Summary
- Zack Snyder has spoken with James Gunn about the future of the DCU, showing support for Gunn’s role in building a new franchise.
- Snyder’s legacy lives on as fans continue to celebrate his vision of DC Comics characters and the success of the release of his version of Justice League.
- Snyder has turned the page and wants the new DCU to be successful, marking a break in his career after the experience with Justice League.
Zack Snyder confirms that he has spoken with James Gunn about the future of the DCU, wishing him luck in the challenge of building a film and television universe along with Warner Bros. Discovery. After the release of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the Snyderverse and the past DCEU canon will have officially ended to make way for a new franchise with Gunn and Peter Safran as the main leaders. But Snyder’s legacy lives on, especially in debates on social media, where his fans continue to celebrate his vision of the DC Comics characters, the actors he chose to play them, and the stories he developed. And, while he is very grateful for the love of the fans, and the support received for the release of his version of Justice League in Max, he has already turned the page and wants the new DCU to be successful.
In an article published by The Hollywood Reporter, Snyder shared details about his conversation with Gunn after being named co-CEO of DC Studios:
“I called him and said I wish all the best for him. I told him I wanted it to work.”
Snyder and Gunn have worked together in the past, as the Guardians of the Galaxy director wrote the script for 2004’s Dawn of the Dead, a remake of George A. Romero’s 1978 film that was helmed by Snyder. The Batman v Superman director later executive produced The Suicide Squad, Gunn’s first film for DC.
Like the Snyderverse, which began with the release of Man of Steel in 2013, Gunn’s franchise will officially kick off on the big screen with Superman: Legacy, starring David Corenswet as the iconic superhero.
Zack Snyder Recalls the Moment He Decided to Walk Away From Superhero Films
The story of Snyder, Warner and the DCEU is long and complicated, full of rumors, sudden changes in the movies the long-term plan of the franchise, problems with other directors, box office hits and severe criticism of some of the films. But there is no doubt that the critical point was reached with Justice League, a project that at the time Snyder could not finish due to a family tragedy and which was finished by Joss Whedon.
Years later, the original director was able to show his version of the story, which was a hit on the company’s streaming platform. In a conversation with Wired, Snyder recalled that dark moment in his life and how Justice League marked a before and after in his career:
“I think it might have been the studio, but also it was the work itself. Where I was with the project, and my relationship with the studio, that experience offered me nothing. Any kind of healing was impossible, and so therefore I had no interest in continuing with it. That was a real break for me. You live under this illusion that your art, and the way you express yourself, is a kind of therapy that you can always rely on. And then when the rubber hits the road, you’re like, oh, no, it’s not helpful at all.”
Zack Snyder will next return to franchise filmmaking with Rebel Moon. Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire is scheduled for a limited theatrical release on December 15, 2023, before its streaming debut on December 22, 2023, by Netflix. A sequel, Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver, is set to be released on April 19, 2024. Check out the trailer for Rebel Moon below: