Helming the transition of DC movies into an Extended Universe, Zack Snyder was essential at the beginning of the DCEU. He directed Man of Steel, which starred Henry Cavill as Superman and Amy Adams as Lois Lane.
Despite his strong vision, fans and critics did not resonate with his films, finding the Marvel films more palatable. After the debacle of Justice League, he was unofficially separated from the DCEU, only returning to release his own director’s cut, Zack Snyder’s Justice League.
Zack Snyder and his fans
The director has held a special place in the heart of many fans, representing a symbolic struggle between studio control and creative freedom. Zack Snyder was unceremoniously removed as the director of Justice League in 2017 due to personal reasons and the studio not being happy with his work.
Later on, Justice League was panned by fans for its uneven tone as Joss Whedon was brought in for extensive reshoots. Many fans noticed the distinct change in tone throughout the movie, which made them conclude that a Snyder Cut of the film existed. Zack Snyder later confirmed this rumor.
Despite heavy studio pushback and many calling the claim a hoax, the fans persisted and launched a #releasethesnydercut campaign. Eventually, the studio caved in and allowed his vision to be released, unadulterated and the fans loved it.
Zack Snyder on meeting his fans
The director has always been cordial and interactive with his fans, working hand in hand to have his vision realized. He has met many of his fans in person too, recounting one such occurrence in a Q&A with Wired, he said:
“I had my mask on and everything, and this girl leaned out of the car and she goes, my dad said you looked like Zack Snyder. And I said, I am Zack Snyder. And she was like, we just saw Justice League. It’s awesome. Wow. And I was like, you’re nerds by the way just so you know”
The director called his fans nerds for noticing him with a mask on, though later noting that he loves nerds and it’s all cool. He has moved on to different projects now, with Army of the Dead and Rebel Moon.
Source: YouTube