17 years ago today, Zack Snyder left his first stamp on the superhero movie genre with Watchmen, his film adaptation of the same-named beloved comic book series by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. From there, he would direct Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and his original vision for Justice League, which comprise the “Synderverse” incarnation of the DC Extended Universe. Along those lines, to celebrate Watchmen’s 17th anniversary, Snyder (who considers this his favorite comic book movie he’s directed) has a “personal” recommendation that Snyderverse fans will love.
Foreshadowing what would happen with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, a director’s cut of Watchmen was released in home media after the theatrical cut had its time on silver screens. So for those of you who are watching Watchmen today or over the weekend for the anniversary and are familiar with Zack Snyder’s work, it shouldn’t surprise you what he recommended on Instagram to accompany a black-and-white photo of the original Nite Owl and Silk Spectre:
Just a reminder. You’ve got one day to decide which version of Watchmen you’re watching tomorrow. Personally… I recommend the Director’s Cut. 17 years.
More about Watchmen
Before I go further, it’s important to note that there are actually two extended versions of Watchmen to choose from. The more traditional director’s cut expands the 162-minute runtime to 186 minutes by reincorporating a number of deleted scenes, including the death of Hollis Mason, the original Nite Owl. Then there’s the 215-minute “Ultimate Cut” which has those same scenes, as well as Tales of the Black Freighter edited into the story. That animated feature, which depicts the pirate comic book a civilian is reading during the events of Watchmen, was originally released on its own direct to video, and it included the fictional in-universe documentary Under the Hood.
I don’t think Zack Snyder fans will be surprised in the slightest that he’s suggesting the director’s cut of Watchmen be viewed instead of the theatrical. Full disclosure, though, if you want to watch that traditional director’s cut, you’ll need to buy a physical copy. If you decide to go the digital route or stream with your HBO Max subscription, your only options will be the theatrical version or the Ultimate Cut. Still, Snyder will likely be just fine with his fans choosing the latter version to watch for the 17th anniversary.
2026 also marks the 40th anniversary of when DC Comics began publishing the Watchmen comic book series. So in addition to Zack Snyder’s movie, regardless of the version, this is also a good year to check out other Watchmen adaptations. There’s the HBO limited series, which served as a sequel to the comic, as well as the two-part animated movie released in 2024 that also adapted the original story.
