With the cancellation of Zack Snyder‘s planned story for the DC Extended Universe, many details about what could’ve been have come to light in recent years. The “Snyderverse,” as fans have dubbed it, was supposed to include a solo film for Ben Affleck’s Batman and two more sequels to Justice League, culminating in a final battle between the heroes of Earth and the evil god Darkseid.
Many ideas for the Snyderverse sound very thrilling and make fans wish they were never scrapped, but there are some that were arguably better off left on the cutting room floor.
The Green Lanterns meet with Bruce
At least one of the Green Lanterns was supposed to meet Bruce Wayne at the end of Justice League. Snyder even filmed a scene with Bruce meeting with John Stewart, played by Wayne T. Carr, but Stewart was later replaced with the Martian Manhunter at the studio’s behest. While this scene could’ve worked, it was arguably better to give Martian Manhunter this moment instead. Having revealed himself to be Martha Kent in disguise midway into the film, it would have been too jarring for audiences unfamiliar with his character to leave him with just that one scene.
Fortunately, it all seems to have worked out in the end. While the twist involving Martian Manhunter has had its critics, the way he appears at the end of the film sets up the Justice League’s continuing war with Darkseid and their mission to find the Anti-Life Equation. The Martian Manhunter also shares his superhero moniker for the first time and congratulates Bruce for assembling the Justice League in a way that gives his character arc a satisfying resolution.
The Injustice League
Lex Luthor and his team of supervillains were meant to be big players in the second Justice League movie, as they would take on each member individually on Earth. Such an evil League would have included Deathstroke, Black Manta, Ocean Master, Captain Cold, Doctor Poison, and the Riddler. Lex would have also teamed up with Darkseid to break Superman after the villain appears later in the story.
Having the heroes try to face all these different villains and stop Darkseid’s alien invasion seems like it would’ve been too much for the writers to juggle in one film, and it would have been better off as two separate films. Also, Darkseid is too big a villain to be so relegated to the sidelines at this point and should be the main villain the characters focus on in a film where he finally makes his move.
Thankfully, Kevin Smith revealed that those plans were changed, with the Justice League teaming up with the Green Lanterns to fight Darkseid in Apokolips, similar to how the Avengers went to Titan to fight Thanos in Infinity War. This would have given the film writers a chance to explore the world of the New Gods and flesh out Darkseid’s character and his impact on his home world, making him a fully formed villain.
The Riddler solves Anti-Life
With Riddler originally appearing as a member of Lex Luthor’s Injustice League, Batman was set up to find him just as he solved the Anti-Life Equation, the mathematical formula that can control all sentient life in the Multiverse that Darkseid seeks to obtain. But this cosmic discovery robs the Riddler of his sanity, driving him to take his own life right in front of Batman.
So far, the Anti-Life Equation has mainly been established as an ethereal force carved into the surface of the Earth itself, and uniting the three Mother Boxes would have given Darkseid access to it. It would have been best to leave the equation’s portrayal off like this, as the Anti-Life Equation is more frightening as an incomprehensible, imperceptible power than as a literal math equation written on a wall.
Olympians being Kryptonians
Snyder recently revealed that he considered making the Old Gods, most commonly known in the DCEU as the Olympians, Kryptonians who appeared on Earth ages ago in the ancient scout ship found in Man of Steel. He also revealed that Ares was the one who crashed it, killing the rest of the crew. This means that Wonder Woman could’ve been the daughter of a Kryptonian, making her more like Superman than initially thought.
While it’s an exciting idea, such a concept deviates from the comic book mythos a great deal, and the Old Gods already had far different origins in the comics. It would have also robbed the DCEU of some of its magic and diversity by limiting some of its greatest heroes, specifically Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Shazam, to their connection to Superman and his people.
Bruce Wayne’s affair with Lois Lane
It is implied that Lois is pregnant with Clark’s child in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. However, there were plans to have Bruce be the father of her child after getting together with Lois following Clark’s short-lived death. But after Bruce watches Lois get vaporized by Darkseid’s Omega Beams, Superman becomes so broken that Darkseid brainwashes him with the Anti-Life Equation, allowing him to take over the Earth. But years later, the Flash goes back in time using the Speed Force to tell Bruce she’s carrying his baby, motivating him to take the blast instead and change the future.
It seems pretty weird that Lois would have a one-night stand with Bruce, the man who tried to murder her fiancé, especially so soon after his death. Also, given his nature as a superhero, Bruce shouldn’t be willing to die for Lois only after learning she’s carrying his child. The fate of the Multiverse resting on her staying alive should be enough to make him sacrifice himself to protect her.
