here, and at the end, he plays a crucial part in preventing Darkseid's victory.
- While not hated, many considered Cyborg one of the weakest parts of the theatrical version for his weak characterization and taking the place of more popular characters like Martian Manhunter. This version of the character was instead warmly received by fans and critics alike for his previously scrapped Character Arc that clearly demonstrates his depth and heroic side, with many praising Ray Fisher's acting skills.
- Lex Luthor isn't quite as manic as before, having dropped pretty much every trait that was considered annoying or out of character and having his image reworked from awkward hipster to decadent rich guy (his conversation with Deathstroke implies that his time being treated in Arkham made him relatively more stable). For added measure, the colors and patterns on his suit resemble Gene Hackman's Luthor costumes.
- While not universally praised, the Joker's appearance here was comparatively better-received than it was in Suicide Squad.
- Retroactive Recognition: Crossed with Hilarious in Hindsight, Pennyworth fans might recognize Salóme Gunnarsdóttir as the Icelandic woman who starts singing a lament when Aquaman leaves (and sniffs the sweater he left behind). She played none other than Patricia Wayne, the non-canonical sister of Thomas Wayne and thus Bruce's aunt, in that series.
- Ron the Death Eater: Tying in with Steppenwolf's Draco in Leather Pants status, a few fans see the Justice League, particularly Superman and Wonder Woman, as sadistic, unnecessarily brutal bullies for thrashing and decapitating Steppenwolf because his primary goal is to simply return to Apokolips, despite the fact that Steppenwolf is an extremely dangerous opponent, has conquered/destroyed countless populated worlds before the movie, (almost) succeeded in destroying Earth as well, and was mere moments away from giving Darkseid the Anti-Life Equation on a silver platter.
- Salvaged Story:
- The overall tone of the movie is pretty much what many who complained about Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice asked for, balancing levity with drama instead of being pretty consistently bleak throughout (though it also materializes what Chris Terrio said about the movies he wrote, comparing the darkness of BvS to The Empire Strikes Back, with Justice League being more akin to Return of the Jedi). The more straightforward and relatively simple narrative also helps.
- After getting flak for introducing Jimmy Olsen only so he could kill him off purely for shock value, Zack Snyder included a minor character portrayed by Marc McClure, who had previously depicted Jimmy Olsen alongside Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder in the original Superman films. The character is upbeat, interacts with Lois Lane on friendly terms, and is kept out of harm's waynote .
- While it is much less polished than that from Batman v Superman due to the limited resources to make it, the Bad Future scene provides much more context than the previous Show, Don't Tell-heavy one. And the meeting between Batman and the Joker is quite memorable. It is also placed at the end of the film as a sorta The Stinger instead of its middle, which doesn't distract from the main story.
- Many of the criticisms of the theatrical cut are addressed here (simply as a result of the original director coming back):
- Tom Holkenborg coming back for the soundtrack to restore musical continuity with what himself and Hans Zimmer composed for Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Danny Elfman was criticized for heavily recycling some of his previous material in the theatrical version as well as putting his own 1989 Batman theme and the 1978 John Williams Superman theme (which both felt out of place). While he's at it, Holkenborg even added a welcome triumphant Fanfare to the Man of Steel tracks used for Superman's return in action.
- Steppenwolf was considered The Scrappy of Whedon's cut of the film for having a bare-bones personality and motivations, combined with bad CGI and a design too similar to Ares'. Here, he has a much more distinctive design with impressive CGI to depict it, and a clear motivation: he needs to conquer worlds for Darkseid so he can return home to Apokolips.
- The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg's characterizations in the theatrical cut were met divisively, especially with a lack of a firm character arc or really iconic moments to shine. Here, all three heroes get more development and general respect, particularly Cyborg, on equal par with the Trinity.
- A lot of Diana's screaming in battle sounded like she was having some rough sex in the theatrical cut. There's none of it to be heard here. A lot of Male Gaze shots that were added by Whedon are absent as well.
- Many scenes involving Batman that were criticized in the theatrical cut, such as his sudden Jerkass turn towards Diana and his overtly comical confrontation with the post-resurrection Superman, have also been excised, making Bruce into a more effective and heroic leader.
- Much of Whedon's cut was hit with Special Effects Failure due to costly reshoots and lack of time to properly make them (most infamously their attempt to hide the contractually-obligated mustache on Henry Cavill). While Snyder's cut does have a few unpolished moments, the visual effects are noticeably better.
