14 DAY TRIAL // Zack Snyder is a real geek, and nowhere is that more apparent than in his new interview with Forbes magazine, in which he talks about his most famous movies so far, including the controversial “Sucker Punch,” his plans for “Batman vs. Superman” aka “Man of Steel 2,” and the fact that it will come out on the same day as Marvel’s “Captain America 3,” in May 2016.
The idea to have Superman (Henry Cavill) face off Batman in the sequel to “Man of Steel” came from Snyder, who just tossed it in a meeting with Warner Bros. executives. He says he probably didn’t mean much by it at the time but, once it was out, there was really no going back – so they all started working with it until they came up with the definitive idea for the script for “Batman vs. Superman.”
The film won’t mark just the first time that these two very popular superheroes share the same screen, but also the first time that Wonder Woman joins them. This is Wonder Woman’s first big screen outing as well, and it’s believed she will be getting her standalone franchise as well.
In other words, Snyder is working with a lot of “firsts” here, but he is very aware of that.
“That’s kind of a huge deal. Even just Batman and Superman standing next to each other… [I]t’s kind of epic. You do sort of sense the weight of the pop culture iconography jumping out of its skin when you’re standing there looking at the two of them and Wonder Woman. It’s crazy. But it’s fun,” he tells Forbes.
The suits for all three superheroes are done, and Snyder has seen them. In fact, he took a photo of them the first time he saw them (though not on the actors yet) and had it framed for his office. He tells the mag he’s itching to post it online for all the fans but he’s not allowed to, because that would mess with the marketing strategy planned by Warners.
Said strategy also includes a gimmick that will allow Snyder to shoot the film without risking having the paparazzi reveal the suits to fans, by snapping photos from the set. He says the big reveal will be done in a controlled way, when the studio sees it fit, but he can’t even estimate when this would happen.
“[You have] all three of them in the same shot. Even just for a test, you really have to go, ‘Wow, that’s crazy!’ Not only is it the first time that I’m seeing them, it’s the first time they’ve ever existed together on screen in a movie. […] I mean, I have the first photo, I’ve got it in my archive because I was like, ‘Okay, I better keep this, it’s gonna be worth something’ [laughs],” Snyder says of his reaction when he first saw the suits.
“I take a picture of the suit with my camera – I’m actually staring at one right now in my office. And it’s just massive on my wall in my office and it’s epic, let me tell you! And I’m like, ‘God, I want to send this to the Internet immediately.’ But I know I’m not allowed to [laughs]! I do value the sort of excitement of the way the film is [revealed]… the pieces that are released and sort of trickle out to everybody, and those reveals are exciting milestones for us,” the writer-director continues.
“Batman vs. Superman” comes out on the same day as “Captain America 3” but, where others choose to see a feud between Warner Bros. and Marvel, Snyder sees a real treat for superhero movie fans: nothing beats one comic book-based blockbuster than two comic book-based releases. Spoken like a true geek.
The full Forbes interview is available online. It’s a true delight to read, particularly if you’re a fan.