Credit: DC / Warner Bros.Director Zack Snyder discusses the legacy of his Justice League trilogy, while also sharing details on Man of Steel 2 and how the Snyderverse saga might continue with new stories alongside the newly established DC Universe under James Gunn and Peter Safran.
Zack Snyder recently appeared on the Happy Sad Confused podcast to discuss the 10-year anniversary of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), the crossover sequel to his previous film, Man of Steel (2013), and the precursor to his version of Justice League (2021).
Related: Robert Pattinson’s ‘The Batman’ Sequel Officially Canceled, James Gunn Confirms
Snyder Discusses the Legacy of His Justice League Saga
The 55-minute interview with host Josh Horowitz wasn’t about BvS in its entirety — the Snyderverse trilogy as a whole came up, with the director making some surprising revelations about his three-film series, from the early casting process to the possibility of the saga continuing in other media despite James Gunn and Peter Safran’s newly established DC Universe having launched last year with Superman (2025), starring David Corenswet.
Corenswet essentially replaces Henry Cavill as the Man of Steel, who portrayed the character throughout the DCEU (DC Extended Universe), first appearing in Snyder’s 2013 film before returning in BvS, both versions of Justice League, and for a cameo in Black Adam (2022).
Henry Cavill Is Superman… No More
However, many Snyder fans feel that Henry Cavill was treated unfairly by DC and that he deserves another shot at playing the character.
In 2022, it was announced that the actor would be returning in the new wave of films and TV shows now known as the DCU, but in December of that year, Cavill released a statement saying that his future involvement as Superman was no longer moving forward after meeting with DC Studios’ then-newly appointed chairmen and CEOs Gunn and Peter Safran.
Cavill broke the news to his fans on social media, leaving many disappointed that his Superman would never return. Last year, Gunn explained what had happened behind the scenes, telling the Happy Sad Confused podcast that the confusion arose from Warner Bros. announcing his return while he and Safran were already outlining plans for last year’s David Corenswet-led Superman film. “It’s terrible,” Gunn said of breaking the news to Cavill.
Related: DCEU Superhero Confirmed as Canon in James Gunn’s DCU, Sequel in the Works
There Were Plans for Man of Steel 2
Last year, Snyder inadvertently fueled the flames of speculation of Cavill’s potential return when he shared a photograph of the actor in his Superman costume beneath the caption “Henry Cavill is Superman” to social media. However, there are no plans for any theatrical continuation featuring Cavill as the Last Son of Krypton. The DCU will continue as planned, with new films such as Supergirl (2026) and Clayface (2026) hitting theaters later this year.
Still, fans have been eager to see a proper continuation of Man of Steel. While BvS is the official sequel to that film, at the same time it serves as an introduction to Ben Affleck’s Batman and to the Justice League. However, during Snyder’s recent interview, he revealed plans for a solo sequel featuring Cavill and the villain Brainiac, while also saying that the “full Justice League saga is a Superman story, regardless of how much Batman plays into it.”
Related: Zack Snyder Confirms That ‘Justice League’ Films Will Co-Exist With James Gunn’s DCU
Zack Snyder on James Gunn’s Superman
Another surprising reveal during the interview is that, despite what many fans will have you believe online, Snyder isn’t the least bit bothered about the DCU replacing the DCEU. “Other people will take them [the characters] and other people will take them after that, and that’s how it should be,” he said.
He even gave his thoughts on Superman (2025), which was written and directed by Gunn himself, explaining:
“James is cool. I wish them all the best. It is what it is. That three-movie trilogy [Man of Steel, BvS, Justice League] is a weed that just won’t die. It grows on its own. It has its own life. It’s not concerned with James’ Superman, which is amazing and all the best to them. I can’t wait to see the next movie. It’s awesome. To me, it’s just not the same thing. It’s just like a different thing.”
Snyder on the Future of His Justice League Saga
As for seeing the Snyderverse continuing beyond Justice League — in isolation from all the DCEU films that followed the 2021 crossover flick, that is — Snyder admitted, “I would never say that there’s no way,” before agreeing later in the interview that the once-planned Justice League 2 and 3 could one day be resurrected through comics or animation, saying, “We live in a world where all that is possible. Whatever form it would take, that would be amazing.”
Snyder Fans Helped Make Justice League 2021 a Reality
He also took the opportunity to remind us how fans helped push for the 2021 cut of the film to become a reality. “I was on the ride that created Justice League, and if you were in my shoes there were numerous times, dark times, when there was no chance that there will ever be my version of it. It will never exist. It can’t… cost, politics, everything stood against.”
He continued: “And yet it exists. The fans should never forget they did that. They also raised a ton of money for suicide prevention. They did a lot of good. They catch a lot of flak for being toxic or whatever, but they literally saved human lives.”
Watch Snyder’s full interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast in the video below.
Do you think the Snyderverse could co-exist with James Gunn’s DC Universe? If so, how? In film or another medium entirely? Share your thoughts with us!