I Don’t Have A Dog In This Fight

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Barbie.Barbie director Greta Gerwig has addressed the movie’s decision to include a joke that pokes fun at fans of Zack Snyder’s Justice League. While Gerwig’s movie is currently receiving praise for its meta humor and clever storytelling, some portions of the Snyder fandom have taken issue with a moment that appears to take aim at the director’s passionate fanbase. Toward the end of the movie, when Alexandra Shipp’s Writer Barbie is woken from being brainwashed by Kens, she states: “It’s like I’ve been in a dream where I was really invested in the Zack Snyder cut of Justice League.”

Speaking with ComicBook.com about the moment, Gerwig admitted that she was not previously aware of the strong online presence of Snyder fans prior to crafting the Barbie movie’s Zack Snyder’s Justice League joke. Suggesting that she was unaware of all the “ins and outs” of the Synder Cut movement, she explained the joke was about Shipp’s character becoming seriously invested in something she only had a vague knowledge of, lining up with her own knowledge on the matter. Check out her comments below:

I didn’t even really realize that. I didn’t even… Because I don’t have a dog in this fight, I didn’t even really know, I knew it was a thing. I don’t know the contours of all the ins and outs. But it’s the kind of thing that I vaguely know. But I think that was the thing, that it was like if [Writer Barbie] had a vague knowledge of, and then all of a sudden in a certain state, it really meant a lot to her, and then it went away.

How The Synder Cut Movement Has Changed The Face Of Hollywood

While Snyder’s tenure as the architect of the early DC Extended Universe faced its fair share of criticisms, there is little doubt the director’s work has resulted in creating a passionate and vocal fandom. Arising off the back of the much-maligned 2017 theatrical release of Justice League, the Snyder Cut movement was driven by a desire to see his original vision for the movie restored before he departed the project due to a personal tragedy and creative differences. After years of online petitions and real-world stunts, the director’s fans rejoiced when they succeeded in moving HBO Max to release Snyder’s revamped 4-hour cut of the film in 2021.

Though the original aim of the movement proved a boon for fans of comic book movies of all stripes, some portions of the online community responsible have also drawn criticism for toxic behavior which has continued to persist long after Zack Snyder’s Justice League was released. Despite achieving their initial goal, parts of the original movement are now seemingly intent on seeing Snyder return to the DC Universe and have rebranded under #RestoretheSnyderverse and similar hashtags. Moreover, much of the fandom’s online ire has now been redirected toward current DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn and his Superman: Legacy plans.

Regardless of their intent, the Synder Cut movement has transformed from an online collective into a modern pop-culture phenomenon with few equals. This kind of influence has inspired other such properties as Hulu’s The Bear and Max’s Harley Quinn to make fun of the more toxic of fans. Despite the backlash Gerwig’s Barbie is now facing, it is likely that the more passionate portions of the Snyder Cut movement, as opposed to the director himself, will continue to be the butt of many more jokes to come.

Source: ComicBook.com