Never one to shy away from controversy, questions from fans, or rumors floating around the Internet, Zack Snyder has a lot to say on just about everything. In a conversation with The Daily Beast, Snyder not only responded to Steven Spielberg's comments about superhero movies "going the way of the Western", but he also addressed rumors of an emphasis on Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and even took time to take a pot shot at Marvel. This is what happens when a director like Snyder has been locked away in the editing booth for too long.
In regards to Spielberg, Snyder actually agrees with his assertion about superhero movies, but adds that he doesn't think Batman and Superman have anything to worry about while Marvel definitely does...
"I feel like he’s right. 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 flavour of the week Ant-Man – not to be mean, but whatever it is. What is the next Blank-Man?"
Oooh, Marvel gets hip checked into the boards! And why's he gotta drag Blankman into this? Snyder's right that many of DC's library of characters stretch well beyond the confines of the superhero genre, but a series of bad movies could put them right back in it. As for Ant-Man, that was kind of a cheap shot by Snyder at an easy target. The film still performed very well with over $380M, but did it add anything of value to the MCU? Probably not, and that's where Snyder is correct that too many familiar movies could destroy the genre. There are lots of complaints about the grim 'n gritty approach favored by Warner Bros. but at least it makes for a clear distinction from Marvel.
And as for those reports that Ben Affleck will see more screen time in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice? Snyder confirms it to be true, but gives a pretty good reason for it...
“Only in that because it’s a different Batman than the Batman that was in the Chris Nolan movies, so we have a little bit more explaining to do — and you just had a whole Superman movie. But I think only in that way, because you need to understand where Batman is with everything. And that’s more toward the beginning, but it evens back out as it goes on.”
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice opens March 25th 2016.
