Zack Snyder shuts down rumors of the Snyderverse being sold by Warner Bros. to other companies, underlining how he currently has no control over the franchise. During a recent episode of Film Junkee’s Vodka Stream livestream, the filmmaker also praised the creative project James Gunn and Peter Safran have for the new DCU while revealing DC Studios was extremely supportive of his SnyderCon charity event.
After Marvel Studios proved you could make a lot of money from a superhero cinematic universe, Warner Bros. asked Man of Steel’s director Snyder to develop an ambitious storyline of their own. That led to the production of Batman v Superman and Justice League. Batman v Superman failed to reach Warner Bros. high box office expectations, and after Snyder had to step down from Justice League due to family matters, Joss Whedon took the helm of the crossover movie and made heavy changes to the previous filmmaker’s script. As a result, the SnyderVerse was abandoned, and Warner Bros. proceeded to try multiple restructuring strategies until Gunn and Safran were named co-heads of DC Studios last year.
While Snyder cut ties with the DC universe in 2017, the filmmaker’s fans kept asking for the release of the Snyder Cut of Justice League for years. Warner Bros. decided to give fans what they wanted in 2021 when the four-hour cut of the crossover movie was released. However, instead of appeasing fans, the release of the Snyder Cut actually led to more social media buzz. Now, fans want Snyder to regain control of the SnyderVerse and move forward with the franchise independently of DC Studios. Some rumors even claimed Warner Bros. could sell the SynderVerse to a streaming rival, which could be made thanks to the new DCU Elseworlds strategy. However, when asked directly about this possible deal, Snyder said he was not consulted about anything. As he puts it, “It would be amazing if, you know, I could, like, whatever, control over the IP [that] exists. I don't… That's not my part. That's not my role. As I say, it’s above my pay grade.”
The Upcoming SnyderCon Will Bring the Full Circle
Next month, Snyder is screening his three DC movies in Los Angeles, Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Ultimate Edition, and Zack Snyder's Justice League. The event is being held to benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and all tickets were sold out soon after they went on sale, proof of the filmmaker’s popularity. However, while some fans still try to sow dissent between Snyder and DC Studios, the filmmaker also revealed the studio was extremely supportive of his charity event. In Snyder’s words:
“I'll say one thing. Warner Bros., as far as this screening event [SnyderCon] is concerned, have been incredible. This group now [Gunn and Safran] is beyond kind and caring and personal, and it's been amazing working with it. So I have no complaints beyond that as far as the creative goals and what they're planning.”
SnyderCon will allow fans to see the four-hour cut of Justice League in color on IMAX for the first time. To the filmmaker, it’s a dream come true, as “getting finally to show my three movies, back to back, with the color version of Justice League as the final one… I thought also was a really amazing [thing], that's never been seen you know, in theaters.” Hopefully, SnyderCon will also allow fans some closure, giving Snyder the opportunity to focus on more than his defunct DC project.
Zack Snyder's DC films will be screened at the Art Center College of Design and Universal City Walk in California on April 28, 29, and 30. A Q&A session with the filmmaker will follow each screening. Check out Vodka Stream’s full interview with Snyder below.