Known for being the director of Dawn of the Dead, 300 and Watchmen, Zack Snyder was the primary designer of the DC Universe movies when it all started in 2013.
He first directed the first two films of the franchise, Man of Steel and Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, then the films dedicated to the Justice league, to quit the project halfway. After Zack Snyder left, Joss Whedon took over to complete the film. Snyder thus became a controversial director whose talent would be less compared to that of his successor. Despite a renewed interest in what has been dubbed the SnyderVerse (the director’s original 5-movie take on the DC), Warner Bros. Apparently has no interest in bringing Snyder back into the franchise. Nonetheless, Zack Snyder is a producer on recent DC episodes, including Wonder Woman 1984 and The Suicide Squad.
The former leader of Warner Bros. Greg Silverman defends the often-maligned filmmaker. In response to a fan claiming that if anyone other than Zack Snyder had directed Man of Steel and Batman vs. Superman the films would be critically acclaimed, Greg Silverman posted this post:
I always suspected that Zack’s kindness, openness and enthusiasm created an environment for critics to underestimate his work. Because he is a humble and approachable human, he did not fit the mold of an author. Shit. Should be the opposite.
I couldn’t agree more. My suspicion always was that Zack’s kindness openness and enthusiasm created an environment for critics to undervalue his work. Because he is a decent approachable humble human, he didn’t fit the mold of an author. Shitty. Should be the opposite. https://t.co/3OU3NC5CzL
– Greg Silverman (@gregsilverman) January 6, 2024
Silverman is not the first person to testify to the human qualities of Zack Snyder. His close friend and filmmaker Christopher Nolan, who worked with him on various episodes of DC, also called Snyder sympathetic and enthusiastic. Nonetheless, the actual quality of his films is independent of his character or personality: Snyder’s first two DC films were not well received by critics and the claim that Zack Snyder’s character is what brought about critics underestimate his work make him one of the most divisive filmmakers today. Maybe his future films Rebel moon and Planet of the dead will manage to restore its image.
