The 2017 theatrical release was widely criticized as a "Frankenstein" film with clashing directorial styles. For years, the "Snyder Cut" existed only as an unmixed, unedited assembly. However, constant fan pressure and $70 million in additional funding from Warner Bros. allowed Snyder to finalize the visual effects, score, and even film a few minutes of new material in 2020. Major Differences from the Theatrical Cut
The film restores the "Knightmare" future—a post-apocalyptic timeline where Superman falls to Darkseid's Anti-Life Equation—and includes a new epilogue featuring Jared Leto’s Joker.
The biggest beneficiary is Cyborg (Ray Fisher), whose origin and father-son dynamic form the "heart of the movie". The Flash (Ezra Miller) also receives a more significant role, including a climactic scene where he uses time travel to save the team.
Steppenwolf was redesigned with more menacing, reactive armor and a clearer motivation: to earn his way back into the good graces of his master, Darkseid . Darkseid, absent from the theatrical cut, appears in multiple scenes as the primary overarching threat.