Darkseid's appearance in the 'Justice League' Snyder Cut could ruin the villain's first DCEU appearance
In the wake of HBO's official announcement that its new streaming service, HBO Max, would be making the long-awaited Snyder cut of 'Justice League' a reality, actor Ray Porter was finally able to reveal that he would be voicing Darkseid in that cut of the film. Darkseid, however, is one of DC's biggest villains - on par with, if not greater, than Thanos himself. His first appearance deserves a bigger reveal than one that the Snyder cut can provide.
Whether or not the Snyder cut of 'Justice League' improves upon the original movie, one thing is certain: it will not be a big-budget movie in its own right. It's unclear as to whether it will be a full, four-hour-long cut, or a six-episode series; it is a project that just doesn't work as a theatrical re-release. Additionally, given that it will not involve reshoots, the extended cut will likely involve very little editing. While the film contains a wealth of scenes and moments that will see live-action versions of several significant DC Comics character, its lack of proper editing means that the Snyder cut is less a tightly produced story in its own right than being a fun look at some big moments that the original film missed out on.
Darkseid is an important card for DC to play and he deserves to revealed in just the right way. He may be the most intimidating conqueror in the DC Universe. The introduction of Steppenwolf (Ciaran Hinds) and parademons in 'Justice League' implied that Darkseid was a villain that the DCEU meant to be building up to, much in the same way that 'The Avengers' slowly did for Thanos (Josh Brolin). Darkseid is too big a villain to be introduced in 'Justice League' right off the bat and he's certainly too big to be introduced in a rough cut of a film that will be streamed online.
The one place where Darkseid's introduction could truly make the impact it deserves is in the 'New Gods' film, to be directed by Ava DuVernay and written by DuVernay and Tom King. From all reports, the film appears to be dedicated to bringing to life the best possible version of the war between Apokolips and New Genesis - a war that Darkseid is at the very heart of. 'New Gods' could show the full scope of the threat that Darkseid poses to the universe and give him the focus he deserves.
There's a reason why major movie characters like Batman are restricted from appearing on television series - Warner Bros. is worried about that their appearance across multiple franchises will dilute the power of the character. It's been a frustrating policy, but not one that the WB is entirely wrong about. Darkseid's appearance in the Snyder Cut will do just that - dilute the power of a major DC villain. For someone who could be the biggest villain the Justice League may ever go up against, he deserves for his first appearance to be done right.
The Snyder Cut is set to release on HBO in January 2021.