Most filmmakers tend to toe the party line and say the Director’s Cut of their movie is the version that gets released in theaters, but anyone with even a passing knowledge of studio politics is more than aware that this isn’t always the case. Ridley Scott in particular is known for revisiting his works to deliver superior edits, while George Lucas’ constant tinkering with the original Star Wars trilogy has rankled the fanbase for years.
However, Zack Snyder’s Justice League has them all beat. Despite being the credited director on the theatrical cut, Snyder has disowned the movie and is currently putting the finishing touches on his four-hour HBO Max miniseries. Of course, this isn’t the first time he’s added extra footage back into one of his directorial efforts, but it is the most substantial by far.
Sucker Punch got an Extended Cut with eighteen additional minutes, the Director’s Cut of Watchmen was 24 minutes longer and the Ultimate Cut is the lengthiest comic book movie in history at 215 minutes, while the Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice Ultimate Edition threw in an extra half an hour.
And while the R-rated Ultimate Edition is viewed by many fans as the definitive take on the story, Snyder still isn’t done yet. In a recent post on his beloved Vero, the former architect of the DCEU revealed that he’s remastering BvS now by restoring the original IMAX aspect ratio.
The remastered Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice could be an upcoming home video release or it might end up as another HBO Max exclusive. Right now, we don’t know. But you can bet that supporters and defenders of the somewhat divisive movie will no doubt be checking it out as soon as they can.