Zack Snyder On Justice League, R-Rated Superheroes And His DCEU Future

Zack and Deborah Snyder are about to unleash the biggest fan event of the year with the true Justice League. Soon, we will join them in the sun. 

With the excitement of their four-hour epic on the horizon, we spoke to the movie-making duo about R-rated superheroes, stories Zack would like to tell, and if he’d consider coming back to the DCEU in a post-Snyder Cut world.

How are you both feeling? Nervous, excited?

Deborah: Excited – it’s been quite the journey to get here and I don’t think either one of us ever thought we’d be sitting in this seat today.

What are you hoping fans will take from this? Obviously you want them to be happy, but are you wanting them to feel a sense of closure, or looking for more?

Zack: This is a pretty big banquet, it’s not a small snack. I would hope that they feel invigorated and excited about this respectful, reverent, very carefully-made film about these characters they love. That’s my hope; that they come out with excitement and exhilaration at having seen the film.

The R-rating became very apparent watching the film. Was that something you always envisioned? I know the Batman v Superman Ultimate Edition is R-rated, is that where you’re more comfortable?

Zack: I don’t know that it’s a hugely conscious thing, it’s just our sort of natural aesthetic. Instead of saying like, we knew this was just for a streamer, and it was just more in the spirit of the BvS Ultimate Edition. So I just said… oh well, Steppenwolf would chop that guy in half, so let’s just do that [laughs].

Deborah: There are repercussions to the violence, and I think that’s something that’s always been showing that there is a repercussion, not that everything’s just okay.

I remember the first time seeing the blood splatters in the BvS warehouse fight and thinking it was great, and there’s plenty of that here. For both of you, what’s been the highlight of your DC journey so far?

Deborah: Well, I think for me, it’s been cultivating this very personal relationships with the fans. Hearing so many stories of what these movies meant to them, what these characters meant to them.

We’ve gotten a lot of videos and letters from fans saying they were in a dark place and Man of Steel helped them, and the impact that the movies really have on them. To me, no matter whether people liked them or not, if it touches someone, that’s an amazing thing. To be able to have that dialogue with them also was just a really fulfilling experience for me, and I think for Zack too.

Zack: Frankly, what they’ve been able to accomplish with us in regard to mental health awareness and suicide prevention. I always say… the truth is, the movie is cool, it’s fun and it’s cool to watch a movie, but that’s a real thing these guys are doing. Literally, people’s lives are being changed and saved. So, that alone would be worth it. That relationship is really important to us.

There are a few loose threads in the film. If you were asked to follow it up, would you come back or are you ready to move on from this saga?

Zack: Listen, like Debbie said, we didn’t think we’d be here talking to you. I don’t wanna say ‘never say never’ because it’s crazy to do that in this crazy world. We’ve learned that that’s a mistake. But on the other hand, you know, we’ve got a bunch of big movies in the works.

Deborah: There’s so many amazing stories to tell.

Is there any superhero you’ve got an itch for who you’ve not been able to scratch… yet?

Zack: You know, there’s been a couple that we’ve talked about. But you know, I feel pretty… I mean, Frank Miller’s Elektra Lives Again is a cool book that I think is amazing. I’ve always wanted to do a real, super faithful adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns. Other than that, I’m kind of happy where we are with our cinematic [output].

I mean, if I was gonna do a movie, we have hours of the mythology that we created that we haven’t finished, so who knows? Like you say though, we’re pretty excited about the way things are going.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League available on Sky Cinema and NOW TV from March 18.