EDITORIAL: Why The Snyderverse Resonates With Me To This Day

Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Two of my favorite superhero movies of all time.

These two movies have been a big part of my life ever since Man of Steel was released in 2013. No, they are not bright, colorful, and filled with unnecessary jokes. But they took three of the most well-known superheroes in the world and broke them down so that they can be rebuilt to the moral standards and ideals that people commonly associate with Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.

Yes, you are supposed to question Batmans actions in BvS, the fact that he seem to have dropped his moral code of not killing and so on. The movie even makes a point about his dark path to apathy, and even Alfred says it to Bruce’s face about good men turning cruel, directly referencing Batman’s darker approach in crime fighting.

Yes, the reactions to the mere presence of Superman on earth is exactly how people would react if Superman existed in our real world. His actions and reactions have consequences, and it’s not Superman himself who is dark and grim. It’s the circumstances around him and people’s opinions about him. Which to me, mirrors the real world reaction to how Superman was portrayed, from those who didn’t appreciate the movie the way me and many others did.

It reminds me of a quote by Jor-El in Man of Steel:

“You will give the people of Earth an ideal to strive towards. They will race behind you, they will stumble, they will fall. But in time, they will join you in the sun, Kal.”

The parallels between this quote and the fact that I have seen a lot of people who have done a 180 about the Snyderverse and now are praising these movies, is quite interesting.

It’s so sad that we the fans of Zack Snyder’s vision of the DC Universe got robbed of his version of Justice League. After his daughter committed suicide, Joss Whedon took over and scrapped almost everything Snyder had done before he got replaced. The critical reception and box office speaks volumes. The humorous tone and brighter color palette didn’t resonate with the general audience.

The fact that we are getting the Snyder Cut of Justice League at all is a testament to the power of it’s fanbase, along with fact that the Snyder Cut fans have contributed to charity for suicide prevention. Is there a lot of toxic behavior amongst the Snyder fandom? Of course there is, all fandoms have their fair share of toxic fans who are more about harassing and attacking people who like the MCU or the new direction the DCEU has taken lately.

And for me, who have struggled with depressions and bad thoughts for a couple of years, I see this as a win for the cause, but also a win for me as a fan and for Zack Snyder. Two of my best experiences are still to this day the premiere of Man of Steel and the midnight premiere of Batman v Superman in IMAX. Everytime I feel a little down, I put on Man of Steel and it always gets me in a better mood.

I have been hyped about genre films and comicbook movies since BvS, but my level of hype has not been as intense or as high since BvS, and my hype-levels might have surpassed that of the hype-machine prior to the release of Batman v Superman.

Only 3 days left until the Snyder Cut drops on HBO Max and HBO Nordic, and it’s a shame that it won’t be released in theaters in all its IMAX glory.

But anyway,

Thank you Zack Snyder for everything. ❤️