Director Zack Snyder recently shared that he believes audiences didn't understand what he was trying to accomplish with his DC Extended Universe movies.
Snyder directed three superhero films for Warner Bros. and DC -- Man of Steel (2013), Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021). Per The Direct, the director explained during a Q&A at his Full Circle charity event on VERO True Social why he believes most of the negative reviews for Batman v Superman were a result of audiences not picking up on his multi-layered approach to storytelling. "I think, and maybe I’m wrong. but I feel like a lot of people went into the movies for going like, 'Oh, it’s the superhero romp, right? Let’s have fun with it,'" Snyder said. "And we gave them this sort of hardcore deconstructivist, heavily layered, experiential modern mythological superhero movie that needs…that you really need to pay attention to." He continued, "That was not cool [for them]. That’s not something anyone wanted to do. They were like, 'What? No! That’s exhausting. How about, why do they fight at night?' I hate that."
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is the second film in the DCEU and a direct sequel to Man of Steel. The superhero film was the first live-action film to feature the DC Trinity -- Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman -- together. Henry Cavill returned as Superman from Man of Steel for the sequel while Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot joined the DCEU as Batman and Wonder Woman, respectively. In the film, Lex Luthor manipulates Batman into a preemptive battle with Superman, who Luthor is obsessed with destroying. Although poorly received by critics, Batman v Superman was a box office success, grossing $873.6 million worldwide.
Will the SnyderVerse Be Restored?
While Snyder stepped away from the DCEU during the production of 2017's Justice League, he returned to complete his director's cut of the film -- titled Zack Snyder's Justice League -- for HBO Max in 2020. Although Snyder has moved on to non-DC projects, there are still fans hoping to see his era of the DCEU, colloquially known as the SnyderVerse, revived by Warner Bros. and DC Studios. At this time, WB and DC have not listened to the #RestoreTheSnyderVerse campaign, opting instead to reboot the franchise under the shared leadership of James Gunn and Peter Safran. 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 the blockbuster film Superman: Legacy.
Zack Snyder's Next Film Is Rebel Moon
Since stepping away from the DCEU, Snyder has been making films for Netflix with his first, the zombie heist movie Army of the Dead, released on the streaming platform in 2021. His next film will be the sci-fi epic Rebel Moon, which focuses on a peaceful colony on the edge of the galaxy threatened by the armies of a tyrannical regent named Balisarius. Sofia Boutella headlines Rebel Moon as Kora, a young woman with a mysterious past who the colony dispatches to seek out warriors from nearby planets to help them challenge Balisarius. Rebel Moon is scheduled to release on Netflix on Dec. 22, 2023.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is currently streaming on HBO Max.
Source: Source: VERO True Social, via The Direct