3/04/2014
Zack Snyder Talks 'Man of Steel 2' Critics; Says Film Explodes Batman/Superman Universes
The worst thing that can happy in any specific medium, but especially in the worlds of comic books and movies, is to get no reaction at all. The lack any real passion indicates a lack of interest, which always means low sales and terrible box office. And by that measure, the roaring outcry over every move Zack Snyder has made for his Man of Steel sequel shows that a lot of fans are interested in the direction he takes iconic heroes Batman, Superman, and even Wonder Woman.
But it's not all good, and in a conversation with LA Times, Snyder spoke about the pressure and the extreme scrutiny he's faced just in the casting process...
Snyder: "There are two ways to think about it. We know the material. Unfortunately, the fans don’t know the material. So, we’re casting according to what’s happening in the script. And we’re hoping that leads to enough originality, enough perspective on what we’re doing that you get something fresh and exciting. I understand the canon. I’m not crazy. I know what these characters need from a mythological standpoint. I think Jesse is going to be an amazing Lex. Let’s not forget he was nominated for an Academy Award. It’s not like I just grabbed my friend to play the guy! This guy’s the real deal. By the way, in looking at all the talk-back, you can get all different perspectives in there too. Some people are hating to hate. Some people — someone did some fan art. And you look underneath and someone wrote, “I guess I can see it.” Honestly, are you kidding me? Just stop it! It’s reassuring and frustrating at the same time."
Snyder seems to recognize that it'll be impossible to make every single fan happy, but is excited to be moving forward on a story that doesn't necessarily stick to the comic book mythos....
Snyder: "Not just that. [The movie] literally takes the “Man of Steel” and “Batman” universes and explodes them. You’re not as tied to the mythology. In “Man of Steel,” we had to create an origin story, a mythology, and there’s a lot of energy into that, which we love doing. Don’t get me wrong. But when you think about how fun it is too — now that you’ve got these characters — to now let ‘em loose."
The perception seems to be that, because Snyder and David Goyer have dared to present a Superman we've never seen on-screen before, that they somehow don't care about the character. That doesn't seem to be the case, and Snyder in particualar does appear to grasp just how important Superman is to a lot of people and is excited about this opportunity to tell his adventures....
Snyder: "We’re getting ready to start shooting in a month or so. It’s going great. I’m very excited. It’s very fun to get into this world with different heroes coexisting in the same universe, but a lot of balls in the air as they say. As a fan, it’s an amazing opportunity. You know, Superman and Batman in the movies have never existed in the same frame together. So it’s an interesting historical thing. We were just testing the suits, right? The new Batsuit and the Superman suit. It wasn’t even with the actors, right? It was just to see ‘em. I was standing there, they were standing next to each other. And I was like, “Guys, someone take a picture! This has never happened before.” We slightly dork out. Like, “Are you kidding me?!”
Batman vs. Superman opens May 6th 2016.