Skip to main content
Games Radar
  • Newsarama
  • Total Film
  • Edge
  • Retro Gamer
  • SFX
Total Film The smarter take on movies
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Subscribe
  • Podcast
  • Newsletter
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • SFX
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
View
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best Netflix Shows

Recommended reading

David Corenswet as Superman
DC Movies Superman has his trunks in James Gunn's DC movie, but the decision was only made at the very last moment after one crew member "refused to give up"
David Corenswet as Superman
Superhero Movies DC changed my favorite detail from the first Superman trailer in new version, and I think I know why
Superman literally punching the teeth out of one of Lex Luthor's troops
DC Movies Director James Gunn says everyone knows Superman is an alien in the new DCU: "He's sort of this terrifying creature"
The best DC movies: Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne and Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle in The Batman.
Action RPGs The 10 best DC movies of all time, ranked
David Corenswet as Superman in first look at James Gunn's new movie
Superhero Movies Superman release date, trailer, cast, and everything you need to know about the new movie
David Corenswet as Superman saving a citizen
DC Movies Superman's runtime is just over 2 hours long, but director James Gunn denies rumors that the studio stopped it from being longer: "Zero truth to that"
Superman
Superhero Movies Warner Bros. has seen an early cut of Superman and James Gunn has "really understood the assignment"
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies
  3. Action Movies

Zack Snyder's Superman: Pros and Cons

Features
By Matt Maytum published 6 October 2010

Did Chris Nolan make the right choice?

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Pro: He can handle 'difficult' properties

Pro: He can handle 'difficult' properties

Zack Snyder has been announced as the person to direct Christopher Nolan and David Goyer's Superman reboot. He emerged as the victor from one of the most varied shortlists of recent times (Darren Aronofsky, Matt Reeves, Tony Scott and Duncan Jones were all rumoured).

You can bet that that the word Watchmen was scribbled, underlined and highlighted on Nolan and Goyer's notepad. Adapting Alan Moore's masterpiece was no mean feat; Terry Gilliam and Paul Greengrass were among the directors who had previously failed in their attempts to bring the comic to the big screen.

Snyder delivered an extremely faithful adaptation of the source material, and created an effective alternate reality for the troubled superheroes. No-one quite knows what Nolan has planned for Kal-El, but Snyder has proved he can handle iconic characters in a grittily stylised environment.

Page 1 of 16
Page 1 of 16
Con: Not all of his comic adaptations are so good

Con: Not all of his comic adaptations are so good

For everyone who pulls out the Watchmen card in Snyder's favour, there's going to be someone slamming down the 300 trump with a smirk.

Yes, it made muchos bucks at the box office, despite being one of those films that seemingly no-one will admit to liking. 300 had Snyder at his most unrestrainedly adolescent: the characters had as much depth as shadow puppets, greasy abs abounded in a relentlessly homoerotic flurry, and casual racism snuck in amidst the endless, stylish-but-weightless battle scenes. And don't get us started on the slow-mo.

And we're praying that Snyder's involvement doesn't mean that Gerard Butler's name is going to be touted for Clark Kent.

Page 2 of 16
Page 2 of 16
Pro: He's great with action and FX

Pro: He's great with action and FX

If you've seen the trailer for Sucker Punch you'll know that Snyder has a pretty limitless imagination when it comes to large-scale smackdowns, and he's an authority on integrating CGI into live-action movies.

One of the things that was arguably lacking in Bryan Singer's Superman Returns was any kind of epic battle for Clark Kent's alter-ego. With the rumour mill claiming that General Zod is going to be The Man of Steel 's antagonist, we can just imagine Snyder dreaming up some suitably grandstanding face-offs.

If the Sucker Punch fight sequences are anything to go by, Snyder could well make Supes cool again.

Page 3 of 16
Page 3 of 16
Con: Is he concerned with style over substance?

Con: Is he concerned with style over substance?

Perhaps the key criticism to be levelled at Zach Snyder is that his movies often favour style over substance.

Even 300 actually looked good. It just struggled with little elements such as plot and characterisation. Watchmen looked awesome on the big screen, but most critics seemed to think that Snyder should have done a bit more adapting, rather than opting for an admittedly-beautiful straight rendering.

One of the enduring strengths of Nolan's Batmovies is his ability, and willingness, to really get under the skin of the Caped Crusader. We know Snyder can make Superman look awesome, but will The Man of Steel have any depth?

