Credit: Inside the MagicThe DC Extended Universe (DCEU) may no longer be active, but there’s no denying that it still has its fans. Perhaps not the entire film series from Man of Steel (2013) through Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023), but the “Snyderverse” has amassed a huge cult following over the years. And now, the fans are shouting from the rooftops once again.
What Is the Snyderverse?
The so-named “pocket universe” is still part of the DCEU, but many fans view it as its own entity. It consists of the three films directed by Zack Snyder: Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), and Justice League (2021), which collectively star Henry Cavill (Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman), Gal Gadot (Diana Prince/Wonder Woman), Ben Affleck (Bruce Wayne/Batman), Jason Momoa (Arthur Curry/Aquaman), Ezra Miller (Barry Allen/The Flash), Ray Fisher (Victor Stone/Cyborg), and Amy Adams (Lois Lane).
The New DC Universe
However, whether it’s the DCEU as a whole or the Snyderverse, it’s now defunct thanks to James Gunn and Peter Safran’s newly established DC Universe (DCU), which officially launched last year on the big screen with Superman (2025), with David Corenswet portraying the titular superhero. That film grossed $618.7 million worldwide against its $225 million budget and received a mostly positive reception from audiences and critics.
Related: Zack Snyder Confirms Henry Cavill’s Superman Trilogy, Reveals ‘Man of Steel 2’ Plot
Upcoming DCU Projects
Superman (2025) marks the beginning of a new era of interconnected film and television projects under Gunn and Safran, which will continue later this year with Supergirl (2026), Clayface (2026), and HBO’s Lanterns (2026) — although the newly revealed trailer for the latter has sparked intense backlash from fans largely due to its detective TV show-style tone and the Lanterns’ costumes appearing to be more olive or muted.
Other confirmed projects include Superman: Man of Tomorrow (2027) and a Batman reboot titled The Brave and the Bold (TBA). Meanwhile, Peacemaker Season 2 and the animated series Creature Commandos have been fleshing out the DCU on the small screen.
But while the DCEU is dead in terms of continuity, Gunn’s DCU retains certain characters from its predecessor (as well as some storytelling elements), such as John Cena’s Peacemaker, Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller, and Xolo Maridueña’s Blue Beetle. These decisions have left many fans who were expecting a clean slate confused and frustrated.
Related: New “Snyderverse” Will Continue With Different Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman
Is a Snyderverse Announcement Coming?
In the background, the Snyderverse has been growing quietly — until now.
Last year, to celebrate the launch of his Instagram account, Zack Snyder began posting several pictures of his Justice League characters, from Ben Affleck’s Batman to Henry Cavill’s Superman. But it was the latter that led many fans to believe Snyder was teasing some sort of return or announcement (largely because of the caption, “Henry Cavill is Superman”).
While nothing came to pass, Snyder fans have continued to find “clues” in his social media posts. Now, some of his latest have fueled speculation that he’s about to make a major announcement related to his Justice League saga, and those ardent fans are starting to get pretty loud about it again.
“Restore The Snyderverse” Returns
It’s common knowledge among DC fans that Snyder was forced to step away from production on the original Justice League, following the tragic death of his daughter, Autumn, who died by suicide. Joss Whedon would complete the 2017 film; however, upon release, it was panned by audiences and critics, and also fell short of the studio’s commercial expectations with $661.3 million worldwide against its estimated $300 million budget.
This triggered the massive online, fan-led campaign #RestoreTheSnyderCut, which led to the film essentially being remade by Snyder years later, with new visual effects, score, and editing, and new material being shot. Clocking in at four hours, Zack Snyder’s Justice League was released on HBO Max in the US on March 18, 2021 and became the fourth-most-streamed film on the platform that year, receiving praise from viewers and critics.
Related: Zack Snyder Confirms That ‘Justice League’ Films Will Co-Exist With James Gunn’s DCU
Now, #RestoretheSnyderVerse appears to be gaining traction online, which follows a new round of Instagram posts from Snyder. One in particular, however, stands out above the rest.
Of course, Snyder may simply be referring to the film’s upcoming five-year anniversary and nothing more, which he mentions in one post: “Four days until the 5-year anniversary of Zack Snyder’s Justice League.”
In another, he quotes his 2021 film, writing, “Diana: ‘You said the age of heroes would never come again.’ Bruce: ‘It will. It has to.'” Snyder adds: “Five years later… and the age of heroes still feels very real.”
Another post shows a collage of Cyborg, Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman, Aquaman, and The Flash, with a caption that reads, “A moment of myth.
Each member of the Justice League facing the burden of responsibility with honor—captured in the 1.43:1, they stand like figures in a myth—looking toward what comes next.”
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What does Snyder mean by “looking toward what comes next”? We’ll just have to wait and see if March 18 brings with it more than just celebrations. Either way, the comments are filled with fans using the hashtag #RestoretheSnyderVerse, which also appears to be gathering some traction over on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Will the Snyderverse Return?
While there are no official plans for the Snyderverse to continue, Snyder’s latest cryptic captions follow his recent appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, where he said, “I would never say that there’s no way” in response to being asked by Josh Horowitz whether his films might continue in some shape or form, before recalling how unlikely the idea of remaking Justice League once seemed.
“I was on the ride that created Justice League, and if you were in my shoes there were numerous times, dark times, when there was no chance that there will ever be my version of it. It will never exist. It can’t… cost, politics, everything stood against.”
He continued: “And yet it exists. The fans should never forget they did that. They also raised a ton of money for suicide prevention. They did a lot of good. They catch a lot of flak for being toxic or whatever, but they literally saved human lives.”
When asked by Horowitz whether his Justice League saga could continue as a comic or an animated feature, Snyder replied, “We absolutely talked about it quite a bit. We live in a world where all that is possible. Whatever form it would take, that would be amazing.”
Do you think the Snyderverse should return? If so, how? In film or another medium entirely? Share your thoughts with us!