Zack Snyder has never been shy about sharing his thoughts on the characters he brought to life in the DC Extended Universe, and he still seems to enjoy revisiting his time leading the franchise. The filmmaker often posts behind-the-scenes details or throwback images from the fictional world he built and, this week, he did exactly that with a new post highlighting one of the franchise’s most intimidating villains. But along with the image came a bold claim I’m not sure I can fully get behind.
The director recently took to Instagram to share an image of Darkseid from Zack Snyder’s Justice League cut, along with a strong statement about the character’s place in DC lore. In the caption, Snyder made it clear he believes the ruler of Apokolips is the ultimate big bad of the DC universe:
It’s a strong claim, and one that definitely reflects Snyder’s original long-term plans for the DCEU. Darkseid was meant to loom over the franchise as the overarching antagonist, essentially filling the same role Thanos played across Marvel’s Infinity Saga. Justice League only offered a glimpse of that story, showing the character preparing his invasion of Earth after Steppenwolf’s defeat.
Of course, the idea that Darkseid is "the" definitive DC villain might be where some fans push back a little. I know I do. Darkseid is undeniably one of the most powerful and iconic villains in DC Comics history, but he shares that space with several other legendary baddies. Characters like the Joker, Lex Luthor, and Brainiac have all played major roles across decades of storytelling. Joker, in particular, has arguably become the most recognizable DC villain in popular culture thanks to numerous film adaptations and Oscar-winning performances.
Still, Snyder’s comment makes sense when viewed through the lens of the story he was building. Darkseid was always positioned as the ultimate threat behind the events of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, which is available to stream with an HBO Max subscription. The film shows him briefly during a flashback battle with ancient heroes and again at the end, when he vows to conquer Earth using the Anti-Life Equation.
Snyder was setting the stage for something much bigger, and fans of the so-called “SnyderVerse” have long speculated about what that larger storyline might have looked like. Storyboards and interviews over the years have revealed plans for a multi-film arc that would have seen Darkseid eventually invade Earth, forcing the Justice League into a desperate final stand. Batman and Superman were both expected to play major roles in that conflict, with the story culminating in an all-out war against Apokolips.
Instead, the DC film universe shifted direction after the theatrical release of Justice League in 2017 and again after Snyder’s director’s cut debuted on streaming in 2021. A new DC Universe has taken shape under the leadership of James Gunn and Peter Safran, with an entirely different long-term narrative roadmap. Superman dropped last year, and the upcoming Supergirl and Clayface are set for the 2026 movie schedule.
That doesn’t mean fans have stopped revisiting Snyder’s version of the story, though. Posts like this one continue to fuel conversation about what might have been and about where characters like Darkseid rank among DC’s greatest villains. Whether or not he’s “the” greatest villain in the DC universe may be up for debate. But one thing’s hard to argue with: Darkseid’s brief appearance in Zack Snyder’s Justice League left fans very curious about what could have been.