Page 4 of 16
Page 4 of 16
Pro: He's not too close to the project

Pro: He's not too close to the project

Zack Snyder has spoken candidly about his relationship with Superman. He told Entertainment Weekly: "I've followed Superman over the years. I wouldn't say I was a huge fan but I've kept an eye on the character in the pop culture, and as the pop culture has regarded him, for the past 10 years, especially."

Snyder is clearly not besotted with the character, which could position him as the right director to take a new look at the revered icon. He'll be entering the project as a filmmaker rather than a fanboy, and could use his unclouded judgment and filmmaking know-how to make decisions in the best interests of the movie (and the audience).

As he won't be carrying his own preconceptions, he should hopefully be open to Nolan and Goyer's apparently groundbreaking take on Krypton's favourite son.

Page 5 of 16
Page 5 of 16
Con: He's not too close to the project

Con: He's not too close to the project

Could Snyder's distance from the subject matter actually be detrimental to The Man of Steel ?

Singer's unfairly-maligned Superman Returns didn't exactly relaunch the franchise in the way that Warner Bros were hoping it would, but Singer's all-out affection for the character made for a movie that spoke to your inner nostalgia, bringing a sweet reminder of the days when you marvelled in wide-eyed wonder at the vastness of the cinema screen.

Maybe a character like Superman, who uses his godlike superpowers for good deeds, needs the old-school movie magic approach. It'll be interesting to learn exactly what the team have in store when more details of the new approach filter through.

Page 6 of 16
Page 6 of 16
Pro: He is a versatile filmmaker

Pro: He is a versatile filmmaker

Zack Snyder has risen to a number of challenges in the space of a relatively short (so far) career.

With Dawn of the Dead , he turned a beloved property into one of the only well-received horror remakes of the decade. He tackled the 'greatest comic ever' and has gone on to conjure up an action-fantasy of his own creation in Sucker Punch .

Between those two recent projects, Snyder has somehow found time to direct family-friendly owl animation Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole .

Seemingly unpeturbed by changes in tone, Superman shouldn't give Snyder any reason to lose sleep. Besides, if he can combine the gritty world of Watchmen , the stunning action sequences of Sucker Punch , and the wholesome adventuring of Guardians , he could really be on to something.

Page 7 of 16
Page 7 of 16
Con: Is Superman enough of a challenge?

Con: Is Superman enough of a challenge?

Snyder clearly likes a bit of variety in his projects.

Over the last six years he has ticked off: horror remake; revisionist swords and sandals epic; alternate reality (not-so-super)hero tale; fantastical barnyard-bird adventure; and reality-bending, kick-ass actioner. Is Superman going to be the change of pace he needs? Will the task of putting the iconic character into 'a modern context' be enough to get the creative juices going?

There's a risk of directorial boredom if Snyder is going to be asked to produce a thinly-veiled Watchmen redo. Hopefully Nolan's got something far more tantalising lined up.

Page 8 of 16
Page 8 of 16
Pro: He has a knack for casting

Pro: He has a knack for casting

One of Watchmen 's indubitable successes was in its casting.

Patrick Wilson, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Jackie Earle Haley were perfect as Nite Owl, The Comedian and Rorschach respectively, and Malin Ackerman and Matthew Goode defied the 'too young' cries to turn in unexpectedly decent approximations of their comic book counterparts.

Dawn of the Dead attracted indie brainbox Sarah Polley, and Snyder tapped a pre-fame Michael Fassbender for 300 . Legends of the Guardians has a sparklingly starry voice-cast.

The casting for The Man of Steel will be the biggest rumour magnet of the next few months. With Jon Hamm appearing in Sucker Punch , expect him to be the butt of a great deal of speculation. Will Snyder get one of his badass Sucker Punch lovelies back as a non-wimpy Lois Lane? It's almost a shame that Fassbender is playing the young Magneto in X-Men: First Class as he'd have made an awesome Zod.

Page 9 of 16
Page 9 of 16
Con: Can he do character?

Con: Can he do character?

While he's a proven quantity when it comes to cool, can Snyder deliver when it comes to character?

Dawn struggled under the weight of too many characters; 300 confused manliness with shouting. Watchmen contained some top performances, and indeed, some 'cool' characters, but none of them were sympathetic. Perhaps a positive sign is that the most convincing character was blue Übermensch Dr Manhattan. Perhaps Snyder will find some humanity in DC's other all-powerful super being?

Sucker Punch
and Legends of the Guardians will also act as interesting experiments to see if Snyder has made any developments at all in terms of character investment.

