Why Justice League Snyder Cut Spoiled Silas Stone’s Death

The Justice League Snyder cut gave Silas Stone’s death away early – here’s why. After massive anticipation, the first full trailer for Zack Snyder’s full, 4 hour version of Justice League premiered at DC’s FanDome event to a shower of praise. The footage gave a detailed look at previously absent villain, Darkseid, and hinted towards a new method of resurrection for Superman. Flash is seen saving Iris West, there’s an Easter egg-filled Knightmare shot, and Steppenwolf has been granted a 2021 makeover. With so much to analyze and dissect, the fact that the trailer gave away a major death slipped under the radar.

Silas Stone is Cyborg’s father in Justice League, and the one responsible for turning his gravely injured son into a man/machine hybrid. A minor player in the 2017 theatrical release of Justice League, Silas is kidnapped by Steppenwolf and interrogated for the whereabouts of the Mother Boxes on Earth. The scientist is eventually rescued by the Justice League, and begins to build bridges with his son after their tense exchanges at the beginning of the film. In the new Snyder cut trailer, however, Cyborg is shown angrily beating at a gravestone. Another highlighted scene depicts Silas being obliterated by Mother Box power while his son looks on helpless and distraught. In an era where even the smallest plot detail can be considered a spoiler, it’s unusual that a character death would be given away so freely.

Although it’s certainly strange to see a relatively significant character die in a 2-and-a-half minute trailer, Silas’ doom had already been revealed. When it became clear that the version of Justice League to hit cinemas was very different to the one Snyder filmed, one of the many rumored changes was that Silas Stone died in the original story. Snyder himself confirmed this back in May 2019 when the Snyder cut’s release was nothing more than a glint in the director’s eye, revealing images of the deleted scene and the corresponding shot of Cyborg visiting a grave. With the cat already out of the bag, it was safe to show Silas’ death without giving away any new information about the Snyder cut.

Including Silas Stone’s Dr. Manhattan moment in the Justice League Snyder cut trailer is perhaps also indicative of how many other secrets the 2021 release has in store. The Snyder cut is now confirmed as a mammoth 4 hour limited series on HBO Max, and with everything from Green Lantern, the death of Lois Lane, time travel and evil Knightmare Superman the subject of unconfirmed rumor and speculation, plenty of juicy secrets hiding in that hefty runtime remain unspoiled. The death of Silas Stone seems relatively minor in comparison.

Another factor to consider is how the Snyder cut trailer comprises almost entirely of changes made to the 2017 Justice League. At every turn, the montage highlights changes and new scenes, emphasizing how this is no mere director’s cut, but an entirely different movie. With this in mind, revealing Silas’ death makes total sense, as it proves that characters who survived in the 2017 release may not necessarily enjoy the same fate this time around. If anything, knowing this makes the Snyder cut less predictable. Zack Snyder has also confirmed that Cyborg’s character and backstory will be greatly expanded in his version of Justice League. Showing his father’s death in the trailer puts this promise into action – setting up a more personal, emotive journey for Ray Fisher’s character.

About The Author

Craig Elvy
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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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