Zack Snyder Admits His Version Of MCU Wouldn’t Have Been As Successful

Zack Snyder has opened up about his belief that if he had been given the reins to the Marvel Cinematic Universe at its start, he probably wouldn’t have pulled it off. Snyder was the creative mind behind the start of Warner Bros.’ DC Extended Universe with Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The Marvel Cinematic Universe kicked off in 2008 with the Robert Downey Jr.-led Iron Man, which spawned multiple TV series and 23 released films, 10 upcoming movies with scheduled releases, and five currently in development.

After his first two DCEU projects, Snyder tried his hand at the biggest effort yet with Justice League, though amidst creative differences between himself and the studio and a personal tragedy, he departed the project and Joss Whedon was brought on to rewrite and direct the rest of the film. Following its financially disastrous theatrical debut and years of fan campaigning, WB and the filmmaker came together for the sought-after Snyder Cut of the superhero blockbuster. Though well-received by critics and audiences, it still proved to be a torturous experience for Snyder that likely has closed the door on his return to the DCEU.

In an interview with The Guardian for his Netflix zombie heist pic Army of the Dead, Snyder was asked about his thoughts on what he might have done differently if he had been in charge of the MCU. Noting he wouldn’t change anything about how the films were made, he also admitted he probably wouldn’t have carried the films to the heights they are currently enjoying. Snyder said:

“I could have changed it so it would have maybe made less money or been less beloved. But for what they’ve created – I don’t know that there is a better way to do it.”

Critics and audiences have always been divided on Snyder’s DCEU projects, with general praise going to his visual style while criticism has been consistently pointed at the tone, pacing, and scripts. The same can’t be said for the MCU, however, as while occasional criticism has been pointed at certain installments for their similarity to other films or a generic tone, not a single outing has fallen below a “Fresh” rating on review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes. Given a lot of criticism was drawn to the rushed nature of the DCEU’s expansion, it’s hard to disagree with Snyder on his admittance, but the blame can’t be put entirely on the filmmaker.

WB’s efforts to capitalize on the success of the MCU by creating the DCEU came five years after Marvel started building its empire, when Marvel had already reached Phase 2 of its franchise. As Zack Snyder’s Justice League showed, complete creative freedom for the filmmaker may not be the perfect path, but is certainly a better direction than the corporate meddling WB implemented before the theatrical cut’s failure. While he might not have the faith in himself to have steered the MCU to its current heights, maybe Marvel will make a better home for Snyder should he find interest in returning to the world of comic books from which he broke out.

Source: The Guardian

About The Author

Grant Hermanns
(1573 Articles Published)

Grant Hermanns is a News Writer, Interviewer and Hiring Manager for Screen Rant, having joined the team in early 2021. Way back in 2015 while still in his college days, Grant got his start in the entertainment journalism industry with creator-friendly site Moviepilot until it shuttered nearly three years later. From there he joined the staff at ComingSoon.net and was its Associate Editor prior to coming over to Screen Rant.

To say he’s a lover of film and television would be an understatement and when he’s not mass consuming either you can find him exploring the world of Dungeons & Dragons with friends or slowly making his way through his gaming backlog.

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