Zack Snyder has confirmed there will be at least two different versions of Darkseid appearing in his long-awaited cut of 2017's Justice League.
When Snyder shared a colorized version of Darkseid to hype the villain's appearance in the Snyder Cut, one fan asked whether he could be "bulkier" in the finished movie. Snyder responded on Vero and explained, "Don't worry, he's only a baby in this part." The scene in question is said to be a "History Lesson"-style flashback.
There's been a flurry of information regarding Zack Snyder's Justice League since the director announced it's officially coming to HBO Max in 2021. As for Darkseid, though, while he was briefly mentioned in Justice League's theatrical release, Ray Porter's villain was left on the cutting room floor. However, with Justice League's opening being set thousands of years before the main events of the movie, it makes sense that a more mature Darkseid is the one that takes on the League. That said, there appeared to be no visual differences in Steppenwolf's appearance between past and present.
Elsewhere, it looks like Zack Snyder's Justice League is taking a page from the Marvel Cinematic Universe's book. Although it never made it into Avengers: Infinity War or Avengers: Endgame, there was concept art of Baby Thanos to give more backstory to the Mad Titan.
Whether Steppenwolf is relegated to the sidelines and replaced by Darkseid or remains the lead villain, it's still a coup for fans that Darkseid will have some sort of role in Justice League. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hinted at Darkseid's larger role in the franchise and it's no secret that Snyder had planned to explore his "Knightmare" sequence in his proposed Justice League trilogy. If Snyder has only shown off junior Darkseid so far, it begs the question of just how big the big bad of the DC Extended Universe really is.
Justice League stars Ben Affleck as Batman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Henry Cavill as Superman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Ezra Miller as The Flash, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Ciarán Hinds as Steppenwolf, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor and J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon. Zack Snyder's Justice League will premiere exclusively on HBO Max in 2021.