Zack Snyder left his mark on superhero movies with his version of the DCU, which began in 2013 withMan of Steel. However, the story could have been very different ifMatthew Vaughnand Mark Millar got the green light for theirSupermantrilogy.
It has been 10 years since Warner Bros. and DC decided to take the first step to compete with theMarvel Cinematic Universe withMan of Steel, the first film of what would later be known as theSnyderverse. After directing300andWatchmen, Snyder was tapped to build a franchise of connected films based on DC Comics characters. The director decided to do something very different from what Marvel Studios was doing, presenting darker and more realistic versions of the heroes, exploring moral and ethical conflicts about the role they play in society.
Things didn’t end up working out as expected, and a lot has changed since then. In fact, Warner Bros. Discovery is looking to give the franchise a new start with James Gunn and Peter Safran leading it. But could things have been different if Zack Snyder wasn’t the one chosen for that first version of theDCU? It is certainly hard to say, but there was a proposal that sought to explore something different.
In an interview with Josh Horowitz’sHappy, Sad, Confused Podcast, Matthew Vaughn revealed that he pitched a Supermantrilogy to Warner Bros. along with Mark Millar, beforeMan of Steel:
“Mark and I sat down and plotted out a three film trilogy, pitched it to Warner Bros. before Man of Steel… we pitched how to do a trilogy of Superman movies and Warners said they weren’t interested. That’s as far as it went. […] I think Donner nailed it. Wonder Woman worked very well because it was basically a Donner/Superman film but reimagined as Wonder Woman. I would’ve done a modern version of Donner. Our big idea was that Krypton doesn’t blow up. It does eventually. The dad was right, but he got his timing wrong. When Superman is grown up, suddenly there’s a mass exodus and all hell breaks loose. That was our main idea.”
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Matthew Vaughn also shared his belief that Marvel Studios will soon return to a “less is more” style of filmmaking.
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In Snyder’s original plans,Man of Steelwas going to continue its story to give more depth to Henry Cavill’s version of the character with a sequel, which was never made. In fact, the original ending of the film starring Ezra Miller featured heroes from the Snyderverse, including Cavill’s Clark Kent and Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman joining Barry at the courthouse.
Surprisingly, this scene would have set the stage for the upcoming solo film of Krypton’s last son. However, now Cavill will no longer wear Superman’s red cape, with David Corenswet has been cast in thelead role inSuperman: Legacy, the film that will mark the beginning of a new canon for the DCU.
Joining Corenswet will be Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Isabela Moner as Hawkgirl, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, and Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific.Superman: Legacyis set to hit theaters on July 26, 2025.
