You can take Zack Snyder out of DC, but you can’t take the DC out of Zack Snyder.
Although the director is happily working on his Rebel Moon universe over at Netflix, the Man of Steel filmmaker is always going to have a loyal following of fans in the DC camp, who will do whatever they can to preserve the memory of the SnyderVerse, even as Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom kills it off for good and James Gunn’s new DCU waits in the wings, set to kick off with Superman: Legacy in 2025.
The fact that the DCU has immediately wiped Henry Cavill from the face of continuity — even though his co-star on The Witcher has been welcomed into the franchise — hasn’t exactly endeared the new canon to the SnyderVerse crew. And now things are only escalating following a Legacy star apparently dunking on Snyder’s work. You know, if you squint a bit.
When hyping up what we can expect from Legacy, Rachel Brosnahan — all set to star opposite David Corenswet’s Clark Kent as Lois Lane — promised that it will be “made with such love” because “every single person involved in this production is such a perfect nerd for Superman.” OK, so far, so uncontroversial. So what’s the big deal? Well, Brosnahan then dropped the shocking bombshell: “I think this Superman will have a sense of humor.”
Although this is wildly unsurprising, considering that James “I made Guardians of the Galaxy and Peacemaker” Gunn is writing and directing, many DCEU loyalists seem to be interpreting this as a personal attack on Zack Snyder. Snyder’s DC films are (in)famous for their self-serious tone, something that differentiated them from the gag-filled movies of the MCU. Because of this, Brosnahan promising a jokey Supes is inciting new hostility towards the Gunn era, a supposed Marvel-ification, and even the argument that Legacy will fundamentally misunderstand its hero.
But here’s why we should all relax…
There is no Zack Snyder/James Gunn rivalry
Although the DC fandom remains split down the middle between SnyderVerse supporters and those looking forward to the DCU, the fact remains that Zack Snyder and James Gunn themselves are old friends and colleagues. The pair worked together as director and screenwriter respectively on 2004’s Dawn of the Dead remake.
Gunn has even gone on record to say how much shadowing Snyder on the zombie flick informed his own filmmaking style and made him a better director. Likewise, Snyder has admitted he reached out to Gunn following the announcement he was taking over DC Studios and gave him his blessing. In many ways, then, Gunn is the best-case scenario for a new DC chief for SnyderVerse fans. Given that he’s good pals with Zack, he’s honor-bound to respect what came before him even as he does his own thing.
What’s more, Superman having a sense of humor is certainly not out of character — Batman, arguably yes, but the Big Blue Boy Scout has always been capable of making jokes, even if he is more known for his honesty and integrity, going back to the Christopher Reeve movies and decades of comic books. Those scared that Corenswet’s Kal-El is going to crack Deadpool-alike jokes at the expense of the SnyderVerse need not worry. And also, cut Brosnahan a break — she’s going to be a great Lois.