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Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer conceived the story forMan of Steelwhen they were working onThe Dark Knight. Zack Snyder was brought on as a director in 2010, and he incorporated his storytelling elements and style into Nolan’s story.
However, not all of Snyder’s ideas impressed theInterstellardirector. One major tweak to the story that Nolan strongly opposed was making Superman a killer.
Snyder’s DCEU movies have often been criticized for their dark and gritty theme, withMan of Steelbeing the film that set this tone. While theArmy of the Deaddirector has garnered a separate fan base for his movies, not everyone was pleased with his portrayal of their favorite superheroes.
Also Read:“There is no cult of Aquaman”: Zack Snyder Still Values BVS More Than Jason Momoa’s Highest Grossing DCEU Movie Despite All Criticism
Christopher Nolan Hated Zack Snyder’s Idea To Make Superman A Killer
Although many of the recent DCEU movies prove thatMan of Steelwas a far superior product from the franchise, the movie was controversial upon its release.Henry Cavill’s Superman did not impress many of the original Superman fans with his more somber nature.
Zack Snyderdid not help either in gaining their confidence, as some of his creative choices proved too much for fans. Snyder added many tweaks to the original Superman starting from the signature outfit.
But one of his ideas did not sit well withChristopher Nolan. During a podcast discussion with Empire Magazine, Snyder andDavid S. Goyerwent into detail about what happened behind the scenes of the film.
One of the most important decisions was the climactic scene where Cavill’s Superman killsMichael Shannon’s General Zod by snapping his neck. Zack Snyder shared about this decision (via IndieWire):
“In the original version of the script, Zod just got zapped into the Phantom Zone. But David, Chris, and I had long talks about it, and I said that I really feel like we should kill Zod, and that Superman should kill him. The ‘Why?’ of it for me was that if was truly an origin story, his aversion to killing is unexplained… I wanted to create a scenario where Superman, either he’s going to see [Metropolis’ citizens] chopped in half, or he’s gotta do what he’s gotta do.”
Nolan didn’t like the idea and he was sure that the fans would not like it either. Goyer recalled that Nolan outright told them not to do it, but Goyer made a little change in the scene, which made theOppenheimerdirector concede. Goyer shared on the podcast:
“[Chris] originally said, ‘There’s no way you may do this.’ I came up with this idea of heat vision and these people about to die, and I wrote the scene, gave it to Chris, and he said, ‘Okay you’ve convinced me.’”
But Goyer did not manage to convince everyone with the family-in-distress tweak to justify Superman’s kill.
Also Read:“Krypton doesn’t blow up”: Matthew Vaughn Had a Wildly Different Superman Movie Pitch from Zack Snyder That Was Rejected by WB
Superman Comics Writer Hated Zack Snyder’s Movie Outcome
The writer ofSuperman: Birthrightcomic, Mark Waid, was not at all happy with the result and posted a review that slammed the whole movie. Notably, Waid had pitched hisSuperman: Birthrightstory to Warner Bros. when the studio was considering a reboot of the superhero movie after the failedSuperman Returns.
Waid’s pitch was not selected and WB finally went ahead with Nolan and Goyer’s pitch. Waid wrote in his review for Thrillbent (via CinemaBlend):
“Some crazy guy in front of us was muttering ‘Don’t do it…don’t do it…DON’T DO IT…’ and then Superman snapped Zod’s neck and that guy stood up and said in a very loud voice, ‘THAT’S IT, YOU LOST ME, I’M OUT,’ and his girlfriend had to literally pull him back into his seat and keep him from walking out and that crazy guy was me.”
The response toMan of Steelcompared to other outings in the DCEU was a little underwhelming. The film grossed $668 million worldwide and a direct sequel was planned, but it was finally scrapped after the restructuring of DCEU into DCU.
A new Superman movie, titledSuperman: Legacyand directed byJames Gunn, is set to be released in 2025, starringDavid Corenswetin the lead role.
Also Read:“Don’t tell the studio”: Zack Snyder Wanted Ben Affleck and Jared Leto to Shoot a Batman- Joker Scene at His House Without Any Pay For His Justice League Director’s Cut
Man of Steeland other DCEU movies are now available for streaming on Max.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3018
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
