In the world of endless news cycles, hot takes have taken over from genuinely considered, well thought-out opinions that delve deep into the heart of an issue. After all, why read a book when you can scroll through a Twitter thread instead? This is especially true of opinions about ultra popular content, like MCU and DCU films and shows, where there are legions of superfans all desperate to show they know the material best, and can offer a unique insight into the thing they love in a pithy manner. However, sometimes these supposed hot takes end up hitting the nail on the head, even when they’re about a topic as fraught as former DCU director Zack Snyder.
Thanks to the controversey around his involvement in the DCU (especially with all the drama that came with the release of Justice League), Snyder has become a bit of a martyr for many fans of the franchise, especially among those who aren’t fans of James Gunn taking over. This sometimes means that criticism of the 300 director receive the sort of backlash that you’d normally see when a famous figure posts something racist.
However, a recent post on the DC Cinematic Universe Reddit page has put their head above the parapet and given a less than positive opinion about Snyder, only to be met with broad agreement.
The now-removed post about Snyder’s writing abilities not quite matching up to his directing chops sparked plenty of discussion, most of it agreeing with the argument.
There’s definitely some truth to this take, especially as the only films that Snyder has written that have also been universally acclaimed are 300 and the sequel 300: Rise of an Empire, which both leaned heavily on the plot of the graphic novels they were based on. His other two writing efforts, Sucker Punch and Army of the Dead, were both criticized for their writing, with Sucker Punch seen as visually impressive but lacking in character development and plot, and Army of the Dead proving to be a little too long. With that said, he helped with the story on Wonder Woman: 1984, which was seen by critics as a breath of fresh air after years of repetitive superhero films thanks to its unique narrative and brilliant character development.
Snyder’s new film Rebel Moon (which he also wrote) is due out at the end of this year, so there’s every chance he might turn it around in the screenplay department. For now, though, we’re going to have to agree that when it comes to making films, Snyder might be best served by sticking with directing.