Knowing exactly what he was doing, Gunn took the chance to compliment his fellow filmmaker’s talent behind the camera. “Consummate filmmaker (and a doubly consummate storyteller!),” he wrote on X, effectively sending into overdrive every SnyderBro who has accused Gunn of freezing Snyder out of the new and improved DC Studios.
Were the conflict between the two men not a concoction by one of the most ionate and oftentimes delusional fan bases on the internet, this post could almost be labeled a “burying of the hatchet.” Either way, its existence is pretty significant.
In fairness, the bitter end of Snyder’s history with DC had little to do with James Gunn’s appointment as its new co-CEO in 2022. By then, the studios had already replaced Snyder with Joss Whedon at the helm of Justice League, while the former was dealing with the loss of his daughter. Snyder later revealed that he stepped down because he did not have the energy to fight for the version of the film that he wanted, later made famous by the relentless #ReleaseTheSnyderCut campaign.
When Warner Bros. finally made that version of the film available on its streaming platform in 2021, fans of the filmmaker had hopes Snyder could still be given the chance to finish what he had started — an overarching vision for the DCU known as the SnyderVerse. That didn’t happen, but Snyder’s Superman of choice, Henry Cavill, was still asked to return to the role, only to be unceremoniously dropped by Gunn a year later. That’s when the animosity towards the Guardians of the Galaxy creative began.
As it turns out, however, the rage was coming entirely from Snyder’s fans alone. The 58-year-old has been friendly with Gunn for quite a long time, and this reunion proves there’s no bad blood between the two after the DC chief decided to develop his own take on the Man of Steel’s story. “Always a pleasure catching up with my friend,” Gunn’s tweet continued.
Always a pleasure catching up with my friend @ZackSnyder, consummate filmmaker (and a doubly consummate storyteller!) pic.twitter.com/kkl1qZtNup
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) February 20, 2025
The post seems intentional, with the release of Gunn’s own Superman fast approaching — a ing of the torch, a way to regain the affection of the more hardheaded Snyder fans who considered Gunn a traitor, and an officialization of the transition showing that Snyder is A-OK with it.
The film, which will truly inaugurate Gunn’s DC brand after a few “warm-up” projects, is led by David Corenswet in the blue suit and red cape. The star-studded cast also includes Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, and Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern.
Though Superman has been every bit a ion project for Gunn, fans will now surely be hoping this publicized meeting with Snyder was more than just a friendly catch-up. What a full circle moment it would be if the Man of Steel director were to be invited back to DC. And how wonderful that would be for Gunn, who would instantly fall back into the good graces of the hardcore fans of that film who, up until now, were most likely not to be buying tickets for his movie.
Published: Feb 21, 2025 02:22 pm