Zack Snyder's Justice League: Justice Is Gray is a black-and-white version of the Snyder Cut, but does it contain any additional footage?
Only a week after Zack Snyder's Justice League released on HBO Max, the streaming service debuted a black-and-white version under the title Justice Is Gray. Given the Snyder cut presented a thrillingly different take on the events of the original 2017 theatrical version, questions from audiences were natural around the nature of the film, surrounding whether the new grayscale version included any new scenes not yet shown in the new Justice League.
The first hints at a starker, grayscale version of Zack Snyder's Justice League came in November 2020 from Warner Bros., when a slightly different version of the original color trailer showed off what the film might look like in all its monochromatic glory. Later that same month, the director Snyder himself said that his "ideal version" of Justice League would be to show it in black and white in an IMAX format. The Snyder Cut's HBO Max format – in boxed 4:3 aspect ratio – presents the movie in such a fashion because Snyder shot the film using that more square framing.
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While monochrome cinematography is usually only found for films that are considered more arthouse than superhero movies – think Alfonso Cuaròn's intimate film Roma – this isn't the first time a major Hollywood blockbuster has had special treatment to be re-released in black and white. George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road was released in a Black & Chrome Edition in the Blu-ray set that is supposedly closer to the director's original visual intent. In addition to that, James Mangold's Logan, also a superhero-related movie, was released as Logan Noir around that same time.
Justice is Gray: Are There Any New Scenes?
Zack Snyder's Justice League: Justice Is Gray does not actually contain any additional footage. Snyder indicated he was throwing around the idea of including the Joker's infamous "we live in a society" line, but the dialogue in the in-color Snyder Cut ultimately stayed the. The only variation is the title card including the "Justice is Gray" subtitle. Still, an HDR television that emphasizes the contrast between light and dark color shades can make the visuals pop in a way that may satisfy the hardcore fan looking for the true Snyder Cut experience.
The Justice Is Gray release is, however, one further representation of the larger significance of the once-mythical Snyder Cut, as the version of the movie that Snyder himself showed friends in his home theater was also in black and white. The advent of mass streaming means that studios like Warner Bros. can take higher risks with big releases, and HBO Max presented an opportunity for the type of big-budget experiment that Zack Snyder's Justice League encapsulates. Snyder himself was unshackled to present ZSJL however he wanted (even if that vision sets up Justice League sequels that may never come to pass). The black-and-white version of the film is just one more way he exercised his creative liberties.
The Snyder Cut Was A Victory For Fandom But DC Can Now Move On
As Justice Is Gray illustrates, the movement to return creative control over Justice League to Zack Snyder has been a thorough victory. Given his hard work on Man of Steel, Wonder Woman, Batman vs. Superman, and on Justice League itself, Snyder more than earned the right to see his vision of the ensemble film realized. Now, however, it's time for DC and its loyal fanbase to move on. The fight over the Snyder Cut's release has haunted the DCEU for a good few years, but with new properties like Black Adam, exciting sequels like Shazam! Fury of the Gods and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and even brand-new Batman content like Matt Reeves' The Batman and the new Batgirl TV series, it seems like it's finally time to move beyond the Snyderverse. All of the great work that Snyder has contributed to DC's cinematic universe still holds, but the franchise is also ready to expand into new territory. And for those looking to relive the Snyderverse's glory days, Zack Snyder's Justice League is still available in all its monochrome majesty on HBO Max.
Next: The Snyder Cut Proves WB Killed Their Best Chance to Compete With Marvel
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