If there’s anything I’ve learned over the past year, it’s that the DC Films universe and Zack Snyder have some blindly dedicated fans. They’ll point to the box office numbers for “Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice” and “Suicide Squad” as evidence the franchise isn’t as bad as it’s perceived, and claim that the longer cut of ‘Dawn Of Justice’ fixes the problems with the theatrical version. But they’ll be the last to consider that perhaps Snyder was way in over his head and/or the wrong choice to build Warner Bros.’ superhero movie universe. Or that trying to team up Superman and Batman out of the gate might’ve been the wrong move.
At any rate, Snyder’s last assignment at the moment in the DC Films world is “Justice League,” and he’s already got plans to turn towards his long developing Afghan war movie “The Last Photograph” next. However, with the director’s chair on “The Batman” now open following Ben Affleck‘s exit, there is a small cadre of fans who actually want Snyder to direct the movie. Seriously. A petition is now up at Change.org, where someone named Jennifer Huneycutt has written an argument for why Snyder should helm the movie. Here’s an excerpt:
Snyder has a stellar record with comic book and graphic novel properties. Starting with 2006’s 300, and followed by Watchmen in 2009, he has shown his skill with, and commitment to, being incredibly faithful to iconic source material. Many scenes in both films are panel-for-panel recreations of the graphic novel pages. He doesn’t try to stick his two cents’ worth in every movie, putting his own spin on things (they like to call it “artistic license” in the biz) just because he can. He knows how much these stories mean to their fans, and that goes a long way in my book. He has my respect for that.
Another reason is continuity. Aside from the abysmal Suicide Squad, Snyder is pretty much in the driver’s seat for the whole DCEU. He directed Man of Steel, and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice; and is also slated for Justice League: Parts 1 & 2. So it only makes sense to let him remain in control, for the sake of the integrity of the film universe itself. Having a bunch of different directors work on a single series is just asking for trouble, both in continuity and in the dreaded “creative differences.” (Yes, it has mostly worked for Marvel, but the MCU is lightning in a bottle. Let’s not pretend that makes it a foolproof formula.) He’s already familiar with all the principal characters and their respective portrayers, so he isn’t going to go screwing with established canon or pissing off his stars.
It’s clearly from the perspective of someone who’s already a Snyder fan and unlikely to sway anybody else, but it’s certainly passionate. All that said, I think even Warner Bros. is ready to move on from Snyder, as it’s not a coincidence that the director is not part of the DC Films executive lineup. If the studio was really banking long term on Snyder being their creative guru, he would’ve been in that mix. But hey, who knows.
The petition currently stands at over 3,200 signatures with a goal of reaching 5,000. Not sure what actually happens then, but it’ll mean…..something….I guess.
Tell us who you think should direct “The Batman” in the comments section below. [JoBlo]
