There's no Zack Snyder's Justice League post-credits scene – but here's what the director originally planned
We know what Zack Snyder's Justice League post-credits scene should have been
Zack Snyder's Justice League has arrived and there is – shock, horror – no post-credit scene. The director revealed before the movie arrived on HBO Max that there would be no Snyder Cut post-credits scenes, but that did not stop Snyder from including the moment that was originally meant to roll after his Justice League movie finished.
Before we go any further, this is a spoiler warning for both Joss Whedon's Justice League and Zack Snyder's Justice League. We will be discussing both in-depth below, so be sure to watch Snyder Cut before continuing.
Still here? Then you have witnessed the so-called Snyder Cut, a once-mythical version of Justice League that has become a reality. There's no Zack Snyder's Justice League post-credits scene, but before the movie finishes, we see the scene which was originally intended to end the movie.
First off, let's talk about Joss Whedon's version of Justice League, which was released in 2017. That post-credits scene saw Lex Luthor escape from prison and meet with Deathstroke on a boat. There, Luthor tells the newly introduced Deathstroke that, with Batman having brought Superman back, they should form a league of their own. This sets up a potential Justice League sequel that would have seen Bats, The Flash, Supes, Cyborg, and Wonder Woman take on Lex Luthor's Injustice League.
In Zack Snyder's Justice League, the same scene plays out – but before the credits roll. However, in this new version, rather than Luthor saying they should form a super-villain squad, he gives Deathstroke the real name of Batman, Bruce Wayne. They then sip champagne together. This was originally intended to be Justice League's post-credits scene and would have set up Ben Affleck's Batman solo movie, which was expected to center on the Caped Crusader fighting Deathstroke.
The difference between the two scenes may only seem slight, but the intentions are widely different. The changes were primarily due to Warner Bros.' rapidly changing outlook for the DCEU. Originally, Snyder was set to release two Justice League movies, with the second seeing Darkseid – Steppenwolf's master – coming to Earth in search of the Anti-Life Equation. However, following the infamous Justice League reshoots that drastically changed the movie, Darkseid was never properly introduced in Whedon's version, which was made much more self-contained.
Snyder's grand plans were then thrown out in favor of a potential Justice League vs Injustice League movie, with directors such as Patty Jenkins saying she was open to direct the non-Snyder sequel. Similarly, Affleck's solo-Batman movie was put on hold, with the actor eventually stepping away from the role – thus, any setup for a solo movie would have been rendered pointless.
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Zack Snyder's Justice League restores the director's original vision for Justice League and its intention to set up both a sequel with Darkseid and Affleck's Batman movie. At the moment, it appears neither will ever get made, with Robert Pattinson taking over the reins as Batman and the Snyder-verse being seemingly over.
However, there is hope. Affleck has already agreed to return as Batman in The Flash, a movie that will set up the multiverse. Should the Snyder Cut prove a huge success, perhaps Warner Bros. will set a new course for the DCEU once more? Snyder fans certainly have their fingers crossed.
For now, though, we finally have the Snyder Cut, and, hopefully, that's enough. For more on Zack Snyder's Justice League, be sure to read our pieces on:
- The biggest differences between Zack Snyder's Justice League and Joss Whedon's
- Everything we know about Justice League 2
- Zack Snyder's Justice League ending explained
- Zack Snyder's Justice League Easter eggs explained
- The best HBO Max prices
Jack Shepherd is the former Senior Entertainment Editor of GamesRadar. Jack used to work at The Independent as a general culture writer before specializing in TV and film for the likes of GR+, Total Film, SFX, and others. You can now find Jack working as a freelance journalist and editor.