As we know, Justice League was originally envisioned as the cornerstone of Warner Bros.' DC Films Universe, with all future projects and plotlines maintaining ties to that core story. Of course, things didn't exactly work out that way, and while there are still tenuous connections to the "Snyderverse," other writers and directors have since begun to take things in different directions.
During a new interview with Total Film, Snyder was asked about his upcoming director's cut of Justice League, and whether he considers it to be canon.
"In a lot of ways, I view this movie on its own," he tells the mag. "I love [Wonder Woman director] Patty [Jenkins] and I think she's done an amazing job, and [The Suicide Squad director] James [Gunn] has done a great job – they've made their own movies. But I just thought, 'I’m gonna stay the course that I thought was cool.' There's a bunch of stuff I do differently than what they do, but I just think of Justice League as its own thing at this point. It exists kind of on its own."
"I think fans would say that my movie is canon and the rest are off canon, but that's just me!" Snyder adds with a laugh.
Snyder then reiterates that he views his three DCEU films - Man of Steel, BVS and Justice League - as existing in their own continuity, and confirms that the story was originally supposed to play out over not two, but three movies.
"For me, there's a trilogy of films that I sort of lean on. Man Of Steel, Batman v Superman, and Justice League are a continuity, and within that three-movie arc there is a consistent tone. Frankly, it was meant as the primer for another two [Justice League] movies – not that those movies are ever going to get photographed, I don't see that happening – and it stays true to that concept. It was meant to be like Lord Of The Rings and not a one-off. That's the way I think about it.”
It's true that Snyder getting the opportunity to continue his take on Justice League (on screen, at least) is highly unlikely, but that doesn't mean it definitely won't happen. If his "Snyder Cut" of the movie is a massive success for HBO Max, WB is going to see dollar signs, so who knows what the future may hold.
Zack Snyder's Justice League is set to premiere on HBO Max on March 18.