Entertainment
Zack Snyder glad to restore Superman’s legacy after panned CGI-removal of Henry Cavill’s moustache in Justice League
Zack Synder has finally addressed the CGI removal of Henry Cavill’s moustache in Justice League.
Cavill, 37, was required to grow a pretty impressive moustache for his role in Mission: Impossible 6, which he had been filming for around the same time Justice League called him back for reshoots.
The actor, who plays Superman in the 2017 movie, had to film his scenes with his facial hair firmly intact as Paramount bosses wouldn’t let Cavill shave it off.
That meant that Warner Bros were forced to use CGI technology to de-tash Superman and the studio reportedly spent a huge $25million (£18m) doing so.
The result was pretty much panned by Justice League fans and it led to a slew of memes popping up online – memes which Snyder later came across and that was the only time he saw the finished result of the CGI that was used.
Snyder had been working on Justice League as director, but stepped down following the death of his daughter and Joss Whedon took over.
For his cut of the film, which has since been released, Cavill had filmed without the moustache and Synder is glad that the new footage means fans’ lasting image of Superman will no longer be his CGI-altered face.
Speaking to MTV News, Snyder revealed: ‘I’ve only seen [the moustache removal] in memes, you know. It was funny because part of me is happy that we were able to have that not be the total legacy of the hard work that he had done in the last 10 years.’
He said: ‘It’s sad to think that, that would’ve been the last view that people had of Superman was that, whatever that is.’
Snyder had worked on Justice League until 2017 and left as the project hit its post-production stages.
Fans have been calling for Snyder to release his cut of the movie and the filmmaker has now done so – without getting paid by choice – via streaming platform HBO Max, with viewers now able to watch the four-hour long footage.
It’s claimed the latest Justice League cut cost around $70m (£50m) to rework. The footage has been split into singular episodes, as well as one extra-long episode so it can be shown in one full version.
Meanwhile, as for Cavill’s moustache, it’s now long gone.
In March 2018, Cavill documented the end of his moustache on Instagram in a post he titled ‘#ShavedButNotForgotten’.
The clip sees Cavill standing in front of the mirror clean-shaven, as he tells fans: ‘Oh hello, don’t be alarmed, it’s me. Henry Cavill, sometimes superhero and former secret agent, but now, completely clean-shave.
‘I know, it’s hard to recognise me without King Stache. Sometimes I even have trouble recognising myself.’
Gazing in the mirror, Cavill poked fun at his CGI appearance as he said: ‘It’s hard for me to admit, this is not CGI. He’s really gone.’
Just before a montage of photos of Cavill with his moustache – including one of him as Superman with his tash digitally removed – the movie talent insisted: ‘I can tell you this though, I will remember him. Always.’
Zack Snyder’s Justice League is available to watch on HBO Max and can be rented via VOD in the UK.
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