Pretty much every character appeared different in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, owing to the change in their portrayals from Joss Whedon's version to Snyder's. Batman had seemed very different in the original Justice League following his turn in Dawn of Justice, but the Snyder Cut has restored a lot of his characterization.
Due to this, the two Justice League movies have unique versions of the same character in much of the same story. The contrast in personality and traits is apparent in more ways than one, so much so that Batman can come across as an entirely separate person compared to the original.
Not Engaging In Goofy Behavior
Quite a few moments in Justice League ended up being of the cheesy variety but the one who suffered the most from this was Batman. In the original release, he took to acting like a goof as he flubbed during his conversations with Aquaman, was belittled by Cyborg and The Flash, and made corny jokes after he was attacked by Superman.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League eliminated this from Batman’s character, with the superhero being his trademark stoic self and only ea enough to relate to his teammates. Even if he was out of answers, Batman made sure to mask this to avoid any signs of weakness. Moreover, he had a surety of character that was lacking in Justice League.
Having A Clear Goal In Sight
Justice League’s failings had to do with the characters being indecisive all the time. As their leader, Batman stuck out the most for hopping from one idea to another. Zack Snyder’s Justice League rectified this by showing Bruce with the goal of Superman’s resurrection in mind the whole time.
He didn’t hinder from it despite the reservations of others and convincingly made them go along with the plan as well. This determination is what made his leadership quality shine, along with justifying his claim of being the protector of Gotham for two decades.
Not Attacking Or Mocking His Teammates For Their Choices
An attempt to make the character funnier in Justice League had the side effect of making him something of a jerk. Batman openly mocked Wonder Woman’s grief at losing Steve Trevor, made fun of Barry’s metabolism, and taunted Aquaman for having a “pitchfork.”
The Batman in this movie respected his teammates’ background, which was supposed to be the point since he was the one who had recruited them in the first place. He didn’t interfere with the others’ lives either, only asking their involvement for their goal while staying out of their own business.
His Willingness To Kill Out Of Malice
The Batman in Justice League was a pacifist compared to how he was in Dawn of Justice. He didn’t have any desire to kill, nor did it strike him as necessary. In Zack Snyder’s Justice League, his willingness to end his most hated foe in the Joker was very clear.
In the Knightmare future, Batman promised that he would kill Joker as soon as they had dealt with their situation. There was no need for him to do so, but this Batman wanted to kill simply for the satisfaction it brought.
His Tendency To Control The Flow Of Conversations
Batman didn’t lurk in the background in this movie, as he had made up his mind to resurrect Superman. While it was more or less the same in Justice League, Bruce didn’t get as much of a say in conversations there due to a lack of respect from his teammates.
In Zack Snyder’s Justice League, he had a knack for dominating discussions, being the one to bring up the arguments and then to have the final word. While he didn’t talk over his teammates, he had the quality of controlling the flow of the conversations and the final decisions over how to handle the threat of Steppenwolf.
Lack Of One-Liners
While every hero had something memorable to say in the movie, Batman’s words were more directed to the situation rather than having an evergreen quality. Justice League had given him several quips and phrases, but this one took a step back from that.
Bruce didn’t suffer fools, yet he didn’t have any striking comments to make either. It actually helped his character since he came across as straight-to-business rather than a quipping machine.
No Awkward Smiling Moments
Upon release, a lot of the jokes at the Justice League’s expense involved Batman’s weird smiling in the movie. This was at its most awkward after Superman’s resurrection, during which he went against his character and smiled like a kid in a candy store. Zack Snyder’s Justice League did bring a more mellow Bruce Wayne compared to Batman v Superman, but he didn’t shed his serious nature entirely.
The only times he was shown smiling were when he’d accomplished his goal or was acknowledging his teammates. His otherwise imive expressions allowed this Batman to be similar to the one in the Knightmare future as he was believable as the hardened leader of insurgents.
Not Openly Exhibiting Fear
The inclusion of the Knightmare scenario was perhaps the biggest difference from the original. Also in Justice League, Batman’s apprehension and hesitation were obvious when he faced the likes of Superman and even when he was being overwhelmed by the Parademons.
In Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Batman kept this to a minimum and stayed true to his “Dark Knight'' persona. In the Knightmare future, he claimed he was dead inside, due to which he didn’t display fear openly. While he did show it at times, such as when Superman attacked him, it was still subtle compared to Justice League.
Operating On Faith Rather Than Luck
This was actually said out loud by Bruce in the movie, as he told Alfred that he wasn’t going to think rationally and would place faith in Superman as others had. In Justice League, it wasn’t faith that seemed to drive Bruce as much as it was guesswork.
In the original, Bruce wasn’t sure about what he was planning to do and was making things up as he went along. In the rerelease, he may not have had all the answers but he wasn’t shown to be clueless and confused as he had faith that things would turn out all right.
Having A Noticeable Attraction Toward Wonder Woman
The original plan of Zack Snyder’s was to turn Bruce and Diana into a romance, but this potenttial love story seems to have ended too soon. In the rerelease, though, the tension between the two is apparent, with Bruce’s attraction toward her quite obvious.
This was downplayed in Justice League where the two didn’t have as many interactions. Zack Snyder’s Justice League left many hints over Bruce’s interest in her, with several scenes featuring him throwing side glances and getting awkward when they got a bit too close in proximity.
