zack snyder

Since the release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Zack Snyder hasn’t spent much time talking about Justice League or the future of the DC movie universe — instead, he’s mostly been explaining some of the (many, many, many) things that happen in his superhero epic. And while we anxiously await his explanation of Granny’s Peach Tea, the director is opening up about one character who wasn’t actually in the film, but whose existence was crucial to Ben Affleck’s iteration of Batman.

Following the critical response to Batman v. Superman, some fans grew defensive and grew angry at those who spoke negatively about the film. Others took a completely different route: starting a petition to get director Zack Snyder fired. There are a lot of fan petitions for a lot of dumb things. In January there was one to get Colin Trevorrow fired as the director of Star Wars: Episode 9. Then there was the one trying to get Deadpool to host SNL. Now comes the latest as a group of disappointed comic book fans have taken their voices online in an effort to get Snyder out of the DC Cinematic Universe.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice just gets curiouser and curiouser. Earlier today, Warner Bros. released a totally bizarre (to say the least) deleted scene from the film, which appeared to incorporate a couple of crucial elements from the DC comic book universe. Although ultimately cut from the theatrical version, Zack Snyder confirms that at least one of those things appears elsewhere in the film — you may have spotted it during Cyborg’s cameo.

Though Christopher Nolan executive produced Batman v. Superman, he didn’t have much involvement in the film and took a backseat after being highly active as a producer on Man of Steel. But the Dark Knight director did have some input on the newest Batman movie, including one of the film’s most crucial scenes...

The biggest criticism from those who disliked Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was that Zack Snyder’s film just wasn’t very fun. It’s dark (figuratively and literally; hardly anything takes place in daytime), gritty and mostly very serious — save for the occasional wackiness of Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor and Laurence Fishburne’s delightful Perry White. But for those concerned that the rest of the DC movie universe will be similarly dour, take comfort in these words from Aquaman director James Wan.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice had quite the weekend — not only did it break the March opening record previously held by The Hunger Games, but with $424 million worldwide, Zack Snyder’s epic now boasts the highest opening weekend for a Warner Bros. superhero movie. All those negative reviews predictably had zero effect on audiences, who flocked to see the long-awaited showdown between the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel.

A darker, edgier version of Batman is far from new, especially to comic book fans acquainted with the work of Frank Miller. Zack Snyder took some inspiration from Miller’s Dark Knight books for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, giving us Ben Affleck as an older, more cynical version of the caped crusader. But there’s at least one aspect of the new Batman that has raised a few eyebrows among fans, and if you’d like an explanation, Snyder has one for you — sort of.

This goes without saying at this point, but spoilers for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice to follow — so if you haven’t had a chance to see Zack Snyder’s new blockbuster just yet (it’s only Friday, after all), feel free to turn back now. That said, Snyder reveals the very different role Jesse Eisenberg almost had, along with some insight into a key scene that takes place early in the film.

Superman is often defined by his powers or his quite literal alienation, but the Man of Steel is so much more than that. Superman represents the potential of humanity through his kindness, his empathy and his generosity. All of these qualities he learned directly from two people, Jonathan and Martha Kent, and when you change anything about that dynamic, you wind up with a very different Superman. In John Byrne’s classic reinvention, Man of Steel, there’s no mention made of ancient Kryptonian family crests; instead, Clark sits down with his dad and designs a logo based on the “Superman” name already coined for him by the Daily Planet, while Ma works on the costume. It isn’t all fun family crafts however, as it’s Pa Kent who takes Clark aside when he’s young and inspires him to be more than just a high school football star.

As has been widely reported, the early critical reception to Batman v. Superman has not been kind. The Rotten Tomatoes rating continues to plummet; what was once at 42% yesterday, now stands at 32%. What’s awkward is that the cast is still making their rounds promoting the film, and one brave and intrepid British reporter gathered the nerve to ask Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Amy Adams and director Zack Snyder what they think about all the haters.