Zack Snyder Shares First Look at Darkseid in the Snyder Cut of Justice League

Update 6/18/20: It looks like we're finally going to get to see Darkseid in the Snyder Cut of Justice League. Director Zack Snyder has released the first sneak peek of his new cut of Justice League, which will be available on HBO Max, and it features Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) discovering the villain. 

Snyder previously celebrated the launch of HBO Max by sharing an image of the villain Darkseid, who was cut from Justice League's theatrical release. Darkseid is one of the Justice League's most iconic and powerful enemies, who wants to conquer the universe and eliminate free will. 

In Snyder's Justice League, he's played by Argo's Ray Porter. Porter first confirmed his casting for the role on Twitter shortly after HBO Max announced its plans to release the Snyder Cut. Porter also spoke up about working on the set of the film in an interview with LightCast, remarking that he'd done "a lot of work" on the production before his scenes were cut. 

It remains to be seen how much of a role Darkseid will play in the director's cut.     

Previously 5/20/20: "Release the Snyder cut," they shouted, pitchforks in hand. So HBO Max is releasing the Snyder cut. The upcoming streaming service announced its plans to release Zack Snyder's director's cut of the 2017 film Justice League sometime in 2021.

The news will end years of speculation of what Snyder's original vision of the film was. Snyder only completed part of the film before dropping out of the production following the death of his daughter. Post-production continued with Joss Whedon, who oversaw editing and re-shoots of the pricey superhero film.

The final product was met with some derision from fans, and thus the #ReleasetheSnyderCut hashtag was born. The movement to see Snyder's cut showed the good and bad of fandom. The hashtag helped raised money for suicide awareness and brought fans together for a special cause, but it was also used by scum to attack Whedon and other directors of DC films.

"It will be an entirely new thing, and, especially talking to those who have seen the released movie, a new experience apart from that movie," Snyder told The Hollywood Reporter, although he admittedly has not yet seen the theatrical version of the film. "You probably saw one-fourth of what I did," he added.

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Decisions about what the final cut will look like are still being determined, with THR noting that it could be released as a four-hour movie or dispensed in six chapters like a miniseries, could cost as much as $20-30 million, and may require the film's actors to return to record additional dialogue.

In a statement provided to TV Guide, Snyder added, "I want to thank HBO Max and Warner Brothers for this brave gesture of supporting artists and allowing their true visions to be realized. Also a special thank you to all of those involved in the SnyderCut movement for making this a reality."

Meanwhile, WarnerMedia exec Robert Greenblatt said, "Since I got here 14 months ago, the chant to #ReleaseTheSnyderCut has been a daily drumbeat in our offices and inboxes. Well, the fans have asked, and we are thrilled to finally deliver. At the end of the day, it really is all about them and we are beyond excited to be able to release Zack's ultimate vision for this film in 2021. This could never have happened if it weren't for the hard work and combined efforts of the teams at HBO Max and Warner Bros. Pictures." 

HBO Max launched on May 27.

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