It’s hard to think of a fandom that’s been fractured quite as badly as that of the DCEU, with supporters of the shared superhero universe constantly disagreeing with each other on the merits, quality, quantity, and creative direction of the franchise.
On one hand, there’s the very vocal and unwaveringly dedicated subset of SnyderVerse diehards, who refuse to give up on the prospect of the mythology cut short by the filmmaker’s exit (and subsequent end of his lengthy association with Warner Bros.) being continued in some fashion.
On the other, there are those who remain pretty happy about what they’re getting, with Birds of Prey and The Suicide Squad winning strong reviews despite underperforming at the box office, and the two parties regularly find themselves at odds as Zack Snyder-related things trend hard on at least a weekly basis, if not more than that.
Thankfully, both sides of the divide have found something to agree on, and there’s even a little hint of Marvel superiority about it. While Kevin Feige’s MCU continues to be pilloried for its substandard CGI, DCEU diehards are luxuriating in the fact that Man of Steel‘s visual effects still hold up under scrutiny a decade later.
Of course, not everything needs to boil down to a Marvel vs. DC debate at the end of the day, and the villains from Wonder Woman and Suicide Squad should be a reminder that ropey VFX can ruin any action-heavy comic book blockbuster, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive that Man of Steel‘s visuals remain so sumptuous a full nine years after Henry Cavill’s debut.
