Zack Snyder's Justice League: Teaser Break Down
The Snyder Cut. Release The Snyder Cut. Infamous words.
The Snyder Cut's first full teaser/trailer released yesterday during the brilliant DC Fandome event. This was the moment I was most excited for.
I have been an advocate for The Snyder Cut for the past two years or more.
Ever since I caught wind of the trend and the idea of Zack's REAL film existing, seeing all the sneak peeks Zack would post to his Vero, after witnessing the god-awful Justice League theatrical release in 2017, I became another voice among hundreds of thousands for the now infamous hashtag and trend - #ReleaseTheSnyderCut.
And now, we are here. We have a full trailer.
And it is beyond anything we could have imagined. I'll be breaking it down via screenshots and discussing my thoughts and favourite moments and more!
On a side note, I cried several times watching this teaser. There is so much heart, emotion and power within it. Magical.
Let's start!
The Teaser
Our first shot is Uxas (Young Darkseid).
The CGI for Uxas looks like it needs a little more work, but that is to be expected as the film is not 100% finished. However, opening on Uxas sets the tone for the teaser and the film as well. This shot is likely to be from the history lesson sequence, where Diana and Bruce discuss the Mother Boxes and what is happening - I think.
The New God's full role in the movie remains mostly a mystery, but gosh damn am I here to see how his role plays out. Note his weapon as well - it comes up again later.
We then see Clark Kent/Superman at the end of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice during his fight with Doomsday and ultimately, his death.
This is a different perspective from the shot we see in BvS when the Cryptonite spear penetrates Doomsday, ultimately killing Doomsday, as well as Superman.
This scream from Superman awakens the Mother Boxes that are on Earth, something that Zack confirmed during his live stream commentary of BvS. One of the great things of this shot, in particular, is that this was one of the posts by Zack on VERO showing a glimpse of his original vision.
Note the hand grabbing Superman - Doomsday. That scream from Superman is haunting and powerful. It will likely be referenced in the Zacks Justice League movie/series...
The next shot we have, there is LOTS to unpack and look at! Let's go!
We open on the Hall of Justice (note the arched stone and gold writing) - destroyed. Earth is destroyed. This is the continuation of the nightmare sequence from Batman v Superman where Darkseid has conquered earth.
But first, notice the circled items - Aquaman's trident and what appears to be Wonder Woman's shield, broken and damaged. I believe during an event, Zack mentioned that in the nightmare future, Wonder Woman and Aquaman die, Superman is working with Darkseid (Anti-Life Equation) and Batman, Cyborg and The Flash are the last survivors.
The continuation of the nightmare and what more we will learn will be very interesting. As Zack has confirmed we will see more content from this Nightmare future.
This is a direct link to the nightmare sequence in Batman v Superman as we see in the below shots:
The Omega symbol, the decimated city in the background, terraforming ships.
Batman, and the shot, appear to be higher up compared to the Justice League shot. Perhaps, during Zacks Justice League (ZSJL), we see the destruction the remnants of the Hall of Justice - as the ground seems to be flatter in ZSJL's shot and there is additional terraforming going on to the right of the shot in ZSJL's.
Our next shot is Wonder Woman, more specifically, Diana Prince doing some exploring and artefact research.
Note the shape of the arrow - it is similar to that of Uxas's weapon in the opening shot of the teaser.
It is also interesting to note that the arrow is steaming - indicating heat. Perhaps that arrow has just landed there?
Did someone fire it through a Boom Tube? How did it get there?
This appears to be set in, Greece, possibly? (trying to judge off of the architecture of the pillar)
This sequence continues if we stitch in the very first-ever look at ZSJL from back in June.
In this teaser we got earlier this year, we see Diana coming face-to-face with a mural/painting of Darkseid in an underground tomb by the looks of it.
The mural of Darkseid causes a very visceral reaction from Diana - fear.
The sequence, to me, will play out;
Diana in Greece on an archaeology dig or artefact hunt comes across this arrow penetrated in stone.
Upon approaching it she discovers an opening to a tomb. Exploring down below, she comes across the Darkseid mural. What happens after that or before as this is just my thoughts, who knows!
The next shots are nothing major to write home about - we see Bruce looking at the hologram of Superman, Aquaman walking down a pier obviously about to head home to Atlantis. The next noteworthy shot is below:
Victor Stone (Ray Fisher) - was one of if not the most affected characters by the atrocious handling of the 2017 Justice League movie by joss whedon and geoff johns - his entire arc was removed and, I'd say, 90% of his scenes were cut. Not any more.