- Many of the more lighthearted and comedic moments from Whedon's cut which, while pleasing to some in response to criticisms of previous DCEU films not being lighthearted enough, proved contentious to others for not meshing well with the general tone of the movie and contradicting the more earnest portrayal of the characters. Surprising many, though, was that the film was much lighter in tone than Batman v Superman, with plenty of humor that is more in line with the established personalities of the characters. Whedon's quippier preference caused some of the theatrical cut's humorous moments to feel forced or out of place, while the humor in the Snyder cut feels more appropriate.
- Steppenwolf being built up as The Dreaded in the theatrical cut really did not stick with audiences. We had the Amazons, the Atlanteans, humanity, and even the Greek Gods, with the Green Lantern Corps sending two of their men into the fight, all teaming up to fight one of Darkseid's minor lackeys, which came off as... silly, and confusing as to why it only takes six heroes to defeat him in the present day. Zack Snyder's cut fixes this, with the invasion in ancient times led by Darkseid instead; this makes it far more believable that such massive forces would've united to combat the threat, and also that it can take just six heroes to battle Steppenwolf in the film proper.
- In the theatrical cut the conflict becomes a case of raw physical might, and as Superman shows up Steppenwolf is helpless to fight back and the League easily regroups and disables the Unity, which only reinforced Superman as a Story-Breaker Power and the rest of the League as superfluous. This film places more emphasis on the team coordination, from Wonder Woman and Aquaman keeping Steppenwolf occupied, Batman disabling parademon defenses, the danger Cyborg faces trying to interface with the Unity and Flash needing to reverse time after everyone dies from the Unity detonating, which means Superman's Big Damn Heroes moment doesn't overshadow everyone else.
- Signature Scene: Barry Allen - The Fastest Man Alive- pushes himself beyond his limit and travels in time to undo the end of the world, saving all life on Earth just by running. It was Barry's finest hour, and the spectacle in tandem with the swelling music and Ezra Miller's earnest performance won many fans over in that moment.
- Slow-Paced Beginning: The first half is very slow-paced in order to help establish the cast and the general status quo of the movie. The team doesn't fully form until two hours in (and it's a full hour before Barry Allen even appears), but once that happens, the pace picks up pretty significantly.
- Special Effect Failure:
- While the film is more consistent with the effects thanks to extra time and budget, some effects do stick out. Some shots with CGI work completed for them after Snyder returned to the movie, and particularly the Bad Future scenes shot during the brief period of additional photography in 2020, aren't as well-rendered as the rest of the film due to limited resources and working-at-home COVID-19 Pandemic restrictions. This affects Cyborg the most as being Serkis Folk it often feels like a head painted on a glossy CGI body, especially the Knightmare vision with him preparing to fight looking off due to the awkward shape of his body. The Flash also looks pretty unconvincing, which is owed in part due to the fact that his scene was shot through Zoom and had to be reconstructed with CGI. At which point the budget must have run out, given the results.
- A parademon that throws Batman during the battle in the abandoned tunnel is animated in a way that makes Batman look weightless.
- The CGI on Martian Manhunter and Granny Goodness both look a little incomplete on close inspection.
- Strangled by the Red String: Barry's initial rescue of Iris includes him tenderly caressing her face, which feels like it leans far too heavily on our knowledge of them as an Official Couple and just comes off as creepy when they don't know each other yet, she's not even identified as Iris in-film, and even raises the question of how much more Power Perversion Potential he's taken advantage of.
- Surprisingly Improved Sequel: The film received very positive reviews. For reference, it sits at 71% on Rotten Tomatoes, compared to 56% for Man Of Steel, 27% for Batman V. Superman, and 40% for the theatrical cut. This correlates with fan reception, with even detractors considering this film better than previous Snyder films in the DCEU. Points of praise include the lighter (but not unserious) tone from the previous movies, stronger character writing for every member of the Justice League, impressive visual effects and fight scenes, and a fantastic climax.
- Ugly Cute: Surprisingly enough, Steppenwolf when he's not throwing down, due to somewhat looking like a huge hairless alien cat with big pleading eyes.
- Unintentional Uncanny Valley: Though she's usually out-of-focus so it's not too noticeable, Granny Goodness's final appearance shows her face more clearly, but the somewhat lackluster CGI manages to make her resemble the human Princess Fiona (and by extension a cartoon version of Cameron Diaz) from the first Shrek film. That she retains her largely human looking face while the other New Gods are much more alien looking doesn't help, as it makes her stand out more.
- Unconventional Learning Experience:
- Diving into the whereabouts of this film after the 2017 theatrical version was actually quite educational for a number of fans, who learned the ins and outs of modern post-production, such as the differences between "first cut", director's cut, assembly cut, and rough cut (all of which are entirely different things). Case in point, this video by Dan Olson is a 20 minute summation of why the Snyder cut, as it existed at the height of the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut campaign, couldn't be released as an actual film without a sizable amount of money and time spent to finish it. He also observed that the rough cut could be released, but doing so would be unprecedented — and Zack Snyder later confirmed that Warner Bros. execs offered to do just that, but he refused to release his work in an unfinished state.
