Zack Snyder’s Justice League Actor Explains How He Felt About The Film’s Major Sacrifice

Joe Morton as Silas Stone dying in Justice League

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It's almost hard to believe it, but Zack Snyder's Justice League has almost been out for a full month already. The streaming event has continued to make headlines since the titular filmmaker's vision was finally shown to the public. Every frame of the four-hour project has been dissected, especially the extended stories for characters like Ray Fisher's Cyborg. Terminator actor Joe Morton played his father Silas Stone, and recently opened up about his character's sacrifice from the Snyder Cut.

Joe Morton's role was largely left on the cutting floor during Justice League's theatrical cut, so fans were thrilled to see the Terminator 2 icon in a meatier role for the Snyder Cut. Silas Stone's sacrifice was one of the most tragic moments from the blockbuster, and Morton shared his feelings about his character's fate. When asked if he was happy how Silas went out, he said:

Yeah, I was. I think that his self-sacrifice was the ultimate human gesture, if you will. The same thing was true in Terminator 2. When the Terminator [Arnold Schwarzenegger] actually sacrifices himself at the end of the film, it’s because he understands the fullness of humanity and what that means in terms of making it better for other people. And I think that’s certainly what Silas is going through in that moment.

Well, there you have it. Some fans found a connection with Joe Morton's roles in both Terminator: Judgement Day and Zack Snyder's Justice League, and it seems the actor also noticed. What's more, he's happy with how Silas Stone's story played out throughout the recent streaming event on HBO Max.

Joe Morton's comments to THR peel back what it was like working on the original set of Justice League. And while his character's story was cut down in the theatrical version, his relationship to Cyborg was key to the Snyder Cut. Silas Stone low-key saved the entire world when sacrificing himself, and atoned for his sins in the process.

Zack Snyder's Justice League is available exclusively on HBO Max. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

From the beginning, Zack Snyder has described Cyborg as the heart of Justice League's story. This is definitely related to the character's shattered sense of self, and family trauma. Throughout the course of the movie we learn how Elinore Stone died, and the desperate measures Silas went through to keep Victor alive.

It's currently unclear if/when we'll see Cyborg's story continued in the DC Extended Universe. The Cyborg movie was scrapped after Justice League's disappointing performance in 2017. What's more, Ray Fisher's ongoing battle with the studios seemingly resulted in the character being pulled from Ezra Miller's Flash movie. But given how popular the hero has become in the wake of the Snyder Cut, perhaps fan excitement will factor into this decision.

The next installment in the DCEU is The Suicide Squad on August 6th. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your next movie experience.

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.