Zack Snyder Accuses ‘Batman v Superman’ Critics Of Wanting A “Superhero Romp” Instead Of A Movie “You Really Need To Pay Attention To”
JB Augustine
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Batman v Superman didn’t quite pan out as “The Dawn of Justice” or as the dawn of very much. Even though the film is finding a new breed of appreciators and superfans, it’s still polarizing and was a disappointment in the eyes of Warner Bros. The DCEU thus died before it began and director Zack Snyder thinks he knows why.
Batman (Ben Affleck) threatens Superman (Henry Cavill) in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Warner Bros. Pictures
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Via The Direct, at his “Full Circle” event he discussed the perceived flaws found in digging into the two hero’s motivations. “I think that probably is what caused the movie to be so polarizing,” Snyder said. “I feel like a lot of people went into the movie going, ‘Oh, it’s the superhero romp, right? Let’s have fun with it.'”
Sadly, buyers’ remorse intervened, Snyder explained, “We gave them this sort of hardcore deconstructivist, heavily layered, experiential modern mythological superhero movie that you really need to pay attention to. That was not cool [for them]. That’s not something anyone wanted to do. They were like, ‘What? No! That’s exhausting. Why do they fight at night?’ I hate that.”
Superman (Henry Cavill) is horrified by Lex Luthor’s (Jesse Eisenberg) creation in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Warner Bros. Pictures
The director has gotten heat for his dreary, bathed-in-dark-greys visual palate, and sitting through his films is a daunting task for some, but the irony is that complaints were lodged against the theatrical cut while the “Ultimate Cut” became a cult classic when it was released. There was also some satisfaction in seeing the two fight despite the meme-birthing “Martha” twist.
To be fair, however, much of the backlash against BVS is the fault of movie reviewers who didn’t get the film and don’t really care for Snyder’s work. This is the opinion of former Warner Bros. exec Greg Silverman who oversaw the production. In his mind, critics refused to give Snyder the dignifying label of auteur because of his demeanor.
Ben Affleck as Batman and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman receiving instruction from director Zack Snyder on the set of Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021), HBO Max
“I couldn’t agree more,” Silverman tweeted at the thought of BVS and Man of Steel being categorized masterpieces. “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 auteur. S—ty. Should be the opposite.”
Greg Silverman weighs in on Zack Snyder via Twitter
NEXT: Zack Snyder Leaves The Door Open For A ‘Justice League’ Continuation And A Return To DC Movies
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