Justice League: Zack Snyder Explains Importance Of Superman’s Black Suit In The Snyder Cut

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Superhero movies are everywhere, but none have had quite the unprecedented life as Justice League. Shortly after the movie's release in 2017 fans began campaigning for the Snyder Cut, as director Zack Snyder's vision was greatly altered when he departed the set due to a family tragedy. One of the many cut concepts included Superman's iconic black suit, and now Snyder has explained why this was such an important aspect of the character.

The years of fan campaigns eventually worked, as Zack Snyder will be completing his version of Justice League and releasing it exclusively on HBO Max. The epic story will be released in four installments, and will feature a variety of characters and sequences that were originally left on the cutting room floor. This includes Superman's black suit, and Snyder explained why it was included in his cut, saying:

I really was always a very strong advocate for the black suit. I really wanted the black suit; it made sense for me because... Superman is a character notoriously who does not grow. He is like a rock and everything just smashes against him.

He's got a point. Superman is definitely a consistent superhero. He's an optimistic source of light, who is usually played like a boy scout in the comics, video games, and movies. But dying at the hands of Doomsday in Batman v Superman has the potential to change him, and the black suit represents the version of Henry Cavill's signature character that Zack Snyder was working toward.

Zack Snyder's comments from ComicBook Debate further highlights how different the director's vision for Justice League was from the theatrical cut that eventually made it to theaters. Because after temporarily attacking the other heroes after his resurrection, Superman pretty much returned to normal for the final sequence of the blockbuster. But all that'll change soon enough.

The Snyder Cut is expected to hit HBO Max sometime this year. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

Superman's black suit is one of the character's most iconic looks from the comics, especially when it was paired with a sweet mullet. DC fans have been waiting for years to see it in live-action, and the Snyder Cut will provide that opportunity. In fact, the first teaser for Justice League's alternate version featured a brief look at that costume. Check it out below.

In the comics, Superman's black suit was used to help the hero return back to full power following his resurrection. Aside from looking awesome, the suit helps Superman to absorb his powers from the sun at a greater rate. It's currently unclear if that's what Zack Snyder has planned for the Snyder Cut, but the filmmaker is definitely a massive comic book fan.

Henry Cavill's Superman hasn't returned to the silver screen since Justice League hit theaters in 2017, so it should be interesting to see if the Snyder Cut's release inspires Warner Bros. to move forward with another Man of Steel movie. Cavill himself seems interested, so hopefully he finally gets a chance to return to the shared universe he helped kickstart.

The Snyder Cut is expected to hit HBO Max sometime in 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your trips to the movies this year.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.