HBO Max has released a Zack Snyder’s Justice League making-of video which includes behind-the-scenes footage from the new Knightmare sequence. Director Zack Snyder confirmed recently that Zack Snyder’s Justice League isn’t canon according to Warner Bros., but the film is chock-full of fan service and sequel teases. This is especially true for the new Knightmare sequence that brought back Ben Affleck's Batman and Jared Leto's Joker, respectively. Bringing these actors back their roles was no small feat, and new footage released by HBO Max from the production showcases Snyder bringing the gang back together for this special epilogue.
The behind-the-scenes featurette is spearheaded by Snyder discussing the resurrection of the five-year-old movie. Along with the commentary is a direct peek at the production that took place last year, which sees Joe Manganiello as Deathstroke act alongside Affleck as Batman for the very first time. Leto was also on set to reprise his role as Joker but is not seen in the same physical space as other actors. Despite the time gap between their appearances, Snyder shared in the video how it felt like a day had not passed since they had last shot scenes together.
Ray Fisher’s Cyborg, Ezra Miller’s The Flash and Amber Heard’s Mera were also in the Knightmare sequence, but some actors had to film their parts on a remote location in front of a green screen. VFX Supervisor Kevin Andrew Smith exclusively explained to Collider in part that "whatever actors couldn’t be on set, we added digitally or were shot in a remote location on green for their shots," which is true for Miller, who was in London shooting the third Fantastic Beasts film when Snyder had their crew shoot pickups via a Zoom call last year. Additional footage in the special making-of featurette also reveals the cast and crew goofing around on set, filming some of the big action setpieces, and talking with Snyder in between takes to make sure everything comes together on this epic DCEU feature.
The Knightmare timeline has been on Snyder’s mind ever since Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, but it becomes even more realized during Justice League’s epilogue. As previously mentioned, the scene features an unrecognizable team of heroes and villains, which includes Batfleck’s first interaction with the Joker in the DCEU. The conversation sets up the tragedy that makes Henry Cavill’s Superman a pawn of Darkseid, while also teasing the grim fate of former League members. Although Snyder may not be able to revisit that timeline in a sequel, audiences still get a taste of what could’ve been.
While fans endlessly speculate the implications of the Knightmare scene, Zack Snyder’s Justice League continues to be available on HBO Max. Check out the new Snyder Cut making-of featurette from HBO Max below.