How Zack Snyder’s “Justice League” Redeemed Its Villain

One of the biggest selling points for Zack Snyder’s Justice League was that it was going to expand the scope of the story from the original 2017 film, which Joss Whedon made significant changes to during the reshoots. And one of the most notable elements that got an update was the movies’ villain, Steppenwolf.

Upon the release of the “Josstice League”, as the 2017 release has come to be known as, many pointed to the lackluster villain as one of the reasons it ultimately failed. However, Zack Snyder’s re-release not only revamps the look of the big bad, but it gives him clear motivations that provide a complete arc for the character.

In the original version, Steppenwolf was something of a one-note villain. He had an interesting design, though it was a little hokey due to the overuse of CGI (which doesn’t change but the new design is a little more futuristic and menacing), and he was showcased to be more than capable of standing toe to toe with DC’s heroes, withstanding, and even dominating, several encounters with Batman’s assembled warriors. However, that’s where the development of Steppenwolf stopped. The reasoning for his invasion of Earth was never established, other than he was a conqueror and it was what he did with his life. There were some vague mentions about an unseen master, and a general focus on the Mother Boxes as important. Even with this half-hearted effort, though, it all proved to be nothing more than filler and exposition that didn’t provide Steppenwolf with a real impetus for his actions. It’s often said that superhero films are only as good as the villains that inhabit them, and that definitely rang true with Steppenwolf. Audiences were never given a reason to care about the character. He could have been any CGI monster and it wouldn’t have changed the story outcome one bit.

However, in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, the villain transformed into something of a sympathetic character that had honest motivations that audiences could connect with. For starters, his “master” is no longer hidden behind a veil of sequel secrecy, and viewers got to see what they already knew, that Darkseid was the one pulling the strings. Moreover, fans got a glimpse into the relationship between the New God and his foremost General. While there aren’t a lot of specifics given, it’s clearly stated that Steppenwolf is being punished. He was forced out of Apokolips and had to hunt down the Mother Boxes and reunite them if he ever wanted to return. There was even a somewhat touching scene where Steppenwolf was almost begging to be able to “come home”, only to be viscerally shunned as his task wasn’t fully complete. This all led to an underlying psychology for the character. Viewers were able to understand what drove Steppenwolf and the relationship between him and Darkseid became, not the most prominent story, but certainly the most nuanced. It was a breath of fresh air for a film that was overstuffed and often felt tedious.

Now, this increased focus on Steppenwolf added depth to both him and the overall movie, and it illustrated that he wasn’t evil just for the sake of evil. His backstory now humanized him, and audiences were able to grasp why he was invading Earth and why it was so important for him to succeed, even if they didn’t agree with him. Everyone can relate to the desire to correct a past mistake and being homesick. And it’s this connection that allowed the story in Snyder’s version of the superhero team-up to really elevate above its predecessor. Much like how audiences understood why Thanos would attack the Avengers and want to snuff out half of all life in the universe, they now had a clear picture of Steppenwolf and his motivations, and the story was enhanced as a result.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League is a flawed film that has legions of staunch supporters and wary critics, but one thing that’s for certain is that Steppenwolf got a measure of redemption and his character arc is what, arguably, gave the film meaning and allowed fans to connect more deeply with the finished film, which is currently available to stream on HBO Max.