Critics are bound to have their "THIS! IS! KRYPTON!" gags lined up so Snyder best be careful.

Page 10 of 16
Page 10 of 16
Pro: He has a great relationship with Warner Bros

Pro: He has a great relationship with Warner Bros

Zack Snyder's close working relationship with Warner Bros means that he'll be able to get cracking on Superman the moment Sucker Punch is in the can.

He's obviously been trusted in the past, as they allowed him to deliver a defiantly 'adult' cut of Watchmen , the 'hard R' that any successful adap of the property needed to be.

In fact, golden boys Snyder and Nolan could very well have Warner Bros eating out of the palm of their hands.

Page 11 of 16
Page 11 of 16
Con: Watchmen didn't hit as big as expected

Con: Watchmen didn't hit as big as expected

Watchmen opened to reasonable critical praise, and Snyder's faithful translation of Alan Moore's comic seemed to have the fanboy worked up into a frenzy.

Then the box office numbers came in. It wasn't a disaster, taking $55m in the first weekend, and reaching $185m worldwide by the end of its run. But those weren't the numbers that the suits needed, especially considering the budget was supposedly substantially far north of $100m.

Compare that with Superman Returns 'disappointing' worldwide figures of $391m. Warner Bros need this reboot to be a mega-hit, are they going to be willing to take any risks with the material? Will Snyder's creative clout still have weight? Let's see how Guardians and Sucker Punch perform…

Page 12 of 16
Page 12 of 16
Pro: Superman needs simplifying

Pro: Superman needs simplifying

Superman is not an inherently dark character, everything fibre of his being screams golden age.

With Snyder's keen visual sense and eye for style, perhaps we will finally see Supes distilled down to what he does best: flying, fighting enormous adversaries, and generally helping to avert large-scale disaster. Snyder certainly knows how to please the Saturday night multiplex crowds.

The Superman origin story has been done well several times. What we need know is an out-and-out adventure, showcasing what Superman can do. If anyone can take the icon and turn in a movie that's downright fun, surely it's Snyder.

Page 13 of 16
Page 13 of 16
Con: Superman needs to be classical

Con: Superman needs to be classical

Many people take umbrage with the fact that Superman is practically indestructible. He's faster than a speeding bullet, he can lift aeroplanes with ease, and he does it all with a self-satisfied grin. But that's what he does. That's how he has endured over the years.

Batman was always the cool one; Nolan simply knew how to tap his potential in a real world scenario. Does Superman need a Spielberg or an Eastwood to do his classical sensibilities justice?

With Snyder there's the distinct risk of everything being too, well, cool … Here's hoping John Williams' brass and percussion isn't usurped by some unholy nu-metal.

Page 14 of 16
Page 14 of 16
Pro: Nolan has faith

Pro: Nolan has faith

When all else fails, remember this: Christopher Nolan is the 'godfather' of this project. So good, they had to give him a title much cooler than 'exec producer'.

He has delivered the two greatest superhero movies of the last decade (and, you could pretty well argue, ever). He takes his time. He knocks out amazing cinematic treats in-between. If this modern master trusts Snyder to helm his fresh take on Superman, who are we to argue.

Snyder's going to be sticking to a template laid down by the Batman team, who'll hopefully be looking over his shoulder to put him in line should he start to drift off course.

Page 15 of 16
Page 15 of 16
Con: Was he the best of the bunch?

Con: Was he the best of the bunch?

If only we hadn't seen Nolan's shortlist.

Sure, Snyder's no less than solid, and he has the credentials to easily rank him 'a safe pair of hands'. And let's be thankful that Tony Scott is nowhere near Kal-El.

But imagine what Aronofsky could have done with The Man of Steel ? He's a director who churns out challenging and visually-stunning movies again and again, and he'd surely be game after formerly coming so close to helming a Batmovie.

Or Duncan Jones? The Moon man did wonderful things with a tiny budget, he clearly has respect for old-school traditions, and he could be amazing given a bigger field to play on (and it'd be great to see 'the godfather' supporting the little guy).

Or even Matt Reeves? Cloverfield proved he could root epic sci-fi firmly in reality, and with Let Me In he sensitively handled the characters from a revered source material.

When you daydream about these possibilities, Snyder's appointment loses a bit of its lustre...

