The superhero genre continues to be wildly popular, with a number of shared universes currently competing at the box office. Folks who spent years watching the DC movies in order will recall how the previous DCEU began with Zack Snyder's Man of Steel. But we've already been treated to a new Clark Kent in the DCU, thanks to Gunn's Superman movie. And now Snyder has shared his thoughts on that project, and what the Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker does right.
Superman hit theaters back in July, and was the debut movie project from the DCU's first slate of titles, called Gods and Monsters. That blockbuster had a much different feel than Man of Steel, and during an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Snyder offered his take on what Gunn brings to the Last Son of Krypton. As he put it:
I can’t wait to see the next movie, and it’s just awesome. It just really, to me, it’s it’s just not the same thing. It’s just like a different thing.
Not only has Zack Snyder seen Superman, but it seems like he's already looking forward to its sequel Man of Tomorrow. That upcoming DC movie is already in active development, and will find David Corenswet's Kal-El and Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor united against a common enemy: Brainiac. And I can't wait to see what Snyder thinks about that blockbuster after its release.
While Snyder is known for bringing gritty DC stories to life with muted colors, James Gunn had a very different vision for Superman. The movie had plenty of comedy, bright colors, and focused on the character's hopeful nature. Later in that same podcast, the 300 director praised what Gunn brings to the table. In his words:
James is singular in his storytelling in his ability to channel a mythological pop culture into what I would consider an iconic and very particular point of view that’s both poignant and funny. He’s the best at it that I can think of, and I think that he’s a great steward of that world. That’s great for fans.
He's not wrong. James Gunn's work on both the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise (streaming with a Disney+ subscription) and The Suicide Squad showed how well his unique director's vision translates to the big screen. While there's plenty of cool action and comedic beats, there's always a very human story at the heart of it. And as Snyder says, that's what makes him a great "steward" of the genre.
The next DC movie hitting theaters is Supergirl on June 26th as part of the 2026 movie release list. As for Zack Snyder, he's attached to a number of upcoming movies, albeit none of them being superhero projects.