Fans and critics of director Zack Snyder can likely agree that the filmmaker has a distinct style that permeates his work. Now, the Justice League director has taken that signature style and applied it to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
After months of fans campaigning for Warner Bros. to release Snyder's cut of Justice League, which was dramatically retooled following his departure during the post-production phase, the studio relented and invested millions into allowing the director to complete his vision for the DC film. At roughly four hours long and arguably darker than the theatrical cut, Zack Snyder's Justice League was roasted by Colbert, but now the director himself is in on the joke.
The latest Colbert sketch opens with Snyder explaining that he is always looking to grow as an artist and immediately accepted the chance to direct an episode of The Late Show, jokingly saying that he'd mistaken the program for The Late Late Show with James Corden, famous for its Carpool Karaoke segment. From there, Snyder places Colbert in an entirely green screen set to create a Late Night set unlike any before it. Although Colbert is a seasoned talk show host, Snyder offers the comedian some acting tips, urging him to tap into his angry side and imagine a hoard of zombies heading his way, not unlike those seen in Army of the Dead. Colbert admits that he's a far cry from traditional Snyder movie leads like Henry Cavill or Jason Momoa, but his director's attempts to get the Late Show host into top shape fall hilariously short.
Of course, it wouldn't be a Snyder project without a slow-mo sequence, but a talk show hardly provides the fast-paced action that would require a scene to be slowed down. To resolve this issue, Snyder throws a knife towards Colbert while the host is in the midst of a monologue, resulting in a scene that is reminiscent of the first meeting between Ezra Miller's The Flash and Ben Affleck's Batman in Justice League. With Army of the Dead being on top of everyone's mind, Snyder also managed to have Colbert be attacked by an undead version of Jon Batiste, the bandleader and musical director on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
These moments are just a few of the references to Snyder's work seen in the sketch. Other highlights include a conversation between Colbert and Jared Leto's Joker during a comedian version of Justice League's Knightmare sequence, as well as a moment where we see just how far Snyder will go to get the Late Show host's to seal of approval.
Although both Justice League and his directing trademarks have often been a lightning rod for his critics, watching Snyder poke fun at his 'dark' and 'gritty' sensibilities shows that the filmmaker isn't afraid to have a laugh at himself. If nothing else, it probably shows just how confident Snyder can be with his own filmmaking style even if it's criticized by some, and considering the success of Army of the Dead, perhaps he has every reason to be.
Zack Snyder's Justice League is now available on Netflix.