WarnerBros. CEO shoots down Ayer Cut and "restore the Snyder-verse" movements

Zack Snyder Justice League
(Image credit: Warner Bros/DC)

Now that Zack Snyder's Justice League is out in the wild, the success of the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut campaign raises some additional questions. After what we can assume is a successful launch (HBO Max doesn't disclose viewer numbers), Variety sat down with Warner Media CEO Ann Starnoff to discuss the future of the DCEU and the possibilities of more director's cuts to come, including the so-called "Ayer Cut" of David Ayer's Suicide Squad.

Addressing the growing #RestoreTheSnyderVerse movement and the growing #ReleaseTheAyerCut campaign, Sarnoff said that, while DC has appreciated Snyder's work and the passion of his fans, she and the rest of Warner Media are looking to the future of a multidimensional DCEU now that Snyder's trilogy is completed. 

In short: there are no future Snyder projects planned. As for Ayer, Starnoff's answer was pretty pointed: "We won’t be developing David Ayer’s cut." 

Starnoff made also sure to address the toxicity of a subset of the DC fanbase. "We're not tolerating any of that," she said. "That behavior is reprehensible no matter what franchise you’re talking about or what business you’re talking about. It’s completely unacceptable. I’m very disappointed in the fans that have chosen to go to that negative place with regard to DC, with regard to some of our executives. It’s just disappointing because we want this to be a safe place to be."

With the knowledge that there's no plan to drive any additional Snyder content or a Justice League 2 into the DCEU as we know it, the obvious question becomes what the future of the franchise looks like. Starnoff happily answered this, noting: "My mantra coming in was to make it bigger and broader and we really want to surprise and delight the fans with more connective tissue across the various media and platforms. I’m talking movies, HBO Max, television and our games division."

Looks like Warner Media has a bright future planned for the DCEU going forward, including recent news that Promising Young Women director Emerald Fennell will helm a new DC superhero movie about Zatanna. In the meantime, here's how to watch the DC movies in order.

CATEGORIES
Streaming Editor at IGN

Amelia is now the Streaming Editor for IGN, but formerly worked for What To Watch, and GamesRadar. She writes about all things TV and movies. 

Read more
James Gunn
James Gunn's DC Studios puts several projects on the backburner, including Waller, The Authority, Booster Gold, and its Batman reboot
Robert Pattinson in The Batman
Upcoming DC movies and TV shows: every DCU title coming soon
Batman in Creature Commandos (2025)
James Gunn's new DCU already features a thriving multiverse, and that's actually its strength
Superman
James Gunn says there are "two little things" that set up the DCU's future in Superman, but don't expect major post-credits teases: "If something’s there just to set up something else, f**k it"
James Gunn
James Gunn and Zack Snyder's viral photo was posted to prove to DC fans there's no bad blood between them: "It's such a weird dynamic that's been created between factions online"
A zoomed-in and brightened screenshot of Wonder Woman in the reveal trailer for the untitled Wonder Woman game.
Suicide Squad's $200 million failure was so damaging, it reportedly contributed to the cancellation of Monolith's Wonder Woman game
Latest in Superhero Movies
Spider-Man: No Way Home
This is why fans think Spider-Man will become the MCU's most important character after Avengers: Doomsday
Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry in Aquaman
Jason Momoa pitched being cast as Lobo as soon as James Gunn got his DC job in a text with "ten billion exclamation points": "It was always part of the plan"
Simu Liu in Shang-Chi
Simi Liu says Shang-Chi 2 is still coming despite Destin Daniel Cretton directing Spider-Man 4: "I don’t think anything’s been impacted"
James Gunn
James Gunn and Zack Snyder's viral photo was posted to prove to DC fans there's no bad blood between them: "It's such a weird dynamic that's been created between factions online"
Constantine
Keanu Reeves just pitched his idea for Constantine 2 to DC: "We’ve been trying to make this film for over a decade"
The Batman
Robert Pattinson reveals that he finally knows what The Batman 2 is about, but he's not giving anything away
Latest in News
Dave Bautista in In the Lost Lands
Dave Bautista says "I always look to Clint Eastwood" when approaching a western role: "He's always going to be my gold standard"
Ralph Macchio and William Zabka in Cobra Kai season 6
Cobra Kai mock trailer that sold the Karate Kid revival is revealed by the Netflix show’s co-creator
The King is Watching
This roguelike city-builder casts you as a benevolent Lord of the Rings villain, and its Steam Next Fest demo accidentally consumed my entire evening
Monster Hunter Wilds trailer screenshot showing a young woman with long blonde hair tied back into a ponytail smiling slightly, pumping her left fist in the air
Monster Hunter Wilds' worst feature is its "ridiculously poorly built UI," according to fans of the new action RPG – but there's already "a mod that fixes that"
Dave Bautista and Milla Jovovich in In the Lost Lands
After the successes of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, Dave Bautista and Milla Jovovich talk pressures of starring in the first George R.R. Martin movie
Spider-Man: No Way Home
This is why fans think Spider-Man will become the MCU's most important character after Avengers: Doomsday