Here we see Victor's football match with support from his Mother in the grandstand. This scene will be very interesting to watch and see how it is integrated into the overall movie/series.
It is so wonderful to see these characters getting their justice and time to shine. As Zack Snyder has said on several occasions, Victor/Cyborg is the hear of the movie. And from this trailer, it is very clear to see why and how he will be.
And now, for a BIG ONE - Black Suited Superman.
Not much to say. It's incredible. It's beautiful.
It might be from here that Superman then flies to meet Alfred at Bruce Wayne's lakehouse - the teaser for that scene we saw during the brilliant Justice Con held back in July by Wonder Meg and The Nerd Queens - a fantastic event.
The next few shots are some of my favourites from the teaser. Featuring Wonder Woman and a schoolgirl in a museum after an attack.
This is the aftermath of an attack at a Museum where a group of school children almost die - but Wonder Woman saves them. That actual scene will likely be vastly different to the atrocity we got in josstice league.
(On a side note, as I'm writing this, I have 'Hallelujah' by Leonard Cohen playing and I'm fighting back tears. This teaser, this scene, the whole Snyder Cut movement carries so much emotion and weight.)
It is really quite something.
Anyway, we then cut to Wonder Woman smiling back at this girl - they might exchange dialogue in this scene, so it will be interesting to see what they say to each other or if the schoolgirl does anything before or during the conflict in the museum because Diana singles her out here - who knows.
This. This is Wonder Woman. Among all of the characters, it is so wonderful seeing her character being treated properly and respected. Unlike joss whedon who butchered her character and does not understand what she stands for.
It's The Flashes turn now - in this brilliant scene.
Here we see Barry Allen using his power to save a young woman, Iris West (Who, if I am correct, becomes a prominent love interest for Barry) from a car crash - I am a big fan of Zacks use of his powers - with the blue lightning effect.
After Barry saves her, they share a brief moment together - this will be longer in the movie, but even in this short 2-3 second shot, there is a lot of emotion conveyed - credit to the actress Kiersey Clemons.
The next shot is Cyborg in a cemetery digging up something.
I do not think that this is Cyborg digging up Clark Kent's body.
Namely, because the rest of the League is not there with him and Clark was buried in the country side near the family farm, whereas this appears to be in a built-up area.
So that begs the question, who is he digging up? Or is he digging up anyone? Is this his mother grave? I do not know...let me know what you think perhaps!
I mean. What needs to be said about this shot. Its Ben Affleck's Batman shot by Zack Snyder and Larry Fong. That's all you need!
We then have an emotional embrace between Martha and Lois. Two of the best characters in Zacks three films so far. They, like everyone else, were butchered in josstice league and, again, it is so wonderful seeing their characters being treated properly and respected.
As to when this scene will occur in the movie - unsure. But I would guess early on - Martha checking in on Lois in the aftermath of Clarks passing would make sense. Their dialogue will be brilliant here. These two actresses are phenomenal and when together, they really make something special.
This is and will be an interesting scene. We have Arthur and Mera. Arthurs trident is on the floor along with his armour - this Justice League is set before the events of Aquaman as Arthur does not have King Atlan's trident yet.
My guess is that Mera, Vulko and others try and convince Arthur to become King or perhaps this is after Steppenwolf attacks Atlantis for one of the Mother Boxes that is stored there.
As we see Vulko approach Arthur with his trident, presumably to hand it to him to use in the fights to come. But it seems that Arthur rejects the weapon and his armour as we see them laying on the ground in the still from the teaser.
Arthur then leaves the meeting/discussion, much to Mera's disappointment and sadness - again, the dialogue in this scene will likely be gripping and a great insight into Arthurs state of mind during this movie.
The next shots are brilliant and introduce a new character and some very emotionally heavy moments with Cyborg.
Another shot of Uxas, this shot was another of the first major looks at the movie Zack shared via his Vero account.
And now, a new big character - Desaad.
DeSaad is a member of Darkseid's inner circle, Darkseid's Chief Torturer and ruler of Apokolips according to DC.Fandom.com. So, quite a pivotal and major enemy of the Justice League.
His role in the movie is very much unknown, but I imagine we will see conversations between DeSaad, Darkseid and Steppenwolf about the conquering of Earth, Superman perhaps and more.
