Zack Snyder has always been a filmmaker with R-rated sensibilities, and if you want to split hairs, then just two of his seven movies to date are what you would call family-friendly outings. The animated Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole is the only one of his directorial efforts rated PG, while Man of Steel was slapped with a PG-13 for ‘intense sequences of sci-fi violence, action and destruction, and for some language.’
Snyder has basically disowned the theatrical cut of Justice League, which pretty much makes it a Joss Whedon film, while his preferred vision for both Sucker Punch and Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice yielded extended editions that were R-rated and vastly superior. Add that to the Dawn of the Dead remake, 300, Watchmen and the expectations that his upcoming Netflix zombie heist actioner Army of the Dead will follow suit, and you can clearly see someone who gears their output towards older audiences.
That’s why it didn’t come as much of a surprise when Snyder hinted that his all-new take on Justice League would be R-rated when it arrives on HBO Max next year, with the 54 year-old promising plenty of violence and even some profanity. Obviously, fans were quick to react to the news, and you can see just a sample of what they’re saying down below.
So the #SnyderCut is going to be most likely coming to theaters with an R rating 4 hour run time and featuring an F-bomb dropping Batman… pic.twitter.com/nywqKtK70h
— The Chronic Joker (@TheChronicJoker) December 15, 2020
Pardon my F-bomb but that fucking sucks. Superhero movies like this one are for kids. If a 10 year old can't watch it you missed the mark.
And yes I know DEADPOOL is rated R but this is Batman and Superman. I don't think the last WOLVERINE should have been R either. Sue me. https://t.co/dQamuNPSUB
— Daniel Kunka (@unikunka) December 15, 2020
https://twitter.com/BrooklynBatman_/status/1338626072007634944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1338626072007634944%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fmovies%2Fnews%2Fzack-snyder-justice-league-batman-cyborg-f-bomb-f-word-reactions%2F
https://twitter.com/_TH3B33ZKN33Z_/status/1338630649578713089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1338630649578713089%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fmovies%2Fnews%2Fzack-snyder-justice-league-batman-cyborg-f-bomb-f-word-reactions%2F
https://twitter.com/manicmothman/status/1338645488321650690?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1338645488321650690%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fmovies%2Fnews%2Fzack-snyder-justice-league-batman-cyborg-f-bomb-f-word-reactions%2F
So glad @ZackSnyder went to the Frank Miller School of Not Knowing What the F-Bomb Batman Is All About. https://t.co/IaguAvXi0E
— Greg Method (@gregmethod) December 15, 2020
https://twitter.com/SupesKenobi/status/1338641516458369024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1338641516458369024%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fmovies%2Fnews%2Fzack-snyder-justice-league-batman-cyborg-f-bomb-f-word-reactions%2F
So what should Batman's F-bomb in Zack Snyder's Justice League be? I'm partial to "Fuck, he is tall" or "Something's definitely fucking bleeding" 🤭
— TheBatSkeptic (@TheBatSkeptic) December 15, 2020
Zack Snyder – Batman is gonna swear, drop the F-bomb, mow people down with the batmobile and its machine guns. Yeah, so cool.
Snyder cult – he knows the character so well, nobody knows the character as well as he does.
🤪😅 #Martha pic.twitter.com/hweaVFTdkz
— Brian of the Living Dead🚫 (@HeSlimedMe__) December 15, 2020
I hope Batman doesn’t say the f-word and it’s Cyborg like ‘You should probably Fucking move’ pic.twitter.com/6AgmJIYksa
— Tsunami Studios (@RidetheGeekWave) December 15, 2020
YESS! THIS needs a R-rating. However, Batman dropping an F-bomb is really just trying to be edgy. I'm glad the violence will be more brutal and most likely realistic. https://t.co/NFk3PcbYlH
— Flix Guy (@Flixguyyt) December 14, 2020
What Snyder isn't telling people is that Batman says the F-word during the end credits, where he sings a sad, Leonard Cohen-esque rendition of Cee-Lo's "Fuck You" while Wonder Woman and Cyborg sing the backing vocals
— Emperor Norton (@ashleynaftule) December 15, 2020
https://twitter.com/Detective9_/status/1338639307200991234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1338639307200991234%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fmovies%2Fnews%2Fzack-snyder-justice-league-batman-cyborg-f-bomb-f-word-reactions%2F
And then Batman was all like “F-Word you Superman!” And then he killed him and there was blood all over https://t.co/pCgFfCKHV1
— BATTLE! (@baronbattle) December 15, 2020
Unless Batman smashes his thumb with a hammer, there's no reason for him to say the F-word. https://t.co/fGNnieQVZy
— Miranda Allen (@1MirandaAllen) December 15, 2020
https://twitter.com/BackwoodGoat/status/1338653535936843779?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1338653535936843779%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fmovies%2Fnews%2Fzack-snyder-justice-league-batman-cyborg-f-bomb-f-word-reactions%2F
BATMAN DOES NOT SAY THE F-WORD! https://t.co/n2ESEod1SV pic.twitter.com/wVXWqK7tdC
— sotha silt strider (@cakes_naughty) December 15, 2020
The benefit of creating content exclusively for streaming is the unbridled creative freedom it tends to offer, and there are no battles in the editing suite about removing scenes or dialogue that wouldn’t sit well with the MPAA. R-rated comic book movies are bigger business than ever, of course, but even if the Snyder Cut of Justice League was NC-17, millions of fans would still rush to check it out from the second it became available.