During a recent interview surrounding his upcoming cut of Justice League, director Zack Snyder promised a surprise cameo that would blow people away.
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Speaking with Vanity Fair, Snyder revealed that not only does the film have a new ending, but that it will also feature an appearance by a hero that “will blow hard-core fans’ minds.”
This tease quickly got the Internet guessing, with many coming to the conclusion that the hero-in-question would be none other than Green Lantern. And not just any Lantern, mind you, but specifically Hal Jordan, as portrayed on-screen ten years ago by Ryan Reynolds.
Rumors claiming that Reynolds took part in last year’s Justice League reshoots first started and that Snyder vied for the Deadpool actor’s participation first began swirling in October.
However, Reynolds was quick to clear the air, debunking all of this speculation via a tweet in which he both denied that he was involved in the DCEU ensemble film and took a further jab at the walking visual effect of a costume that he ‘wore’ in 2011’s Green Lantern, adding “the suit stays in the close. I mean, computer.”
Related: Rumor: Zack Snyder and Jared Leto To Develop DCEU Joker Movie
So if it’s not Reynolds, then who figures into the cameo and will they unite the seven? According to an io9 report, the cameo Snyder teased is one we knew about all along.
Per a source, io9 says, “the cameo is none other than DC’s J’onn J’onzz, otherwise known as Martian Manhunter.” Their coverage would then repeat this point, considering it confirmed: “We can confirm the reference is in regards to Martian Manhunter’s appearance.”
We’ve known the Martian Manhunter has existed in the DCEU for a while – Snyder has been teasing the alien hero Martian Manhunter in concept art and storyboards all this time – but now we finally have confirmation that Harry Lennix will be revealed as the last green being from Mars and join the team.
Toxic Avengers
While we’ve already covered much of the information noted in the Vanity Fair interview, which focused primarily on Snyder’s struggle with bringing his cut of Justice League to the screen, the outlet notably touched heavily on the family tragedy that forced the director to walk away from Warner Bros. and DC, with Snyder himself being very frank about the impact it had.
“At the end of the movie, it says ‘For Autumn,’” said Snyder, revealing that his cut of Justice League will feature a tribute to his late daughter Autumn at the end of the film. “Without her, this absolutely would not have happened.”
Vanity Fair added, “When he talks about his daughter, the otherwise scrappy, ebullient 54-year-old filmmaker always looks away.”
However, there is an odd turn in the piece that doesn’t reflect well on their supposed effort of highlighting the creative hell the director went through.
Whether he felt compelled or not, the writer addressed the critical narrative which has labelled supporters of the Snyder Cut’s release as “toxic”. “The fans could be clever, but many were horrifically toxic,” wrote Vanity Fair. “All of them were relentless, and they grew more numerous over time.”
Given that Vanity Fair were seemingly trying to be impartial, the toxic-fandom talk comes across as a slap in the face to Snyder, who strongly defended his fanbase as passionate and charitable in a separate interview given for the book Release the Snyder Cut: The Crazy True Story Behind The Fight That Saved Zack Snyder’s Justice League.
“In regards to that toxic fandom, or it’s ‘a win for toxic fandom,’ again, in what world does this ‘toxic fandom’ raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for suicide prevention? How is that toxic fandom?” Snyder asked in the book.
His wife Deborah expressed similar feelings to Vanity Fair. “People have been saying, ‘Oh, they attack people,’” she said, teary-eyed. “But this fan base has saved lives. As much as they wanted something for themselves, they’ve come together for this amazing cause.”
She continued, “You feel so helpless trying to help someone, and you don’t know what to do. It’s literally life or death. And I felt like we didn’t really know where to turn.”
Yet, while Vanity Fair does give the Snyders their chance to make their say, they also go to Pajiba.com writer Kayleigh Donaldson and clinical psychologist/Arkham Sessions podcaster Drea Letamendi, who both held the line on the assertion Snyder Cut fandom, in particular, is full of trolls.
“Unfortunately, I think a lot of online fandom and fandom culture is headed in this very toxic direction,” said Donaldson. “I don’t get this from the Birds of Prey fans or the Shazam fans. I got a little bit from Joker fans but nowhere near the same level.”
Letamendi added, “What I have observed is an enduring false sense of ownership, which can manifest as abuse, threats, and strong, intense reactions when a story doesn’t go their way. They’re shouting, and people are listening to them. Even if it’s negative comments, they’re getting positive reinforcement to continue down that path.”
The article mentions the billboards the Snyder Cut campaign put up at San Diego Comic-Con 2019 to benefit suicide awareness, and Snyder takes a moment to deplore online bullying as “100 percent” wrong. But the publication is clearly trying to have it both ways.
Do you agree? Or are you too excited about the debut of Martian Manhunter? Tell us on social media or in the comments down below!