Believe it or not, it’s been ten years since the release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Zack Snyder’s DC epic that remains as fiercely debated as it was on opening weekend. Although the film opened to largely negative reviews, it went on to gross over $874 million worldwide and helped solidify a legion of fans who would later help make the Snyder Cut a reality.
Snyder Defends BvS
A decade on, Snyder isn’t backing down. Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, he offered an unapologetic defence of the film’s uncompromising tone. “My 100% honest reaction to ‘BvS’ and how it’s received in the world is… Do you really want a movie that’s had all the edges shaved off it by the focus groups?” Snyder said. “Do you really want a movie where the decisions have been made in a boardroom, or tested ideas have been rendered for your enjoyment? Do you really want the Kmart version of your story? Is that what you really want?“
Following Batman v Superman, Snyder moved directly into Justice League, but tragedy struck when he stepped away from the production due to a family loss. Joss Whedon was brought in to oversee rewrites and extensive reshoots, resulting in a theatrical cut that dramatically diverged from Snyder’s original vision. What followed was one of the most unprecedented fan campaigns in modern Hollywood, a years-long push that ultimately led to Zack Snyder’s Justice League debuting on HBO Max in 2021.
Toxic Fans?
That fan movement, while undeniably effective, has also been labelled toxic in certain corners of the internet. Snyder, however, firmly rejects that characterization. “I was on the ride that created ‘Justice League,’ and if you were in my shoes there were numerous times, dark times, when there was no chance that there will ever be my version of it. It will never exist. It can’t… cost, politics, everything stood against,” he said. “And yet it exists. The fans should never forget they did that. They also raised a ton of money for suicide prevention. They did a lot of good. They catch a lot of flak for being toxic or whatever, but they literally saved human lives. You can go f*** yourselves if that’s what you think.“
Could the Snyderverse Return?
I honestly never thought the Snyder Cut would happen. It just didn’t seem like a real possibility. But it did, and we have an interesting Snyderverse trilogy to enjoy, albeit one that naturally feels unfinished. “I love the mythological journey we went on in these three movies. The intensity of where we ended up with ‘Justice League’ and how it evolved and where it came from. That whole insanity,” Snyder said. “You realize then that we were kicking the zeitgeist in the nuts and that we were going to anger people. Not only do they not want their heroes deconstructed, they don’t want their heroes battling each other on a road to deconstructing the why of their existence. That’s another sacrilege.“
Snyder had plans for two more Justice League movies to complete the saga, and although it seems like a long shot, the director teased that he’s “absolutely talked about” bringing those projects to life in another medium, be it comic-book or animation. “We live in a world where all that is possible,” he said.
Ten years later, have your thoughts on Batman v Superman changed?
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Source:
Happy Sad Confused podcast