The Surprising Romance Zack Snyder Wanted To Include In Justice League

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Now that Zack Snyder's Justice League is available on HBO Max, many of the questions about what the director's intentions were for the movie have been answered. That includes what Snyder was thinking of for the film's sequels, which are teased (spoiler alert) in a lengthy epilogue in which we see a world that has now been conquered by Darkseid, the terrifying villain that is behind Steppenwolf's invasion of Earth in Justice League. 

There were also some ideas that Snyder brought to the table for Justice League that ultimately didn't pan out. Although Snyder's cut of the film clocks in at more than four hours, even that extended running time didn't afford him the opportunity to do everything he wanted to. One of the most crucial elements of the original plans for the film that was ultimately removed was a wrinkle in the relationship between Lois Lane (Amy Adams) and Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck), one that would have had ripples in all of Snyder's sequel installments. 

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Snyder explained that his original plan was for there to be a romantic relationship between Bruce and Lois while Superman was dead.

"The intention was that Bruce fell in love with Lois and then realized that the only way to save the world was to bring Superman back to life," said Snyder. "So he had this insane conflict, because Lois, of course, was still in love with Superman. We had this beautiful speech where [Bruce] said to Alfred: 'I never had a life outside the cave. I never imagined a world for me beyond this. But this woman makes me think that if I can get this group of gods together, then my job is done. I can quit. I can stop.' And of course, that doesn't work out for him."

Even without that relationship element, though, Lois was still a crucial piece in Snyder's plans for more Justice League sequels. Ever since Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Snyder has been dropping hints suggesting that she is the key to preventing Darkseid's rise to power on Earth. In the epilogue, we get another indication of just how crucial Lois is to saving the world, when Joker mentions that Batman's decision to let her die was what caused the apocalyptic world that they all now inhabit. 

As Snyder explained, when Darkseid arrived on Earth in the originally planned Justice League sequel, his plan was for Superman to tell Batman to stay on the sidelines of this fight. "Darkseid comes to Earth. Superman says to Batman, 'Guard Lois. This is a war between me and Darkseid. If you can help me as a friend, keep Lois safe,'" Snyder explained.

After Lex Luthor explains to Darkseid that Lois Lane is Superman's one weakness, Darkseid begins hunting for her. "For whatever reason, Batman fails. Darkseid comes back and kills Lois. Batman fails, he hesitates. They were in an argument," Snyder continued.

Even without the romantic wrinkle that Snyder had originally planned, he said that Batman would still be wracked with guilt over letting Lois die. Lois' death ultimately convinces Superman that there's no reason to fight, and it's that moment of weakness that allows Darkseid to take control of him. Once Superman is on Darkseid's side, characters like Wonder Woman and Aquaman die in the battle against him. 

"The world falls because Superman succumbs to the Anti-Life Equation, and that's it," Snyder said. "That's what the post-apocalyptic world is: Superman just searching for Batman to kill him to get his revenge for the death of Lois."