Justice League: Why Darkseid Has a Weapon in the Snyder Cut Teaser

Here’s why Darkseid is armed with a weapon in the trailer for the Snyder cut of Justice League. After years of campaigning for the release of Zack Snyder’s original edit of Justice League, Warner Bros. have finally relented and announced Zack Snyder‘s Justice League for 2021 on HBO Max. This completely different version of the 2017 DCEU movie will mark the live-action debut of classic villain Darkseid, who was unceremoniously cut out of the theatrical release bar a single passing mention. Having already teased an overarching villain in the DCEU, Snyder’s Justice League was set to reveal that Steppenwolf was the underling of Darkseid before the big boss himself dropped in following the final battle.

Fans got their first glimpse at Snyder’s Darkseid in a short teaser that emerged last month. Seemingly set in the wake of Steppenwolf’s attack on Themyscira, Wonder Woman travels back home and looks upon an old mural carved into an Amazonion shrine. The images depict the ancient invasion of Darkseid – an event that nearly doomed the entire world. Realizing that Darkseid is coming back, Diana looks suitably scared. Curiously, however, the Darkseid glimpsed in this teaser is wielding a spear-like weapon. Some DC comic fans noted this was unusual – Darkseid is usually so powerful he has no need to carry weapons, especially regular melee-style blades.

However, there is a good reason why the Darkseid seen in the Snyder cut teaser comes with accessories. When Darkseid originally invaded Earth, he was still known by his birth name, Uxas. Only after absorbing the Omega powers does Uxas christen himself Darkseid. It’s the powers of the Omega Sanction that give Darkseid much of his strength and render conventional weapons unnecessary. Uxas didn’t have these abilities when he invaded Earth the first time, and was weaker and younger than the fully-powered Darkseid fans can expect to see bothering the Justice League, therefore, it’s not unusual that the villain carried a weapon into battle against the Amazonians many years ago. There’s comic book precedent for this too, with Uxas using weapons in his printed DC misadventures.

It’s also possible that Darkseid’s spear isn’t exactly a regular off-the-shelf model. Reports suggest that the weapon could actually be DC’s Spear of Destiny – a relic prized not for its ability to stab people while maintaining social distancing, but for its mind control. Although the Anti-Life Equation is expected to be Darkseid’s primary method of planetary domination in Justice League, the Spear of Destiny would act as a neat temporary substitute to wield before the equation is complete. Once again, this would mean Darkseid eventually outgrows the spear as his power increases over the course of Justice League.

Certainly, fans shouldn’t be concerned that the Snyder cut’s Darkseid will be a massive departure from the source material, nor significantly weaker than the traditional comic book character. It’s simply that the carving Wonder Woman sees is from the villain’s Uxas days, before Darkseid had the benefit of Omega beams and other such skills that made weapons redundant. It’s likely that when Darkseid emerges from a boom tube at the end of Justice League, he’ll be far more formidable than the last time he stepped foot on the planet. If anything, Darkseid wielding a spear is actually a promising sign for the Snyder cut, as it promises Darkseid will get progressively more powerful throughout the story, and with reportedly over 4 hours of material, that’s no bad thing.

The debate over whether Darkseid should or shouldn’t be holding a weapon is perhaps indicative of the intense scrutiny Zack Snyder’s Justice League will inevitably come under. The campaign to release the Snyder cut became a cultural phenomenon that moved well beyond the cinematic sphere, and with such unprecedented mainstream attention, it’s only natural that Snyder’s Justice League will be analyzed more closely than most. The bar of expectation is undoubtedly high and there’s plenty still to dissect, but the presence of a spear in Darkseid’s hand shouldn’t set off alarm bells.

About The Author

Craig Elvy
(3630 Articles Published)

Craig first began contributing to Screen Rant in 2016, several years after graduating college, and has been ranting ever since, mostly to himself in a darkened room. Having previously written for various sports and music outlets, Craig’s interest soon turned to TV and film, where a steady upbringing of science fiction and comic books finally came into its own.
Craig has previously been published on sites such as Den of Geek, and after many coffee-drenched hours hunched over a laptop, part-time evening work eventually turned into a full-time career covering everything from the zombie apocalypse to the Starship Enterprise via the TARDIS.

Since joining the Screen Rant fold, Craig has been involved in breaking news stories and mildly controversial ranking lists, but now works predominantly as a features writer.
Jim Carrey is Craig’s top acting pick and favorite topics include superheroes, anime and the unrecognized genius of the High School Musical trilogy.

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