For so long as Warner Bros. Photos’ 2017 Justice League has existed, a portion of followers have stood behind an adversarial perception: this isn’t the film Zack Snyder wished to make.

The “Snyder Reduce” is a proposed, a tough minimize that the director minimize collectively earlier than leaving the mission to spend time along with his household after a private tragedy. Believing that there’s a pure model of Justice League ready within the wings, locked up by Warner Bros. to cowl their tracks after hiring Joss Whedon to shoot extra parts of the completed product, the “Launch the Snyder Reduce” marketing campaign has trickled out by way of Reddit, Twitter, Tumblr, Fb, YouTube and extra, and half a yr after launch, diehard proponents of the motion observe Snyder’s each transfer on Vero, a social community platform that’s change into the director’s house for behind-the-scenes images, on the lookout for proof.

Now, as San Diego Comedian-Con kicks off with out the dominating presence of Marvel Studios, Warner Bros. Photos, is poised to have the most important panel of the conference, Snyder Reduce followers are hoping to listen to affirmation of their beliefs. A brand new report from the Wall Road Journal states in any other case. Not solely are senior executives at Warner Bros. reiterating that nothing can be introduced at Comedian-Con, they’re insisting a Snyder Reduce doesn’t exist.

In line with the report, Synder assembled a tough minimize after he wrapping principal pictures on the film in late 2016. The director by no means supposed for that footage to hit the display screen — in reality, Snyder supervised the scenes that Whedon wrote for the reshoot, solely stepping away from capturing them himself to be along with his household.

This isn’t fazing Snyder diehards. They’ve pointed to the tough minimize as proof of the “Snyder Reduce.” A spokeswoman for Snyder additionally revealed that the director “by no means watched the model of Justice League launched in theaters,” alluding to the potential of pressure over the completed product. Nonetheless, Warner Bros. and Snyder’s representatives all counsel there’s no director’s minimize to be launched.

The Snyder Reduce contingent pushed again towards the Wall Road Journal’s reporting on Twitter:

Snyder Reduce followers reacting to Wall Road Journal article. Twitter

Justice League premiered to blended damaging opinions, and much more hostile reactions from these concerned with the “Launch the Snyder Reduce” marketing campaign, who understand the washing away of Snyder’s voice by Whedon. Many followers have voiced feeling betrayed by Warner Bros. after years of supporting Snyder’s imaginative and prescient, and any snippet of a movie-that-could-have-been retains the hope alive.

“As a fan, who Warner Bros. has featured entrance and heart every time their movie doesn’t play properly with critics (see social media posts on King Arthur, Suicide Squad), I really feel betrayed,” one Snyder Reduce proponent wrote on Medium. “For Zack Snyder and his reward for distinctive imaginative and prescient, the least we will do is launch his minimize for Justice League. If us followers are haunted by the model of Justice League that might’ve been after spending two hours watching it, I don’t know what that does to the person who really spent a yr engaged on it.”

Bob Rehak, an Affiliate Professor and Chair of Movie and Media Research at Swarthmore Faculty, who focuses on fandom tradition, tells Polygon that followers of expansive, steady collection like Star Wars, Star Trek and even Snyder’s DCU, need these concerned with initiatives to stay to the unique tone. This, Rehak mentioned, shows a grasp understanding of a world that followers adore. Usually occasions when followers revolt, it’s as a result of somebody has taken inventive liberty that doesn’t gel with an viewers’s perceived imaginative and prescient of what the ultimate product ought to be — like Justice League or Star Wars: The Final Jedi.

“Any modification is a risk,” Rehak mentioned. “You possibly can take a smallish, vocal subsection of the fandom, and it makes it appear as if that subsection dominates, and characterizes the fandom general. I feel that’s really the stakes of mainstream tradition wanting in at these battles or getting hints and whispers of those battles which can be occurring internally in fan communities and saying, ‘Geez, these followers!’ It’s the return of an previous stereotype about followers, which is how obsessive they’re, and inflexible they’re, and the way they’ve fights over nothing.”