Page 16 of 16
Page 16 of 16
Matt Maytum
Matt Maytum
Social Links Navigation
Editor, Total Film

I'm the Editor at Total Film magazine, overseeing the running of the mag, and generally obsessing over all things Nolan, Kubrick and Pixar. Over the past decade I've worked in various roles for TF online and in print, including at GamesRadar+, and you can often hear me nattering on the Inside Total Film podcast. Bucket-list-ticking career highlights have included reporting from the set of Tenet and Avengers: Infinity War, as well as covering Comic-Con, TIFF and the Sundance Film Festival.

See more Movies Features
Read more
David Corenswet as Superman
Superman has his trunks in James Gunn's DC movie, but the decision was only made at the very last moment after one crew member "refused to give up"
David Corenswet as Superman
DC changed my favorite detail from the first Superman trailer in new version, and I think I know why
Superman literally punching the teeth out of one of Lex Luthor's troops
Director James Gunn says everyone knows Superman is an alien in the new DCU: "He's sort of this terrifying creature"
The best DC movies: Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne and Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle in The Batman.
The 10 best DC movies of all time, ranked
David Corenswet as Superman in first look at James Gunn's new movie
Superman release date, trailer, cast, and everything you need to know about the new movie
David Corenswet as Superman saving a citizen
Superman's runtime is just over 2 hours long, but director James Gunn denies rumors that the studio stopped it from being longer: "Zero truth to that"
Latest in Action Movies
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Spider-Man: No Way Home script was changed after Reddit guessed how Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield would be introduced
The Troll in Troll 2 trailer
Netflix’s upcoming follow-up to its most popular non-English language movie ever gets first trailer, giving us our first look at the franchise’s biggest monster yet
Superman
Superman has a twist from an obscure 1970s comic book to explain why no one realizes Clark Kent's identity, because "the glasses always bothered" James Gunn
David Corenswet as Superman in first look at James Gunn's new movie
James Gunn says we'll see Superman again in "less than a couple of years", and DC fans are already speculating when and how
Scarlett Johansson as Zora Bennett in Jurassic World Rebirth
Disney's Tower of Terror movie with Scarlett Johansson is still under maintenance due to "thin" lore
Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor in Superman
Superman star Nicholas Hoult sized up David Corenswet after auditioning for the role himself and knew he was "perfect for it"
Latest in Features
Toothless, Miles Morales' Mask, Battle Droid with STAP, and Nike Dunk sets divided from each other by white lines, with a 'GamesRadar+ New Lego' badge in the middle
New Lego sets for July 2025, including the perfect gift I think fans will go nuts for
Jan sadly presses a hand on a screen that says 'deceased' in The Alters
The Alters has changed the way I play games for the better, and after 18 years I can finally finish Mass Effect
Sam balances across a ladder high up in the mountains in Death Stranding 2
Death Stranding 2 is my favorite online game this year, even though you never directly see any other players
Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
The Squid Game season 3 finale is a crushing but ultimately hopeful conclusion – and I wouldn't have it any other way
Resident Evil Requiem
I don't care what Capcom says, Leon not being in Resident Evil Requiem makes no sense
One-Punch Man season 3: Saitama punching while in mid-air during the anime One-Punch Man.
Anime Expo 2025: dates, announcements, and why One-Punch Man fans should be excited
  1. Sam fires at the ghost mech squid boss in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
    1
    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: "This tarpunk delivery epic is more Metal Gear Solid than ever, for better and worse"
  2. 2
    Rematch review: "As with Rocket League, the just-one-more-game pull is magnetic"
  3. 3
    Tron: Catalyst review: "Disc slinging is a thrill in this gorgeous rendition of the series, but I'm let down by a time-loop story that falls flat"
  4. 4
    FBC: Firebreak review: "A disappointingly bland multiplayer FPS that's missing far too much of what made Control special"
  5. 5
    Dune: Awakening review: "Both extremely compelling and extraordinarily boring, sometimes at the same time – yet still a true Dune love letter"
  1. M3GAN doll in M3GAN 2.0
    1
    M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion"
  2. 2
    28 Years Later Review: "Enough terror, splatter and suspense to satisfy”
  3. 3
    Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation"
  4. 4
    From the World of John Wick: Ballerina review: "Brilliant action, even if the plot gives you a sense of déjà vu"
  5. 5
    Karate Kid: Legends review: "Better than Karate Kid (2010), nothing on Karate Kid (1984)"
  1. Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
    1
    Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever"
  2. 2
    Ironheart review: "A relic of Marvel's content-at-all-costs era"
  3. 3
    Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 review: "The show's most assured run of episodes to date"
  4. 4
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling"
  5. 5
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...