There were so many things wrong with the original release of Justice League, starting with its turbulent production. Zack Snyder stepped away from the project due to a personal tragedy and Joss Whedon came in to finish it. The result was a hodgepodge of scattered and half-baked ideas. This even gave credence to the idea that a superior version of the movie, the Snyder Cut, was left on the cutting room floor. The execs at Warner Brothers clearly bought into that idea and now we’ll get to see what that Snyder Cut is all about.
Another major sticking point of the film was Henry Cavill’s mustache. During the reshoots of Justice League, Cavill was attached to Mission: Impossible – Fallout and had grown out his facial hair, just the bit above his upper lip. But instead of shaving it off, the glorious growth was removed through the magic of digital wizardry. Using CGI to do the job wasn’t quite as effective as a razor, though, so we all got a chance to see the weirdly botched looking face of the Man of Steel and #Mustachegate was born. It also cost a pretty sum.
Will this be an issue in the upcoming HBO Max re-release of the movie, though? Maybe not, as some corrective measures are being worked on to avoid another debacle of a similar nature. Apparently, there are rumors that the special effects studio working on the Snyder Cut might do a reshoot of Cavill’s sequences in the studio and then replace the old footage with the fresh takes. The special effects insider who spoke to Heroic Hollywood explained the process and its feasibility, saying:
“If Cavill were to go into the studio, and assuming that he’s in the relative same shape. It might be easier to reshoot his whole body and performance and paint out the old footage and replace it with the new and current special-effects footage. A lot also depends on the complexity of the shots Snyder wants to use and how many they have to do.”
This sounds like some seriously expensive editing work, but with reports of a staggering budget of around $80 million, Snyder might have already accounted for these edits. Although, it all hinges on how much better Superman’s face will look in this iteration of Justice League than the previously seen footage. This might even mark Cavill’s return to the role of Clark Kent in the DCEU and if so, you can be sure that the team will do everything they can to get it right when he comes in for reshoots.