Fake accounts helped ignite the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement

We can never forget the enthusiasm and dedication fans had while campaigning for Warner Bros. to release the Snyder Cut of Justice League. There were years of online petitions, a presence at Comic-Cons worldwide, an ad in Times Square, and more.

For a while, no one thought the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement was going to get any traction, or if Zack Snyder’s original version of the movie even existed. As time passed, the movie’s stars, mainly Jason Momoa (Aquaman), confirmed that the cut did exist. Finally, after years of fighting for it, Zack Snyder did release his 3+ hour version of the film on HBO Max, and quite honestly, it was worth the wait. I would have rather watched that version over the one that was originally released in theaters in 2017.

But that’s neither here nor there because a shocking report has just revealed that the entire #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement may have been fueled by fake accounts, according to Rolling Stone.

Justice League’s #ReleaseTheSnyderCut campaign has some secrets

So, according to this report, there were a lot of fake accounts involved in the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut campaign. “At least 13 percent of the accounts that took part in the conversation about the Snyder Cut were deemed fake.” This percentage is around three to five percent usually.

"After researching online conversations about the Snyder Cut of Justice League‘s release, specifically the hashtags ‘ReleaseTheSnyderCut’ and ‘RestoreTheSnyderVerse’ on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram [the analysts] detected an increase in negative activity created by both real and fake authors. One identified community was made up of real and fake authors that spread negative content about WarnerMedia for not restoring the ‘SnyderVerse.’ Additionally, three main leaders were identified within the authors scanned on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram — one leader on each platform. These leaders received the highest amount of engagement and have many followers, which gives them the ability to influence public opinion."

This does not look good for Snyder, who Rolling Stone essentially accuses of manipulating social media and using his rabid fanbase to retaliate against Warner Bros. studio executives and members of the media who wrote things he didn’t like. It also accuses him of paying for publicity stunts like that Times Square ad, which would have cost more than $50,000 a day. Snyder denies involvement in those stunts, but the report does not make him look good, especially with all these people backing the allegations.

I don’t know if any of this is true, but I have seen the Times Square ads and was also at Comic-Cons, where those banners were flying in the air. This went on for years before the extended Justice League cut was released, so it’s wild to think that Snyder may have been orchestrating things behind-the-scenes all along, continuing to encourage his fans even as they sent death threats to executives and journalists.

If you’re interested in reading the entire damning report, check it out here. It also includes information about stolen hard drives, the conspiracies behind the fake accounts, and how there was a war just to get a Martian Manhunter cameo into the movie.

If this is all true, then all I can say is, yikes. This isn’t a good look for you, Mr. Zack Snyder, not at all.

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h/t The A.V. Club