The Ending Of Zack Snyder's DC Universe Would Have Changed Everything

By now, most hardcore DC Extended Universe fans have likely seen Zack Snyder's Justice League, which landed on HBO Max on March 18. The four-hour epic gave fans an idea of the director's original vision for the franchise, which was more or less obliterated in the theatrical cut of the film as a result of one of the biggest scandals to hit the DCEU. Snyder reportedly had some big plans for Justice League beyond just the one film; however, now that Snyder and Warner Brothers have parted ways, fans will sadly never get to see those plans carried out.

There are plenty of solo superhero movies on the horizon, including Black Adam and The Flash, and semi-rebooted titles like The Suicide Squad and The Batman. Yet given Snyder's exit from the DCEU, the collaboration between heroes — like the Justice League — is not likely to be revisited in the near future. There is one thing we do know, however: In the alternate reality where Snyder did continue on with Warner Brothers, the DCEU looks very different.

Through various accounts, Snyder has revealed the series of events he had planned for future Justice League projects had he stayed on with the franchise. Fans who saw the Justice League "Snyder Cut" will recall that in the film's epilogue, Bruce Wayne dreams of a world that has been destroyed by Superman. This "Knightmare" was once meant to be reality — which, had it actually happened, would have had huge consequences for the heroes and the DC universe. At one time, Snyder meant to implement a big storyline from "The Flash" comics into the DCEU — Flashpoint (via GamesRadar+).

In Flashpoint, Barry Allen (a.k.a. The Flash) goes back in time, setting off a chain reaction that permanently alters the timeline. As a result, characters such as Superman and The Flash cease to exist. Had Snyder's original vision been brought to life, this would have resulted in an entire reboot of the DC universe — possibly with an entirely new cast of actors. This notion was recently confirmed by Justice League storyboard artist Jay Oliva. In a live virtual interview event, Oliva sat down to chat about his contribution to the film, and also touched on what could have been. 

"I think that was the plan," said Oliva. "They would do like the four- or five-parters and then we would do a Flashpoint kind of reboot, where you can bring in a new cast afterwards." GamesRadar+ also stated that the new The Flash movie — set for release on November 4, 2022 — will still use elements from the Flashpoint storyline. Hopefully, Barry Allen's actions in his first solo movie will not unmake the DCEU as we know it, but only time will tell.