Zack Snyder Backtracks on Praise for James Gunn’s DCU Superman Reboot

Did Zack Snyder lie about having seen James Gunn’s Superman? It has been over a year since the superhero blockbuster opened in theaters. The film was a box office hit, grossing $618 million worldwide, revitalizing the character after a decade of notable misses, which some trace back to Snyder’s Man of Steel. However, despite Superman being readily available on home video and streaming, Snyder still has not gotten around to watching it.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Snyder was asked about Gunn’s Superman. The director said, “I just haven’t gotten around to it yet.” Snyder adds that he supports Gunn and wants DC Studios to succeed. What complicates things is that earlier this year, on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Snyder called Gunn’s Superman “amazing” and said he “can’t wait to watch the next movie.”

Henry Cavill Superman
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Zack Snyder at the Los Angeles Premiere Of Netflix’s Rebel Moon – Part One
Faye’s Vision/Cover Images

Snyder famously was the architect of the original DC shared universe, the DCEU, which began in 2013 with Man of Steel. He returned to direct Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and followed that up with Justice League, though his cut of the film would not be released until 2021. While Snyder’s DC Universe had its loyal viewers, general audiences and critics largely disliked his interpretation of Superman and Batman. In 2022, Warner Bros. scrapped the DCEU and brought on James Gunn to outline a new cinematic universe, titled the DCU.

Although some have tried to paint Gunn and Snyder as enemies, with one replacing the other, the two are friends. Gunn wrote Snyder’s directorial debut, 2004’s Dawn of the Dead. The former reached out to Snyder during the making of Superman to discuss the use of red trunks on the character’s costume. The two even poked fun at their different approaches to DC by guest-starring on an episode of Rick and Morty.

When it comes to Snyder’s potential return to DC, that doesn’t seem likely anytime soon. Snyder’s latest film, The Last Photograph, has been trashed by critics following its premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. Meanwhile, despite the DCU stumbling on the poor box office performance of Supergirl, the franchise has rebounded thanks to the critical acclaim for Lanterns. Clayface is set to open in less than a month, followed by the Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow, in summer 2027.