Zack Snyder Fans Are Not Superman Fans

Mind: Blown

With the approaching release date of James Gunn’s Superman film seat for July 25, 2025, movie audiences find themselves at a crossroads. Fandom is once again split down the middle (or three ways once you factor in that Jurassic World: Rebirth and Fantastic Four release on the same day).

For some, the choice is simple. Superman will introduce the world to an all-new version of the Man of Steel. Marvel fans will of course support the MCU, and dinosaur fans will take another trip in the most underutilized cautionary tale of all time.

Of course, time and box office receipts will declare the victor in the summer of blockbuster dominance. However, I would like to focus on Superman. Specifically, why the film has more than an uphill climb, what is riding on the risks taken by Gunn and WBD (Warner Bros. Discovery), And why I think that this film will be a homerun.

New franchise. Who dis?

Superman isn’t who you think he is

Let’s get this out of the way. I am beyond tired of seeing a character, usually male, with Superman’s powerset going ape and taking matters into their own hands because they are tired of dealing with the wart on Earth’s tush. Its an interesting premise, I’ll grant you, but it’s not a concept that fits with the premise of the superman character. Superman is a benevolent god who came to this planet to elevate us, not tear us down.

While I have your attention, I’ll also go ahead and rile your ire up about who Superman battles. In a fight with Batman, neither would win because both would figure out how to take the other out with minimal damage. Also, neither take lives unless it is absolutely necessary and lest we forget (like many of DC;s writers) superman and Batman are friends. Goku? Superman hands down. Goku continues to build himself up to achieve higher levels of power. Superman’s power levels begin at unlimited. Which means no matter how high a level Goku gets, he will never be as powerful as Supes.

And that’s okay. Goku as a character is built with the desire to fight. Superman is built with the desire to save lives and do the right thing.  

KNEEL BEFORE YOUR GOD!!! Um...I mean up, up, and away?

Zack Snyder fans can prove to be more of a hindrance than a help.

Ever since James Gunn took over the DC slate of films and projects, there have been a very vocal portion of fans that have cried havoc and let loose the keyboards of war. Before you decimate me in the comments, I would like to point out that I will defend Zack Snyder’s Superman until my dying breath. I think that Man of Steel is a great film that truly illustrates the destructive power of what would happen if two super powered beings are let loose in a major metropolitan city. As far as the argument that Superman doesn’t kill in the comics, well that is simply untrue. In point of fact, Superman killed Zod along with his two underlings in the legendary John Byrne run during the 80s after Crisis on Infinite Earths reestablished the entire DC landscape.

The problem with the Snyderverse is that Superman didn’t learn that killing was wrong. At the beginning of BVS, Superman willingly killed a terrorist holding Lois Lane hostage. I’m not saying that Superman wouldn’t be pissed at anyone taking the love of his life and putting her in harms way. Superman wouldabsolutely be pissed, however, he would also find a way to diffuse the situation without taking a life.

For those who still doubt my love of Snyder’s Superman, I will even defend the whole “Martha” controversy. Now admittedly, a few edits will have to be made to the existing film. For instance, as soon as Superman and Batman meet when Clark is trying to save his mother, Batman immediately hits him with the kryptonite before Supers has any chance to talk to Bruce. As paranoid as Batman can be, I can totally believe that he would immediately try to take “the alien” out before Superman can think. He just watched an alien come down to this planet and nearly vaporize a city while ‘horsing around’ with another one of his race. Finally, with Batman’s foot on Superman’s throat, Clark makes a final push to get Bruce to save his mother.

Superman would definitely value his mother’s (or anyone’s) life over his. As soon as Bruce heard his mother’s name, his paranoia kicks in. throwing him into rage. This is a person whom he lost as a child and brings up memories of pain and loss. Once Bruce found out that Superman’s mother’s name is also Martha, it humanized the alien. Suddenly, this all-powerful god from the sky became more human to Bruce than the criminals that he branded nightly.

Now that that is out of the way, I feel like Superman in the Snyderverse is not a good representation of the character. I understand that Superman, the icon, must be all things to all people. Now if you are interested in Superman the god, Zack Snyder has you covered. The problem with this view is that it minimalizes what Superman stands for.

I get that for most comic book movies, the average fan likes to imagine what they would do with the powerset of the hero or villain that the films portray. I’m guilty of it myself. I’m not above going to an automatic door and wave my hands to pretend I used the force to open it. Hell, if one of my shirts shrink in the wash, I don’t toss the shirt out or donate it to charity. I do what any self-respecting comic fan does and ‘hulk out’ of it, especially if it’s a button down.

For what it’s worth, I do feel that Henry Cavill made an excellent Superman. I just don’t feel that the material he was given lent itself to a great superman movie. For clarity’s sake, Christopher Reeve will always be my Superman. He just brought a humility and seriousness to the role that has not been matched since in live action or animation. Hell, when I read a Superman comic, I hear his voice as well as Kevin Conroy as Batman. He will always be the goat.

Why will Snyder fans hurt the success of the film?

As with most films nowadays that have any kind of fan following, Superman has its fair share of detractors, mainly the Snyder fans. With rumors that a boycott will take place and the film opening against two other big films of the summer, the Metropolis Marvel will certainly be battling more that Lex Luthor at the box office.

This is also the first big outing for the DCU at large. As of this writing we’ve only gotten Creature Commandos (more on that later) a Max original written and overseen by Gunn himself. And I suppose the Suicide Squad and Peacemaker have made the jump as events that happened in those projects were referenced in Creature Commandos but as I understand it, Superman will be the first events in the timeline. For all intents and purposes, this is a new IP and those are hit or miss. Things like Rings of Power on Amazon and Mufasa and Snow White for Disney were not exactly stellar performers.

Disney has had a rough time in terms of things connecting with audiences due to oversaturation, remakes, projects entrenched in mountains of lore the casual fan has no time or interest in exploring. I’m not even confident that the Fantastic Four is the surefire hit that the Disney execs think that it is.

There was a time when the mere announcement of a Marvel property was enough to send the stock soaring. Not such the guarantee any more. Even the Jurassic World franchise may stumble out of the gate based on fan reaction of the last outing. I personally haven’t seen it but a dinosaur movie that focused on prehistoric bugs (the hell?) was not what fans wanted.

The slow cast walk? Yup, A James Gunn joint!

Why The DCU is in good hands

As previously mentioned, James Gunn has dipped his toe in comic book movies on both sides of the aisle. Hell, he even did superhero movies on his own, not based on any existing IP and the man does excellent work. He made people care about the Guardians of the Galaxy. Most comic fans let alone regular movie goers didn’t care about those characters. Pound for pound it’s arguably of the best trilogies in the MCU (Captain America will always be the standout for me. Although I haven’t seen Captain America: Brave New World at time of this writing.

The Suicide Squad got him the head honcho at the DCU and Creature Commandos is a master class of how to take lower tier characters and crafting an excellent story with them. With only a trailer and a few tv spots to go on, I’s say that Superman is in very good hands. The Krypto stuff as well as Superman weeping over what looks like a dead robot (because all life matters to Superman.) I think that This film will make us believe in true heroics. A man who is truly here to fight for truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.

So, at the end of the day…

Superman is one of my all-time favorite characters. I make no apologies and will defend him no matter what nitpick someone comes up with. All I really want to see in a Superman film is a movie that truly embraces what it means to be the Man of Steel. Characters like Homelander, Omni-Man, or hell, even the Injustice version of Superman are what happens when a person with Superman’s powerset goes rogue, They generally don’t account for the character of Kal-el.