The SnyderVerse: A Relic of the Past, Not the Future

It’s been four years since the release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, a film that was both a victory for artistic integrity and a final note in a divisive era of DC films. And yet, a dedicated faction of fans often referred to as "The Snyder Cult" continues to wage an online war against Warner Bros., demanding the restoration of the SnyderVerse at any cost. But as the landscape of DC films evolves, one has to ask, Is the SnyderVerse still something worth obsessing over? Was it ever?

The Stubborn Demand for an Unsuccessful Vision

The SnyderVerse, from Man of Steel to Zack Snyder’s Justice League, was divisive from the start. While some fans adored its darker, more operatic take on DC superheroes, the wider audience simply did not connect with its tone, direction, or casting choices. The box office numbers reflected this. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, despite featuring two of the biggest superheroes of all time, failed to reach a billion dollars. Justice League even in its theatrical form was an outright disaster, leading Warner Bros. to pull the plug on Snyder’s vision long before his cut of the film ever saw the light of day.

Rather than accepting the natural end of an unsuccessful creative experiment, a loud minority of fans have resorted to extreme measures. They have begged Netflix to buy the IP rights from Warner Bros. for hundreds of millions, despite Snyder’s existing working relationship with the streaming giant being unrelated to DC. They refuse to acknowledge that WB has moved on, that the films were not the massive successes they claim, and that the general audience had little desire to see the saga continue.

A New Era, A New Vision

Faced with the failure of the old DCEU, Warner Bros. made a bold choice—to start fresh. They established DC Studios, led by James Gunn and Peter Safran, with a renewed focus on long term storytelling, cohesion, and a balance between artistic freedom and commercial viability. This decision wasn’t made out of spite for Zack Snyder or his fans; it was a necessary step to salvage the DC brand from years of disarray and inconsistency.

And yet, despite the promising new direction, the Snyder Cult remains hostile. They label Gunn’s DCU a failure before it has even begun. They demand Gunn be fired, ignoring his proven track record with both Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad. They dismiss the overwhelming desire for a more hopeful, balanced, and universally appealing take on DC heroes—one that the new DCU promises to deliver.

When Passion Becomes Obsession

At what point does fandom cross the line into something unhealthy? The campaign to #ReleaseTheSnyderCut was, at one time, a noble effort to fight for artistic integrity. It even raised awareness and funds for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), an undeniably positive aspect of the movement. But somewhere along the way, the original cause was lost. The campaign devolved into harassment, toxicity, and a refusal to accept reality.

The SnyderVerse was not the definitive version of DC, nor was it ever meant to be. It was one filmmaker’s interpretation—one that did not resonate with the general audience and one that ultimately led to the collapse of the DCEU. There’s no shame in enjoying those films, but the insistence that the franchise should be resurrected at the expense of everything else is not just unrealistic it’s childish, even creepy at times.

Time to Move On

The obsession with restoring the SnyderVerse isn’t just holding fans back—it’s preventing them from embracing the future. The new DCU is an opportunity to finally have a cohesive, well planned cinematic universe that doesn’t rely on reactionary decision making and corporate course corrections. James Gunn and Peter Safran’s leadership marks the first time in years that DC Films has had a clear, unified vision.

So, is the SnyderVerse something to still be obsessed with? No. It never was. It was a chapter in DC’s history, and like all stories, it had an end. Perhaps it’s time for its most ardent supporters to accept that and look toward what’s next. After all, superheroes are meant to inspire hope—not keep us trapped in the past.