- Post-release, the differences in editing, color grading and scoring made the movie a magnet for examinations in how small changes in making a film can snowball into significant alterations in the way scenes play out for the audience and the emotional impact when it comes to the order of events. While there were entire subplots, missing shots and deleted roles reinstated, the scenes that did play relatively similar to the theatrical release (Wonder Woman vs the terrorists, resurrected Superman vs the League, the League advancing on the stronghold) gave rise to numerous frame-by-frame comparisons.
- The whole affair also taught many people about the weird world of Executive Meddling, how decisions in a studio's chain of commands can shape, harm, or cancel film projects, and so on. The 2017 film's infamously Troubled Production (and the tepid reception it got from critics and audiences) has become one of Hollywood's biggest cautionary tales on the matter.
- Diving into the whereabouts of this film after the 2017 theatrical version was actually quite educational for a number of fans, who learned the ins and outs of modern post-production, such as the differences between "first cut", director's cut, assembly cut, and rough cut (all of which are entirely different things). Case in point, this video by Dan Olson
- Unexpected Character:
- The announcement that Jared Leto would reprise his role as The Joker from Suicide Squad in additional photography was quite surprising to many, considering that he was never involved with the original production at all, and was met with an incredibly divisive reception in his debut film.
- Granny Goodness being confirmed to appear on Apokolips was quite shocking when it was revealed a little over a month before the release of the movie. What makes this so unexpected is that, for over two years of providing teases into his version of the film, Snyder never once mentioned the character.
- Visual Effects of Awesome:
- The visuals of the movie (especially the designs for Desaad, Steppenwolf, and Darkseid) look absolutely gorgeous. Probably THE standout scene would be Flash having to run faster than he's ever tried in order to reverse time and prevent the Unity from detonating. A black void becomes reconstructed from a devastating explosion, with bone and muscle tissue from the League's members reforming as Flash reaches his destination.
- One that became a running minor gag with the guys of Corridor Digital involves Steppenwolf stepping into a puddle of water to confront an Atlantian about the Motherbox. The crew is uncertain about a stick that Steppenwolf steps on being real or CGI due to the way it interacts with his walk. They'd eventually find out from FX supervisor Brian Hirota of Scanline (the trio thinking it was WETA who did the shot initially) that yes, the stick was real, the only CG enhancement being footprints within the puddle itself.
- Win Back the Crowd: After two intensely controversial and divisive first entries in his series of movies based on the DC Universe, the movie shockingly became one of Zack Snyder's best-reviewed, with even detractors calling the movie superior to the theatrical version and a good capper to the mythos set up in Man of Steel and Batman v Superman.
- WTH, Costuming Department?:
- The official image of Steppenwolf's new, more alien design has been the subject of a fair amount of mockery, with deriders claiming that the bladed edges all over his costume look ridiculous and are the pinnacle of the overdone design elements some dislike in Snyder's DCEU films.note Though upon release some softened to the look as the armor is seen to flatten down outside of combat, be interactive (catching arrows shot by the Amazons) and even collapsible, rather than just spikey for its own sake.
- Fans noticed that Deathstroke's sword had a symbol on the handle, after some research, it was discovered to be an Emblem from the multiplayer mode of Halo, leading fans to wonder why Deathstroke had a Halo emblem hanging off of his sword. Then it was discovered that the symbol is literally the first thing that comes up if you type "Ra's Al Ghul Symbol" into Google because someone used it as the symbol for the League of Assassins in their fanfiction.
- Batman's cowl in Dawn of Justice was designed in a way so that Ben Affleck could easily turn his head without tearing the neck or bowing out the cheeks. While the suit in this movie is still popularly received, the new cowl was completely redesigned inside and out and now has the same "restricted head issue" that plagued the Batman Film Series and The Dark Knight Trilogy.
- The Woobie:
- Cyborg really becomes this compared to the theatrical version. Aside from the trauma coming from losing his mother and becoming Cyborg, Victor also loses his father (with whom he'd had a strained relationship that he never got to properly patch up) to a sacrifice meant to trace the Mother Box. All of this is compounded by the fact that he is the one who has to potentially sacrifice himself to separate the Mother Boxes in the final confrontation. The other members, particularly Aquaman, express discomfort about putting this burden on a kid who's already been through so much in such a short time span.
- The Struggling Single Mother Cyborg helps upon discovering his powers. She can't make ends meet, and her landlord is petty enough to change the locks to the apartment she rents without warning her, leaving her homeless.
