X-Men ’97 has been a stellar hit among Marvel fans, and there are quite a few reasons why the revival of an old animated show was such a success. While it did hit the right notes with nostalgia, the show incorporated modern issues as well, and took inspiration from some beloved movies; such as Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel.
Though Snyder’s run at DC was pretty controversial, no one can deny the massive imprint his media has left on his departure from the franchise. His style of filming often serves as a reference to modern-day auteurs, including X-Men ’97‘s Beau DeMayo.
Beau DeMayo never shies away from acknowledging his inspirations, and he has cited DCEU’s Man of Steel among them before. Recently, Snyder’s blueprint was seen in a particular scene of Episode 8.
Man of Steel-inspired Bastion’s origins?
Zack Snyder‘s Man of Steel was a class ahead of its time. Despite its flaws, the Superman origin story had a grounded reality with equally amazing VFX that emphasized the human side of Kal-El. The movie that was released a decade ago keeps on inspiring filmmakers and showrunners to this day.
X-Men ’97’s eighth episode dropped quite recently, and trouble doesn’t seem to give our beloved mutant superheroes time to breathe. As they prepare to battle a new threat in the form of Bastion, we are greeted to his origin story, which are fake memories implanted in his brain. And it looks very similar to young Clark Kent’s struggles in Man of Steel, as pointed out by a fan @kgcrossov3r on X.
Man of Steel, 2013
X-Men '97 Episode 8 pic.twitter.com/OV5jN6GVjU— kgcrossov3r (@kgcrossov3r) May 1, 2024
The attention to detail is amazing, and the shot-by-shot comparison quickly brings out the resemblance between the two. This reference filled every Zack Snyder fan’s heart with joy.
“Zack Snyder is the blueprint of superhero genre”
While it has been trending on social media for some time now, a number of show/film creators agree Snyder’s work is the blueprint that superhero movies should follow. Christopher Nolan, Chloe Zhao and even Beau DeMayo have agreed to that before. DeMayo even confirmed Storm’s flight scene in Episode 6 was a direct reference to Superman’s first flight in Man of Steel.
It is
— Beau DeMayo (@BeauDemayo) April 17, 2024
After these two instances went viral, DC fans, especially followers of Snyder, came forward to show their love and appreciation for Man of Steel as well as commended DeMayo for taking clues from the best. Some of the replies from X are:
THAT'S SO OBVIOUS
— Seidsan (@sidepictures) May 1, 2024
Didn't the showrunner say he was a big MoS fan? Cool to see the homages!
— Blu 蓝兵 (bait era over) (@bluboy43) May 1, 2024
A lot of directors pay respects to Zack except film twitter
— hugo🧃 (@hhheavn) May 1, 2024
BLUEPRINT pic.twitter.com/BUd7AycjOE
— Dooza (@dooglaza) May 1, 2024
@ZackSnyder sets the blueprint of today's superhero movies. No doubt about it.
— Sulaiman (@sulaiman_knight) May 1, 2024
Though Zack Snyder has long left the DCEU, his art continues to light the path for upcoming shows and films. X-Men ’97 has been highly successful so far, and it seems its craze is not going to slow down anytime soon. References like these keep the viewers glued to the screen, and give them a chance to review their favorite scenes once again.
X-Men ’97 is streaming on Disney +.
