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.

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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. 

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