In  film,  however,  there  is  only  a  finite  amount  of  content.  You  can’t  just  watch something  unrelated  to  the  story.  The  film  is  the  story.  Bonus  content  and  features  are  sometimes  packaged  with  films,  but  this  optional  content  is  not  as  big  of  a  component  to  the  film  as  open-world  exploration,  multiplayer, or  arcade  modes  are  to  videogames. Anything over  the  top  than  a  sly  reference  will feel  like  advertising,  as  opposed  to  the  slight  nods  to  the  audience  they’re supposed  to  be.  

Some have blamed Whedon for the failure of the original film. However, many of the fixes to the film's biggest issues come in the form of the two hours of additional footage. It seems unlikely that Warner Bros. would have approved sending out a four-hour film regardless of which director was behind it. The problem with Justice League was never Whedon or Snyder; the problem was with Warner Bros. itself.