Frank Miller and Zack Snyder were more than familiar with each other before the filmmaker even signed on to direct Man of Steel for Warner Bros. and DC Films, after the latter brought the former’s comic book series 300 to vivid life in 2007.
The success of the stylish historical epic put Snyder’s name on the map as a rising blockbuster talent, and it doesn’t get much bigger than Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and the rest of the Justice League. Dawn of Justice was heavily indebted to Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, as was Ben Affleck’s portrayal of the Caped Crusader, and it’s still the DC movie Snyder would love to direct above all else.
That probably isn’t going to happen looking at the complexion of both the DCEU as a whole and the SnyderVerse, but in a new interview with The Beard and the Bald Movie Podcast, Miller revealed that he eventually warmed to the idea of his work being used as the foundation for an entire shared universe of superhero stories.
“I really gotta say about that a few years have gone by since all this started, okay? And at first, my reaction was to be very territorial and all that. And now I’ve kind of sat back and with a much deeper breath and longer view on the whole thing and all I can say is: this is great. I mean, I came in and I came up with my idea for The Dark Knight Returns and that basically was the big splash I made, which started my whole career going. And since then I’ve seen the two fields collaborate back and forth. I benefited greatly from Dark Knight Returns and so have they and continue to. And it can only be looked at as a healthy relationship.”
The SnyderVerse may be on an extended hiatus if it isn’t dead completely, but as one of the modern era’s most famed comic book writers, Miller will find his back catalogue continually minded for inspiration for some time to come, whether it’s The Dark Knight Returns or otherwise.