The marketing campaign to launch the Snyder Reduce has change into aggravated over the months because the theatrical minimize’s launch. Richard Cetrone, a stunt double on Justice League, was tracked down by followers on Fb who demanded solutions over whether or not the Snyder Reduce was actual. Cetrone’s statements, which have been screenshotted and shared over Twitter and Reddit, shortly unfold. Cetrone needed to attain out to publications, like Polygon, to amend the scenario that shortly acquired out of hand.

Different Snyder Reduce believers, like YouTuber and cosplayer, Itzmoe, organized “peaceable photograph ops” to rally in entrance of Warner Bros. with a large signal demanding the studio launch Snyder’s model.

“I’m the sort of particular person … I take motion,” Itzmoe mentioned within the video above. “I used to be so pissed off as a result of I noticed [Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice] — the director’s minimize, I used to be one of many few fortunate ones who acquired to see it in a theater … and I assumed the Final Version was so significantly better. I assumed it was such an injustice. I felt so dangerous for Zack and the crew that this higher model was not seen by most individuals in theaters the place it ought to have been seen.

“I hoped [Warner Bros.] wouldn’t make that very same mistake with Justice League, they usually appear to have made that mistake once more.”

Itzmoe advised Polygon on the time of the rally that, “Even when it’s not an entire minimize, even when we get to see a number of the scenes that they minimize out, I’d be joyful.”

“We simply wish to see a few of what they minimize out, as a result of it looks like they minimize out quite a bit. The followers deserve it,” she mentioned. “Zack deserves it.”

Nonetheless, Warner Bros. executives and Snyder himself counsel the identical level: nothing goes to be launched, and any assembled tough minimize was by no means meant to depart the chopping room.

The sense of possession over Snyder’s earlier work retains followers adamant within the face of information. In a current interview with the Los Angeles Occasions, Whedon, a goal of the “Launch the Snyder Reduce” fury, pulled again to look at the paradox.

“Now that everyone can attain you immediately, in case you occur to be on social media, there’s positively a way of not simply ‘We all know higher,’ but in addition ‘We must always have the best to dictate,’” Whedon mentioned. “That’s imply, however I used to be despatched heaps and many — not dying threats — however extra simply well mannered inquiries as to why I’ve not died or killed myself but, all due to Natasha and Bruce having a romance [in Avengers: Age of Ultron].”

Rehak mentioned it’s an issue of the second; one the place fandom has found a platform, the web, that makes voices louder than ever earlier than. Individuals can add a hashtag to their tweets, like #ReleaseTheSnyderCut, and discover a entire swath of individuals echoing the identical frustrations and complaints they’ve.

“Scale may be very difficult within the age of the web,” Rehak mentioned. “When folks study these sorts of weaponized methods of discoursing at one another, and as soon as these techniques get into play, it doesn’t actually matter how a lot of the neighborhood they communicate for. It tends to sort of paint the entire neighborhood with a extremely broad brush. That worries me, as a result of I’d far fairly dwell in a world the place there are one million voices and views, and sort of every part is up for grabs, fairly than these energy blocks which have sort of locked down the linguistic terrain, in order that there are issues you may’t say and stuff you’re not allowed to say. I feel that’s problematic.”

A screenshot from a preferred DC Universe fan subreddit. Reddit

Within the wake of the Wall Road Journal’s lighthearted piece, Twitter customers have launched private assaults towards the publican, calling the report a “hit piece.”

Indignant followers on Twitter. Twitter

The Wall Road Journal’s story ends with a quote from one Snyder Reduce campaigner, who means that followers are prepared to attend for the minimize. As they do, the motion continues to meme-ify in the identical area the place the marketing campaign is waged. Individuals mock it on Twitter, different DC followers mock it on Reddit, and even illustrators engaged on Batman comics are mocking the Snyder Reduce fanaticism. Sadly, there’s a section of fandom that’s not a laughing matter. Because the Star Wars fandom has seen over the current weeks, it’s a recipe for escalation.

Rehak mentioned an important factor to bear in mind is that whereas fandoms ought to pay attention to reactionary, loud voices of their communities, they aren’t the bulk.

“Their drive comes from the notion that they’re big in quantity, when they’re actually not. That’s simply as vital as acknowledging their campaigns, and their presence.”

Warner Bros.’ panel at San Diego Comedian-Con will happen on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET. In line with the studio, the Snyder Reduce of Justice League won’t be introduced there.