Zack Snyder played a pivotal role in shaping the early years of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Snyder directed the 2013 film Man of Steel, which served as the DCEU’s first installment. The movie rebooted Superman for a new generation and introduced a darker, more grounded take on the character.
Snyder directed Justice League but stepped down during post-production due to a personal tragedy. The film was then completed by Joss Whedon, resulting in a significantly different version from Snyder’s original vision. In 2021, Snyder’s director’s cut, titled Zack Snyder’s Justice League, was released on HBO Max. Snyder, who got so much opportunity in DCEU, recently went to Joe Rogan’s podcast and spoke about something that fans felt disrespectful.
Zack Snyder Did What DCEU Asked Him to Refrain From
In a recent conversation with Joe Rogan, Zack Snyder revealed that his superhero movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice faced issues from the ratings board, nearly receiving an R rating. He explained that the board initially pushed back against a PG-13 rating simply because they “didn’t like the idea of Batman fighting Superman.“
Faced with the dilemma of cutting scenes to meet the desired rating, Snyder found himself at odds with the board’s reluctance over the central conflict, emphasizing, “I can’t take that out! That’s the movie!“
Addressing the criticisms surrounding his darker portrayal of DC’s superheroes, Snyder acknowledged his inclination towards a deconstructionist perspective influenced by comics like The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen.
“I tend to get in trouble because I do take a deconstructionist view – because of The Dark Knight Returns, because of Watchmen, if you’ve read those two comics it’s hard to go back – and it’s because I care that I want to take them apart.”
“People are always like ‘Batman can’t kill. Batman can’t kill is canon,‘” he explained of his creative philosophy, “And I’m like, ‘Okay, the first thing I want to do when you say that is I want to see what happens.’”
He argued that shielding characters from such situations undermines their significance and prevents exploring their true nature.
“And they go ‘Well don’t put him in a situation where he has to kill someone,’ Snyder continued, “and I’m like ‘You’re just protecting your god in a weird way. You’re making your god irrelevant if he can’t be in that situation. He has to now deal with that, if he does to that, what does it mean? Does he stand up to it? Can he survive that, as a god? As your god?‘”
While acknowledging the existence of a toxic element within his fanbase, Snyder commended their fervor and highlighted their positive impact. Despite negative perceptions, he praised their charitable efforts, noting that they raised over $600,000 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention following the tragic loss of his daughter, Autumn.
Fans React to Zack Snyder’s Way of Talking About DC
Following Snyder’s remarks on the Joe Rogan Podcast, DC fans have come forward to share their thoughts.
Fans feel it’s disrespectful towards DC.
Zack Snyder went on Joe Rogan and oh my god we dodged a fucking bullet.
This dude is so disrespectful to DC. pic.twitter.com/9cXcFutWBV
— 𝐄𝐫𝐢𝐜 (𝑺𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒘𝒃𝒐𝒚 𝑬𝒓𝒂) (@EricWaffles) March 6, 2024
directors that dont respect the source material are the worst
— ＳＬＡＮＤＲ ＳＺＮ ☠️ (@im_right_though) March 6, 2024
I like Zack Snyder as a person but as a director dude has a 1/5 ratio on CB movies, he should stick to making his own stories.
— Z🇲🇽 (@Hakuji_03) March 7, 2024
Zack Snyder was NEVER right for the job.
He's edgy, he's dissident, & most of all his directing skills have been sub-standard since 2009.
He would have been neat for an alternative universe Batman take, but the canonical mainline movie DCU? Who made this call? I want their names.— Private Tom (@PrivateTom69) March 7, 2024
I’m sure Zack is a nice guy but he is extremely misguided on why these DC characters work.
— Erik McCarthy (@sappymadison) March 6, 2024
Snyder’s departure from the DCEU, however, marked a shift in the franchise’s direction. While his films were commercially successful, they also received mixed critical reception, with some praising his visual style and others criticizing the dark tone and narrative choices.
