As DC Comics fans are still clamoring for the Zack Snyder cut of Justice League, The Invisible Man director Leigh Whannell has gone on record saying the idea of there being a cut of a film that doesn’t fit the director’s vision is a “nightmare.” Fans began to demand the Justice League Snyder cut shortly after the release of the movie in 2017, stating a general dissatisfaction with the final cut of the film made by Joss Whedon, who replaced Snyder as the director of the film during its production.

Some of those complaints were warranted, given the final state of Superman’s digitally removed mustache, and two years later, DC fans still assert they haven’t seen the film the way its original director initially intended. Even some of the movie’s stars, such as Ben Affleck, have chimed in that they would like to see Snyder’s cut of the film. The director has gone on record confirming the Justice League Snyder cut exists, but he also admitted its runtime is about 3.5 hours long. Images from the Snyder cut have also surfaced, showing teasers of scenes fans wish they had seen in the film.

For his part, Whannell believes the fact that there’s an unseen Snyder cut for Justice League isn’t a good thing. In an interview with the Reel Blend Podcast, Whannell spoke about the Snyder cut and other director’s cuts that have been released over the years.

When asked about the case of Blade Runner, where director Ridley Scott has released versions to the theatrical cut, Whannell said:

To me, I never wanna have another cut sitting somewhere that competes with the original cut… I guess what I’m saying is, whatever circumstances created that cut, whatever horrible circumstances are totally understandable. For me personally, I would always view it as a terrible thing that there was an unseen cut of the film. Over the years, you’ll see this thing where it’s like, ‘James Cameron rereleases the director’s cut of Aliens.’ And then he’ll introduce it. When you watch it, he comes on the screen and he says, ‘This is the way I always intended people to watch Aliens.’ And my first thought is, ‘That’s nuts!’ Don’t have one definitive version of the movie. I hate this idea that we missed out on the version he wanted us to see.

Of course, Whannell comparing the Justice League Snyder cut situation to Cameron’s tinkering with Alien when he added 17 minutes of bonus footage and announcing that particular version of the movie was the one he always wanted audiences to see isn’t quite the same thing. Whannell referred to that as “nuts,” saying it suggests the film fans saw and loved was not the definitive version of it. Based on his comments, Whannell believes this could lessen the initial experience of going to the movies, especially when moviegoers later learn that the director had a broader vision in mind that moviegoers possibly didn’t see. But Justice League was a different situation, where Whedon took over for Snyder after principal photography but before reshoots.

That’s the situation I’m saying would be a nightmare, would be someone forcibly changing a film I had made to such a degree that I felt the version out there was not the true version. That is a living nightmare I don’t want to live. Maybe I’ll go through it one day.

It was the chaotic production of Justice League itself that will continue to have fans clamoring for the Snyder cut. Many were not happy with the Justice League reshoots done by Whedon once he took over the film, believing these reshoots ruined what Snyder had initially envisioned. These fans could entertain the notion the Snyder cut necessarily better and Warner Bros. did them a favor by hiring Whedon and allowing those reshoots. Regardless, Whannell may be right in his assessment that it’s a nightmare for both directors to have two cuts of the same Justice League movie in existence.

Next: Justice League: The Snyder Cut Was NOT Zack Snyder’s Theatrical Cut

Source: Reel Blend Podcast

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