Does anyone know where DC and Zack Snyder are heading? Because I am sure in the next ten years, we will be talking about how Batman vs. Superman made sense in the context of Justice League 3.

The DC fanbase pressed hard to receive Zack Snyder’s version of Justice League after the 2017 version became jumbled when Joss Whedon came on board to complete the film. Their styles clashed, and Warner Brothers opted for Whedon’s light-toned direction due to his work on the first two Avengers films. Ardent fans pushed the studio to drop 70 million for Snyder’s version, and the result was a more mature albeit extensive version that satiated fans’ desires. It was the film many had preferred over the mediocre one released back then.  

Unfortunately, it did not stop there because DC fans are like Cookie Monsters. All you can do is give them more and more cookies. Fans want more from Snyder’s vision, so they have continued to bombard social media with #RestoreTheSnyderVerse comments to incentivize Warner Brothers to listen to their voices. If they succeeded in getting it for Justice League nearly four years later, indeed, they could do it again?

However, WarnerMedia CEO Ann Sarnoff has claimed Snyder’s released film on HBO Max “completes the trilogy,” and they want to move on with plans for the “multi-dimensional DC characters that are becoming developed now.” He also mentioned there would not be an Ayer Cut of the apathetic Suicide Squad that came out in 2016. Of course, this comes with an abundant number of problems for fans and corporate management.

One of the most significant issues the DC Extended Universe has fallen into is an unbalanced direction for its character development and continuity. Man of Steel and Batman v Superman are two extremely dark works (coincidentally directed by Zack Snyder) trying to settle for the bold storytelling. Still, they fall short because of the overbearing of unnecessary plot elements and preposterous themes. Wonder Woman was a breath of fresh air buoyed by Gal Gadot’s titular character. Aquaman and Shazam! are light-hearted and suscept themselves to a fun tone like the Marvel films. It is too jarring to establish dark-toned themes in one movie and then have them become absent in the next. DC can never settle for linearity.

Warner Brothers now must deal with the other issue because the Snyder Cut is better than the original theatrical version. They would have to admit they are wrong about creative direction and behind-the-scenes details when making one of the most expensive films of all time. There were reports of abusive behavior when the JL reshoots came with Whedon, Geoff Johns, and Jon Berg. Since Snyder’s version was better, maybe other directors in the franchise (like Patty Jenkins and David Ayer) could claim that WB also ruined their aspirations to process the films they created. Ayer claimed the studio “destroyed the first 40 minutes of his feature.” The studio could have assuredly moved on if the Snyder Cut was terrible (like BvS, Suicide Squad, and the first Justice League version), but since it wasn’t, they now have to tackle the public’s demands and how they approach DC films’ future.

Now the public’s outrage over WB’s refusal to continue Snyder’s vision has even led to them attempting to sabotage the reception of Godzilla vs. Kong, a highly anticipated film releasing in late March. Twitter also had millions of tweets floating around panning WB to refuse to let directors to tell their stories.

So much toxicity and detestation over this company’s direction may leave them in the long haul for the future. What comes next for Warner Brothers, DC Entertainment, and Zack Snyder is anyone’s guess.