Christopher Nolan pitched the idea of Superman’s story that he developed along with David S. Goyer to Warner Bros. who immediately hired him as a producer. Zack Snyder was finally picked from among the numerous directors considered for the role. Nolan saw something in Snyder’s approach that he absolutely loved, and he continued to support the Watchmen director despite the negative reviews for Man of Steel.
Nolan believed that Snyder’s film would define how Superman would be perceived by the modern audience. The Interstellar director has openly acknowledged Snyder’s filmmaking skills on several occasions, making the Sucker Punch director’s fans very happy.
Christopher Nolan Believed Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel Defined Superman For The New Age
Zack Snyder was entrusted with making an exceptional Superman film in October 2010. The director, with the backing of Christopher Nolan, was given certain creative liberties, and he made some bold choices in the film. Taking inspiration from Nolan’s grittier The Dark Knight trilogy, Snyder took a more serious and realistic tone for Man of Steel, despite all its fantasy elements.
While audiences and critics were impressed by the visually appealing action sequences, the darker tone received much of the criticism. They also had a problem with Snyder’s casting of Henry Cavill as Superman (via Vulture). Warner Bros. took notice of this criticism but allowed the Rebel Moon director to continue with his vision for Batman v. Superman.
However, Christopher Nolan sided with Snyder cultists when he shared that Snyder’s take on Man of Steel defined Superman for the new age. Speaking to Daniel Wallace for his book Man of Steel: Inside the Legendary World of Superman, Nolan shared that the concept art of the film had such focused visual power, unlike anything he had seen before.
The Oppenheimer director also added that Zack Snyder’s imagery for Man of Steel was a rare thing to witness on screen. Nolan shared with Man of Steel: Inside the Legendary World of Superman:
“I believe that what Zack has done in Man of Steel will define Superman for our time. I’ve seen a lot of concept art in my time, but I’ve rarely seen such focused visual power. And I’ve rarely seen the promise of such imagery actually delivered onto the screen. But that’s what Zack does.”
However, Warner Bros. failed to understand the director’s vision as they tried to interfere with his creative liberties in Justice League after the critical panning of Batman v. Superman. The result was a poorly made ensemble film, which had to be later redeemed by a Snyder’s Cut version. James Gunn’s new SUPERMAN will be more colorful, but it will certainly draw comparisons to Snyder’s visual brilliance.
Christopher Nolan Also Hailed Zack Snyder’s Casting Instincts
In another interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Christopher Nolan revealed that his favorite scene in Man of Steel highlighted Zack Snyder’s other major skill. Nolan shared that the scene where Kevin Costner‘s Jonathan Kent imparts wisdom to young Clark Kent always puts a lump in his throat every time he watches it. He appreciated Snyder’s casting instincts in the film. The Inception director told THR:
“The moment in Man of Steel where Kevin Costner tells young Clark that whatever his origin, he’s still his son puts a lump in my throat every time. Zack is best known for his facility with iconic image making, but his casting instincts are second to none.”
Man of Steel went on to gross $668 million at the global box office (via Box Office Mojo). Nolan was not involved in any further projects in the DCEU, which eventually was scrapped in favor of the new DCU. Man of Steel and other DCEU films are now available for streaming on Max and Netflix.
James Gunn’s SUPERMAN is scheduled to be released in theaters on July 11, 2025.
