The fact that Zack Snyder’s Justice League is a thing that is happening at all is a minor miracle (or an act of streaming desperation), but its existence has raised plenty of questions about where it will fit in the overall canon of the newly launched DC multiverse, which is kicking off in earnest in the upcoming The Flash. After all, if we’re in a multiverse, couldn’t there be an Earth X that continues on the story of Snyder’s original vision?
The answer to that question is a big no. Despite the fact that the theatrical cut of Justice League has become even more unpopular since it released thanks to the downfall of Joss Whedon and the hype surrounding a new cut of the film that no one has seen yet, DC executives are reportedly describing the film as “a storytelling cul-de-sac — a street that leads nowhere.” That means that even with DC Films launching into a massive amount of film and TV content, none of it will be coached in whatever pocket universe Zack Snyder’s four-hour opus will live in.
We knew already that Zack Snyder’s Justice League wouldn’t be part of the DC Extended Universe, with Snyder himself saying his cut “starts to represent its own path” and, “It’s kind of separate now from the DC cinematic universe continuity; it’s divergent in that way, and I think that’s a good thing.” Still, he left open the possibility of a future there, whereas DC execs seem to have put a hard stop to any other storylines playing out even in a multiverse.
This, however, could just be for now. DC executives balked at the dark tones of Snyder’s cut originally, but those dark tones have brought them a ton of success with the likes of Joker (among other factors, of course). So if the film/mini-series becomes a huge winner on HBO Max, then that position will likely change. Given the free nature of a multiverse where they can do whatever they want that makes money, there’s no reason not to.
