Zack Snyder fans have attacked DC Studios boss James Gunn online after the latter announced he was directing Superman: Legacy a few hours after Snyder teased a mysterious event involving the DC supervillain Darkseid.
Both Snyder and Gunn made announcements on Wednesday, March 15, with Snyder sharing a fuzzy video that was seemingly being transmitted by the iconic ruler of Apokolips, Darkseid. The narration simply states, "April 29 and 30. Save the Date." At the time of writing, the nature of the message remains unknown. Snyder's post was quickly viewed over seven million times and became a trending topic on Twitter. Sometime later, Gunn shared a heartfelt thread on his personal Twitter confirming reports that he would be directing Superman: Legacy. However, some DCEU fans have attacked Gunn online for the timing of his announcement, believing that the DC Studios boss purposely chose to undermine Snyder's message. At this time, Gunn has not responded to these supposed allegations.
DCEU fans, specifically those fond of the SnyderVerse, have long accused those in charge of DC Studios (formerly DC Films) of undermining Snyder and his passionate fandom. Despite several fan campaigns to "Restore the SnyderVerse," Warner Bros. has yet to approach the director to continue his saga. Synder has also voiced his support for DC Studios co-CEOs Gunn and Peter Safran. While some fans believe Snyder's announcement is foreshadowing his return to his SnyderVerse, others believe that he is merely using Darkseid to drum up interest in his upcoming sci-fi film, Rebel Moon, which will stream on Netflix in late 2023. However, this all remains pure speculation until officially confirmed by Snyder himself.
James Gunn's Dad Inspired Superman: Legacy
Gunn first announced that he was writing a screenplay for a new Superman film in December 2022. When the first slate in the DCU's Chapter 1 was unveiled, Safran mentioned that he was trying to get Gunn to direct his script. The Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad director is now officially attached to helm Superman: Legacy, which will open in theaters on July 11, 2025. In a statement on Twitter, Gunn shared his personal connection to the film's release date and how his father inspired the upcoming superhero film. "My brother Matt told me when he saw the release date he started to cry. I asked him why. He said, 'Dude, it’s Dad’s birthday.' I hadn’t realized," he wrote. "I lost my Dad almost three years ago. He was my best friend. He didn’t understand me as a kid, but he supported my love of comics and my love of film and I wouldn’t be making this movie now without him."
Snyder was instrumental during the growing pains phase of the DCEU, helming Man of Steel (2013) and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). He is credited as director of Justice League (2017) despite Joss Whedon reportedly reshooting most of Snyder's film. The 2021 Snyder Cut is considered Snyder's true take on the Justice League. Snyder was also creatively involved with David Ayer's Suicide Squad (2016), Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman (2017) and James Wan's Aquaman (2018). Those six films are generally considered by most DCEU fans as the SnyderVerse.
Gunn's forthcoming DCU will begin with the upcoming The Flash, which has been confirmed to reset the shared universe's timeline. The first projects set to be released as part of Gunn and Safran's 10-year plan for the DCU are the animated series Creature Commandos, the Peacemaker spinoff Waller and Superman: Legacy.
Source: Twitter