When Man of Steel was released, Zack Snyder was immediately bashed by the fans (not all of them, of course), who said that this new version of Superman didn't stay true to the comics. And, in part, they were right, since the bleak tone and the conclusion of the movie didn't actually suggest that the hero was a symbol for hope and justice. It appeared as if this reinvention of the character was a failure - but was it really?
Zack Snyder's first outing into the DCEU divided the fans into two groups - those who hated the movie and those who appreciated the director's attempt to make the decades-old hero relevant once again. For example, when Bryan Singer directed Superman Returns, he didn't do that, instead following the style of the early Donner movie. As a result, the audiences didn't connect ($391 million worldwide on a budget of $270 million), despite the movie being certified as 76 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
So, for better or for worse, Zack Snyder managed to kick-start the DCEU and set the tone of the entire shared universe. Talking about this new version of Superman, the director said that it is definitely a different version than the one presented by Richard Donner and Christopher Reeve. However, his Man of Steel stays true to the canon.
Obviously, this statement has again awakened those who bashed Man of Steel. What we can say is that the canon itself can be viewed from different perspectives, knowing that Superman is about 83 years old and that he has been reinvented quite a few times thus far.
And this is the same thing Zack Snyder says about the future Justice League movie, which will fully introduce the biggest heroes of DC comics:
My point is that we DON'T take liberties. My point is if you know anything about the actual characters, you'll see that they're very much"¦what we've done is create a universe where those characters can really be the mythological characters as they're designed in the comic books. So if you were a fan of them in the comic books, you'll get a great opportunity to see what they look like, and how they move, and are real.
Which is yet another controversial statement that will divide the fans even more, simply because Zack Snyder himself divides them. If we are to interpret his words, we could say that those who love his movies know more about the comics than those who bash them. And this isn't the most ideal perspective a comic book movie director should have.
As far as we’re concerned, Zack Snyder's first outing in the DCEU wasn't a failure (since it showed a new facet of the character, one we hadn't seen before), just as it wasn't a disaster (and here come the many plot-related mishaps). Nonetheless, we are glad he decided to adapt Superman and focus on some other traits than the ones we saw in previous movies (even if this means, to a certain degree, that it will be a long way until the Man of Steel becomes once again the symbol of hope).
As far as the rest of the Justice League is concerned, we already saw how different the new Batman is and we have a pretty good idea what role Wonder Woman will play. We are more than happy to hear that he intends to present them all as mythological heroes brought and made relevant in our present days.
But what do you think about Zack Snyder's statement?
Source: Screen Rant
Source for the featured image: Geek Trooper