It is my understanding that Steppenwolf wants to join the ranks of the New Gods so goes to Earth after Lex's 'ringing of the bell' to make way for Darkseid but encounters the Justice League.
(I do not proclaim to be 100% accurate on DC law, but from Googling and conversations on Twitter with the brilliant extended fan base of The Snyder Cut, that is my interpretation)
There are LOTS to go through and look at in the next few shots, so let's go!
Oof, these next scenes are very emotionally heaven.
This scene, there is a lot going on and a lot will happen.
The first thing of note is the dented wall/server behind Barry. Now, given Barry's face in this shot, I think, maybe, that Cyborg attacks Barry by throwing him into the wall. It appears that Cyborg is being controlled or is under the influence of the Mother Box and being manipulated by Steppenwolf as well; maybe.
@RTTheSnyderCut did a great break down of this scene - namely focussing on Cyborg's face and the range of emotions he goes through.
^ Shock - at what he has just done & what's happening to him.
^ Realisation at what has just happened.
^ Pain from what he has done and who he did it too.
^ Rage. Anger. A massive testament to Ray Fisher's acting and range here. This scene is going to be a standout moment and Ray's performance will be one of the greatest in a comic book movie.
And that is just the start for Cyborg...later there is a truly harrowing scene.
The next shot we get is after Supermans rebirth from the Kryptonian ship - just before dawn as Zack has stated, the League will face off against Superman.
This is one of my favourite shots of the teaser. The lighting is stunning and the fight will be amazing. It will also be interesting to see the full sequence of the League resurrecting Superman.
There is a big difference from the theatrical and the Snyder Cut here. It seems as though Lois Lane will be at the memorial park for Superman whereas, in the theatrical, Lois turns up later on. So it will be interesting to see how Lois is integrated into this sequence.
Onto one of the most heart wrenching and emotional moments of the entire teaser and the entire movie.
Cyborgs dad, Silas, sacrifices himself by possibly trying to destroy a Mother Box with a laser (its probably a lot more technical than that) but the fact you see Silas's shirt starts to burn, his hair starts to burn, his nose is bleeding, his eyes are bloodshot, his skin is warping is a haunting image. And Cyborg, Victor, watches it happen in front of him.
Again, Ray Fisher's performance is staggering and we don't even hear him. I imagine this scene from a acting, musical and visuals perspective will be absolutely devastating. It already is, and we don't even hear anything, a testament to the direction and acting.
Also, note the figure over Victor's shoulder. That is Steppenwolf. As shown in a Vero post by Zack - below:
It will be fascinating how this scene plays out. Is this scene following Cyborgs possible outburst and loss of control with Barry? How will Steppenwolf integrate into this scene? Remains to be seen.
Again...a heavily emotional scene. Cyborg is powerless as his father dies in front of him.
Now, we have our first real glimpse of the original, and vastly superior design, of Zack Snyder's Steppenwolf.
The original design of Steppenwolf is back in all its glory. This is the design that we saw at the end of Batman v Superman in the Kryptonian ship where Lex is talking with a hologram of Steppenwolf.
His armour/spikes actually mutate and change, its as if his armour is alive. It will be interesting to see how that is used and whether Steppenwolf uses it as a weapon in any particular way.
It is wonderful to see the true version of Steppenwolf. The alien visual and imposing nature of him is evident and will be a major highlight of ZSJL for sure.
No more of that abomination we got in josstice league.
One of the best shots from the original trailers for Justice League back in 2017 featured Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Cyborg positioning for a fight - and Zack has improved it yet again!
The major differences between this shot and the shot we got from back in one of the first Justice League trailer, is the colour grading.
Major changes are the introduction of the orange tinges in the background and on the walls of the environment and the outside looks a smidge lighter, overall, everything looks a little sharper and clean.
Also, Cyborg, similar to the environment, looks cleaner and sharper in detail.
The final battle will be a standout moment in the entire movie/series & a standout moment in 2021 overall!
The next shot was damn difficult to get a shot of. Typical, as it is of the flash.
Tricky to decipher what is going on here because it only lasts about 1 second! However, it does seem to be civilians with The Flash running around the outside of them, creating a perimeter, in some frames, it seems as though there are Parademons. So this scene could be from the underground sequence where the League first get together to encounter Steppenwolf.
All characters are being saved by this movie which is wonderful to see, Barry Allen is one in particular. His hideous forced jokes thanks to joss whedons atrocious writing are out. The line 'I've just pushed some people and run away' is gone. Replaced with the REAL Barry Allen - as seen here.
