Zack Snyder's Justice League Vanishing From Max EU - Is The SnyderVerse Doomed?

Things might not be going so well for the SnyderVerse.

A considerable online hoopla was made when the streaming service formally known as HBO Max announced that they would be debuting "Zack Snyder's Justice League," a four-hour-long director's cut of the maligned 2017 film "Justice League." Upon release, "Zack Snyder's Justice League" emerged as a critical success, correcting the woes and missteps of the 2017 theatrical version. More importantly, it allowed Snyder the opportunity to exit the DC Extended Universe on his own terms, wrapping up his iteration of the franchise that he helped kick off in 2013 with "Man of Steel."

All seemed good with the world... until now. Some Twitter users are saying that "Zack Snyder's Justice League" is vanishing from HBO Max in Nordic countries. As expected, certain European fans aren't happy that their favorite franchise is getting the shaft. "WB finally removed ZSJL from max, mind you this is happening under gunn as the CEO of DC," shared Twitter user @callouswayne alongside a screenshot of the HBO Max interface without the film in question. The same user confirmed in a subsequent tweet that the film is vanishing from certain European countries. While some fans are shifting blame towards James Gunn, the new head honcho at DC, there is no evidence to indicate that he's behind this decision. 

Certain Nordic country users on the r/DC_Cinematic subreddit have also confirmed that the film is missing from HBO Max. "Also in europe (Sweden), here it's gone," shared user u/Tricky_e. Zack Snyder's definitive take on the "Justice League" is expiring specifically in Nordic countries, though most of Europe, such as Spain and the Netherlands, are not affected.

It's unclear why "Zack Snyder's Justice League" is expiring in certain areas in Nordic. As of this writing, the film is available to stream stateside on Max. Note that viewers in Sweden, Finland, and other countries that are affected, are still able to purchase or rent the film digitally on their platform of choice. Fans of the SnyderVerse in Sweden, for example, can purchase or rent the film on Apple TV or the Nordic video service SF Anytime. Unlike most films released directly to streaming, "Zack Snyder's Justice League" can be physically purchased on Blu-Ray, meaning audiences around the world will always have a way to watch the epic. 

Just days before "Zack Snyder's Justice League" was removed from certain Max EU territories, a trailer for the film was pulled from YouTube — a move that garnered significant outcry. In response to Screen Rant, the Max team revealed that the trailer was set to private because of music licensing issues. It remains to be seen if the final film in the SnyderVerse was removed in Nordic countries because of music licensing, or other reasons. 

SVP, Streaming Communications, Warner Bros. Discovery Chris Willard tells Looper that the film is being cycled off in Nordic regions and is still available to stream wherever HBO Max and Max are available, noting that there are no plans to remove the film as of this writing. HBO Max EU's dismissal of "Zack Snyder's Justice League" is certainly fishy. After all, the streaming service's parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery hasn't exactly been shy regarding removing content from Max in a bid to cut down on costs. Stateside, shows like "Raised by Wolves" and "Westworld" have disappeared from Max with little to no warning.