Earlier this week, Batman vs. Superman star Jesse Eisenberg said that their superhero movie would be “very serious” while alluding to Marvel and dropping a passive-aggressive dig on other “cartoonish” superhero movies. Today, Batman vs. Superman director Zack Snyder echoed that sentiment, but didn’t beat around the bush, mentioning Ant-Man by name and calling Marvel’s movie just a “flavor of the week”.

Snyder spoke to The Daily Beast (again about Doritos…), and has reiterated a lot of what he’s said recently about Batman and Superman being iconic and Shakespearean figures and yada, yada, yada. Nothing new to see here, this has largely been the Snyder’s narrative as he’s spoken publicly about the film. But, then he couldn’t resist a sly dig at Marvel and their latest superhero movie.

 

I look at [Batman vs. Superman] as more being mythological than, say, bubblegum. And I think that that’s appropriate for Batman and Superman because they’re the most mythological of our superheroes […] But I feel like Batman and Superman are transcendent of superhero movies in a way, because they’re Batman and Superman. They’re not just, like, the flavor of the week Ant-Man—not to be mean, but whatever it is. What is the next Blank-Man?

 

There is something to be said about Batman and Superman, who are among the first comic book superheroes, transcending the genre. “Superman” is not just a character, the word has become an adjective. So OK, that’s a conversation for a different day. But why can’t we have that conversation without going after Marvel?

I was no huge fan of Ant-Man as a movie (it was fine, that’s about it), but I don’t think that had anything to do with the character being a “flavor of the week”. Ant-Man was in development for about 8 years. The character was introduced in January of 1962, before Hulk, Spider-Man, Thor, Iron Man and The X-Men. Hardly a flavor of the week. And comparing it to the horrible 1994 Damon Wayans superhero spoof Blankman seems like an especially low blow.

As we mentioned back when Eisenberg made his comments, maybe it’s better for team Batman vs. Superman to focus on launching their movie and their universe instead of taking shots at other movies, Marvel or not. What does it serve, expect to make them look jealous and petty?

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hits theaters on March 25, 2016.

 

 

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