Another shot from the climactic battle - the Batmobile vs Parademons. Isn't it beautiful? Yes, it is. The other notable difference is the colour grading is back to how it should be - no more of that atrocious orange 'happy brightness' from joss whedon.
An epic shot and an epic showdown! Superman vs Steppenwolf. A great sneak peek into the final battle here.
Some people on Twitter have posted this image saying that it resembles the Yin-Yang symbol. With Superman on the left and low, Steppenwolf on the right and higher with the hell-scape architectural curve in the middle representing the centre and divide between both sides.
The Yin-Yang symbol represents "dualism, describing how seemingly opposite or contrary forces may actually be complementary, interconnected" an interesting idea given how Superman can, and might, concede to the Anti Life Equation and side with Darkseid in possible future projects of Zacks and the Justice League - Superman being good, the other side being bad, they do, and could, complement each other? Who knows. Just a thought.
Next, we have Batman v Parademons.
This looks to be again from the tunnel sequence, but so much better!
Batfleck deflecting shots from Parademons like its nothing is such a great image. But it raises the question, how is he doing that? He must have developed some form of defence for his armour/suit.
Next, we see the possible, very likely, death of the entire League apart from Barry - this shot was also teased by Zack via his Vero back in November 2019.
In the distance, we see a massive explosion that destroys the entire area. How the explosion happens, I do not know. Perhaps the Mother Box explodes after Cyborg tries to integrate with it or this explosion is part of Steppenwolf's plan.
The sequence that follows later in the teaser (below) is The Flash utilising the Speed Force to go back in time and give the League another opportunity. That is not 100% confirmed that will happen, but it does seem a likely event!
Zack's Vero post is the sneak peek of the shot of The Flash in the teaser. It is so amazing to see the progression from this to the real-life thing in an official teaser.
Another heartfelt moment that will be a standout moment - Clark Kent returns to Kent farm and reunites with Martha and Lois.
This is our Superman. Our Lois and our Martha.
This scene will be beautiful. Another scene that was butchered by joss, nevermind the atrocious lip CGI but replacing deep and poignant dialogue by Chris Terrio with forced jokes from joss.
Next, is a shot, where I have no idea what is going on or how it will integrate into the movie - it features Victor controlling a vast amount of missiles in flight.
This could be from a dream sequence of Victor's. Perhaps when he is being controlled by the Mother Box? Showing the scope of his power if he sides with them rather than the League?
Now, King Atlan in the Historical Battle between Amazons, Atlantians and a lot of other people and Steppenwolf and his Parademons.
This battle is going to be a MAJOR highlight. It is very likely there will be easter eggs and characters in the background, such as Lanterns or other heroes.
A scene from the Superman v the League fight. An Army truck is lobbed at the cop but Cyborg blocks it by flying into it and saving the policeman.
It has also been mentioned that we will see four-armed Cyborg battle mode during this scene. He is in that mode already as his helmet is down over his face - was tricky getting a good shot of this sequence!
The Big One. The League. In all of its glory.
I mean, there is not much to say other than to bask in this glorious shot.
Black Suited Superman look amazing. Batman's technical suit looks epic. The Flash with his smile, presumably looking at Batman's jet freighter coming to pick them up (below)
This is likely after the battle, but who knows. Zack could throw a curveball at us in this scene. It could even be before the fight?
Will be interesting to see how this show is integrated into the flow of the movie/series.
I mean, how could you not like this?! An epic shot. How the League should have been from the beginning.
Our final shot is of the League in the Batcave before they depart for the final fight with Steppenwolf.
Batman's speech to the team is absolutely perfect - its perfect Batman. Perfect leadership. And get us so hyped up with them and for the League.
I don't care how many Demons he's thought in how many Hells. He's never thought us. Not us united.
That is how you do it.
So there we go. The entire Zack Snyder's Justice League trailer broken down and discussed and analysed.
If you made it this far, thank you! You're amazing. Let me know any of your thoughts, theories, favourite moments etc from the trailer.
Thank you!
George Taylor
Check out Zack's Vero for frequent insights:
https://vero.co/discover/zack-snyder
Check out the organisers and voices of Justice Con:
https://twitter.com/TheNerdQueens
&
https://twitter.com/ya_girlmeg
Check out the earth-shattering teaser for Zack Snyder's Justice League:
