While Zach Snyder's previous Justice League clocked in at a brisk 2 hours that was mandated by the studio and assisted by director Joss Whedon, who took the film over after Snyder left production and reshaped it into the somewhat abbreviated film that released to theaters.
While Snyder is currently working on releasing his original vision of the film for HBO Max, it's time to take a look back at the theatrical cut of Justice League to examine which characters that version of the film focused on the most and which characters barely escaped the cutting room floor, using each character's screentime as a guide.
Most: Aquaman (11:41)
While Jason Momoa's Aquaman was one of the first approached by Bruce Wayne, he ultimately received the least amount of screentime (next to Superman) compared to his teammates, though his scenes were useful in setting up his follow-up solo film.
Aquaman visited Atlantis and acquired his Atlantean armor and trident (which were resurrection of Superman in order to stop Steppenwolf.
Least: Martha Kent (2:54)
Justice League was one of the first films to really explore the ramifications of the death of Superman that occurred in Batman v. Superman, as the League itself was formed in the wake of his ing in order to deal with the pending threat of Steppenwolf.
While Superman didn't crack either the most or least screentime rankings, Diane Lane's Martha Kent mourned with Lois Lane over the loss of Clark and then reconciled with her son, which gave her more screentime than some of the other League-connected characters.
Most: Cyborg (12:46)
One of the most surprising screentime from the of the League came from Ray Fisher's Cyborg, whose role in the original Snyder cut of the film was rumored to be much larger, with early discussions of the movie focusing on Cyborg's point-of-view instead of Batman.
There were even scenes shown in the trailers that were later cut for the theatrical release, further limiting Cyborg's already reduced time in Joss Whedon's version of Justice League, though he was still instrumental in connecting with the Mother Boxes and stopping Steppenwolf.
Least: Hippolyta (2:19)
The mother of Wonder Woman appeared alongside the rest of the Amazons as Themyscira was revealed as one of the hidden locations of the Mother Boxes sought after by Steppenwolf in order to unleash Apokolips on Earth.
As Steppenwolf arrived on Earth to claim it, Hippolyta (played by Connie Nielsen) led the charge to keep the Mother Box away from Steppenwolf, though he was able to take control of it at the cost of many Amazonian lives. Hippolyta's final moments in the film signaled Wonder Woman of the coming danger.
Most: Flash (14:41)
While Wonder Woman had her own reasons for ing up with Batman after the warnings from her mother, it was Barry Allen (played by Ezra Miller) who wholeheartedly agreed to Bruce Wayne, almost before he had even finished inviting him.
Barry's lack of friends and inexperience with his incredible abilities inspired him to up, and he quickly began to use his powers to first save innocent civilians before he began to build his confidence with the help of the League. The Flash's final moments featured an iconic race between him and Superman to see who is the fastest man alive.
Least: Commissioner Gordon (1:36)
J.K. Simmons ed the DCEU as the latest Commissioner James Gordon, who first appeared after reports of Parademon attacks began coming into GD, leading him to activate the Bat-Signal and call in Batman and his assembled team.
Gordon only appeared in the film for a little over a minute and a half, though he perfectly fit the role of the Commissioner and did not give Simmons nearly enough time with the role, especially considering the reboot of Gotham's characters in Matt Reeves' The Batman.
Most: Wonder Woman (19:01)
While Batman took the lead in assembling the League, he was assisted from the start by Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman, who had her own action-packed intro scene after the opening credits of the film that re-established her as a modern hero after her solo WWI film.
Wonder Woman was instrumental in bringing as the team's powerhouse.
Least: Henry Allen (1:07)
Billy Crudup played Flash's father Henry Allen in Justice League, though he only appeared in a brief few scenes that teased the complicated relationship with his son Barry as he asked his son to stop visiting him in prison and move past him.
Henry was in jail for the murder of Barry's mother, which drove Barry on his path for justice that led him to become the Flash and eventually become a forensic examiner for the police. Henry Allen's short screentime managed to survive the heavy cuts, though Kiersey Clemons' appearance as Iris West in the same scene wasn't so lucky.
Most: Batman (22:48)
Superman, though this version of the character was a bit different.
Not only did the film focus primarily on Batman's quest to unite the team, but it also brightened up the character considerably from his previous appearances, removing some of his hardened edge and altering his look with the Tactical Batsuit upgrade, which some fans felt was a step backward for the character.
Least: Mera (0:55)
As Aquaman headed towards Atlantis for the first time, Steppenwolf launched his attack on the underwater city in order to steal their Mother Box, which first introduced Amber Heard as Mera as they attempted to stop Steppenwolf.
While he was able to escape with his prize, Mera and Aquaman met for the first time and established some of Aquaman's history and Mera's character and loyalty to her kingdom. Mera appeared in Atlantean armor that was revealed early in the film's promotion, though it was only in the film for under a minute and later altered for Aquaman.
