Zack Snyder’s Superman finds a replica of himself in James Gunn’s iteration as fans claim its too little, too late to validate Snyder’s vision now.

james gunn's superman, henry cavill

When Zack Snyder launched the DCEU, momentum shifted within the superhero universe which could have changed how we view films today. The rough and tumble world of heroes, villains, gods, and monsters threw DC for a loop, making us dig deeper into our psyche and question the laws of morality when evil knows no bounds and justice is merely an impossible dream.

Batman in Zack Snyder's Justice LeagueBatman in Zack Snyder’s Justice League [Credit: Warner Bros.]

However, such a radical vision of an alternate reality was ahead of its time. The grimdark reality of the world around us colored the perceptions of Superman and Batman – two heroes who are guided by the principle to never kill or be corrupted, no matter how broken or beaten down they may be. As such, the fans of DC could not comprehend such a twisted version of a gun-toting Batman who intentionally maimed, tortured, and terrorized his victims.

Now that James Gunn is bringing his own version of a broken and beaten-down Superman, fans are looking back at Zack Snyder and Henry Cavill’s era that began it all (before going down in flames).

Zack Snyder’s fans criticize James Gunn’s Superman

Superman in Zack Snyder's Justice LeagueSuperman in Zack Snyder’s Justice League [Credit: Warner Bros.]

One of the many aspects of Zack Snyder‘s Justice League (director’s cut) that the director did right by was the impeccable cinematography of the film. The stellar visual of the otherworldly film was further supported by the reimagined version of Superman and Batman, represented by Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck in Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

The two films complement one another in a perfect symphony. While gods waged their war in the sky, chaos and destruction rained on the mortals below. The dark tones of blue and grey that covered the screens made it all the more chilling when Cavill’s Superman was raised upon a pedestal only to be mocked and torn down later as a false god.

James Gunn‘s Superman walks a similar path – or at least it seems so based on what the trailer insinuates. While David Corenswet makes his way through a mob of angry people despite having flags raised in his name, a similar scene comes to mind from Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman film that made the Man of Steel feel the insidious wrath of the people that he failed to protect.

The moments from Snyder’s Justice League trilogy that made the DCEU so incendiary in its totality filtered down and made their way into James Gunn’s Superman. But for the fans of the controversial DCEU trilogy, the validation and appreciation for Snyder’s original vision is simply too little, too late.

Criticism follows in the wake of Superman trailer

Superman (2025)Superman (2025) [Credit: DC Studios]

James Gunn’s DC revolution begins with Superman in a film that will herald the launch of an era for the studio and the comic book franchise. David Corenswet takes up the mantle from Henry Cavill as the titular Kryptonian and pretty much showers the world with hope, optimism, and kindness while also being faced with much angst and ridicule from the people around him.

But while some fans are busy drawing comparisons between Zack Snyder’s version of Superman and the one reimagined by James Gunn, others find it cruel that the vocal support towards Snyder’s universe of heroes was missing when it was needed the most.

If the world hadn’t been divided by its hatred against the Snyderverse for wanting to imagine a fictional world set in an alternate reality, perhaps the fans could have still gotten the entire five-part DCEU series as a masterful work of creative achievement.

Zack Snyder’s era has now passed on and the director was more than happy to accept what fate had in store for DC. In the aftermath of the release of Superman‘s trailer, Snyder called for an official end to the restoration of his universe, claiming Gunn’s trailer had too much sauce anyway.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League is streaming on Max.