I appreciate that, I really appreciate it. This film would not exist if it weren’t for HBO Max; I am forever grateful for them. And the viewing experience is still of the highest quality. It depends on your TV. It has the same proportion as “First Cow”. These two films share some common DNA, I think. [Laughs.] I really liked “First Cow”, actually. I would love that in a double film, “First Cow” and Snyder’s version of “Justice League”.
Do you see DC heroes at a great level, as characters from Wagner or “Lord of the Rings”?
It is obvious that I take these characters and their mythology very seriously. I want them to be fully realized as characters, existing in that world. I don’t think it’s cool to have fun at their expense. And there was a vision that we had, a complete universe, fully developed, that we really wanted to take to the end.
Was it to draw an intentional contrast to what Marvel is doing in your films?
I knew that before “BvS”, when we did “Man of Steel”. Marvel is doing something else. They are doing, at the highest level, this popular action comedy with a heart. And they have it preached. An effort to duplicate this is crazy, because they are very good at it. What DC had was mythology on an epic level, and we were going to take them on this incredible journey. Frankly, I was the only one to say that.
The release of your “Justice League” brings back some painful memories, but aren’t you enjoying it too?
Just in the sense that it’s three years later, and here I am releasing a four-hour version of the film. It really shows that the consumer is not wrong in many ways. “They can’t take more than two hours, they’re going to go crazy.” They were underestimated, the audience itself.
How long did you want the theatrical version of “Justice League” to last?
My point is that the film should take about 20 minutes at a time. “BvS” should be 20 minutes longer than “Man of Steel” and “Justice League” should be about 20 minutes longer than “BvS”. I thought the movie should be a little closer to three when I started it. I know you are forgiving. The truth is that there are probably about 10 Snyder cuts – there is a longer version than the four hour version. There is a three-hour version. Two hours and 20. I think I showed the studio two hours and 40 minutes. And then I showed them subsequent cuts of two hours and 30 minutes and two hours and 28 minutes and two hours and 22 minutes.