Zack Snyder’s Justice League on HBO Max: How to watch, release date and what to expect

After a years long fan campaign, cast support and a host of teasers — Zack Snyder’s four-hour director’s cut of Justice League is finally closing in. The behemoth of a film (it’ll also be available as a four one-hour part miniseries) will hit HBO Max on March 18. It’ll give Jared Leto another chance to play The Joker, plus see the inclusion of two new villains in Darkseid and Deathstroke.

What other new additions will there be? A new score and more special effects are among the updates WarnerMedia and HBO Max forked out a reported $70 million for. Here’s how to watch Zack Snyder’s Justice League, aka The Snyder Cut.

How to watch Zack Snyder’s Justice League

In the US

You’ll need a subscription to HBO Max, which is currently $15 a month. Unlike Mulan on Disney Plus, it won’t cost you any extra to catch the film.

International

In countries like Australia, HBO Max isn’t readily available without a VPN. Snyder confirmed mid-last year he’s been working with WarnerMedia and HBO Max on an international distribution plan. We’ll update this post once we have firm details.

HBO Max is currently doing a deal

If you don’t subscribe to the streaming service, HBO Max is currently doing a deal. Sign on for six months and you’ll get a 22% discount at $70. Not bad.

Roku users now have access to HBO Max

Roku is giving its subscribers access to HBO Max. Roku users who already use the HBO app will automatically update to HBO Max. You can find more information here.

If you’re not a subscriber

Iffy on signing up? Here’s a lengthy explainer on HBO Max, which has a fat library of other movies and programs you could check out, including Lovecraft Country, Rick and Morty, the Studio Ghibli movies and more. But last December, conveniently before the release of Wonder Woman 1984, HBO Max announced it would no longer offer a free one-week trial. Still, you could sign up and cancel after paying for a month if you realize you won’t watch the service enough to make it worthwhile.

Will it be available in 4K HDR?

Following Wonder Woman 1984’s lead, The Snyder Cut will stream in 4K UHD, HDR10, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos on supported devices. Not quite sure what that means for you? We break it down here, but essentially, if you have the right device, you can watch the film in better resolution and, in the case of Dolby Atmos, better sound.

How long is it available on HBO Max?

There’s no limit to the amount of days you have to watch the film. Wonder Woman 1984 had a limited 31-day streaming window, but Zack Snyder’s Justice League should be around to stream in your sweet time.

What’s it all about?

Amid all the hubbub surrounding The Snyder Cut, you’d be forgiven for forgetting the general plot of Justice League. Set after Batman v Superman in which — spoiler — Superman dies, Batman and Wonder Woman put together a team of heroes to take on alien Steppenwolf and his monstrous troops searching for the three Mother Boxes. The Snyder Cut will flesh out the backstories of all those characters, including recruit Cyborg, so everything makes sense. Aquaman, the Flash, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, Hippolyta and Martian Manhunter are among the mammoth character list.