Here’s the First Trailer for “Zack Snyder’s Justice League”

By now you likely know the story of how Zack Snyder’s Justice League came to be. The broad strokes are that Snyder was helming the original Justice League when he had to leave the production, and the film was taken over by director Joss Whedon. The result, released in 2017, wasn’t something Snyder ever felt connected to. After much fan demand on social media, Snyder, his team, and Warner Bros. got together to make magic happen—his vision for the first film in which Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, and Aquaman fight together would finally see the light of day, via HBO Max.

Cut to this past Saturday’s DC FanDome event, where Snyder revealed the first full-length trailer for his vision. The gang is all here—Henry Cavill’s Superman, Ben Affleck’s Batman, Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa’s Aquaman, Ray Fisher’s Cyborg, and Ezra Klein’s The Flash. So, too, is the original Justice League‘s big bad, Ciaran Hinds’ Steppenwolf. But making his big debut is Darkseid, a miserably potent supervillain Snyder has been teasing for a while now.

The trailer is set to Leonard Cohen‘s “Hallelujah,” and the only actual dialogue from the film comes at the very end, courtesy a nervous Flash and a resolute Batman. It’s an intriguing puzzle that Snyder and his team have created for themselves. It’s not like they were able to do extensive reshoots with the cast. The bulk of Zack Snyder’s Justice League will be made up of footage already shot, recut by Snyder’s team, and utilizing a ton of footage that was never used. Snyder has said previously that he won’t be using anything from the original 2017 Justice League, which adds yet one more layer of complexity. As for Darkseid, well, there’s plenty Snyder can add with CG, so this will definitely look and feel like a very different movie, with a totally new villain.

The other thing you’re going to notice is the unique 1.66:1 aspect ratio. A typical feature film gets the anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio, so this is…quite different, and what Snyder obviously wants. The other major Justice League news to come out of FanDome was that Zack Snyder’s Justice League won’t be a single, stand-alone epic, but rather will be released in four one-hour installments, with an opportunity to watch it all as one film at a later date.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League will be released exclusively on HBO Max in 2021. Check out the trailer here:

For more on the DC FanDome Event, check out these stories:

At Long Last “The Batman” Trailer Reveals Robert Pattinson as Caped Crusader

James Gunn Reveals “The Suicide Squad” Footage at DC FanDome Event

The New “Wonder Woman 1984” Trailer Delivers the Goods

Featured image: Zack Snyder’s Justice League is coming to HBO Max in 2021. Courtesy HBO Max/Warner Bros.

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The Credits is an online magazine that tells the story behind the story to celebrate our large and diverse creative community. Focusing on profiles of below-the-line filmmakers, The Credits celebrates the often uncelebrated individuals who are indispensable to the films and TV shows we love.