Batman vs Superman Director Zack Snyder Interview
Segment Host Brian Hanford
Director Zack Snyder states, “We felt an interesting way of beginning this story was to examine Superman from another perspective, Batman’s perspective. Bruce doesn’t know who Superman is; all he knows is what the public knows. He blames him for the lives lost in Metropolis, lives that he felt responsible for. His hatred has been building up inside, and now, all this time later, he’s finding reinforcement of those feelings in the media.”
For two years, Superman has soared to the rescue of countless victims around the globe and the world has praised his god-like abilities. But with unavoidable destruction in the wake of good deeds, the collateral damage from his efforts is finally causing many to question those who will only
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see what he can do, without debating whether or not he should. It’s a question he has even begun to ask himself, thanks to the machinations of one masterful mind hell-bent on his humiliation...and destruction.
“When we find Superman, he’s been dealing with everyday life as a Super Hero, but there’s a distinct shift happening in how his heroic efforts are viewed, thanks to the unintended consequences of those acts,” Snyder continues. “Every action has a reaction; one guy’s rescue leaves another in distress. We wanted to explore the reality of saving people and what intervening can really mean. The classic idea with Superman is that he’s a good guy trying to do the right thing and that he isn’t political, but in truth, in today’s world, it’s impossible not to be, no matter your intentions.”
Ben Affleck stars as Bruce Wayne/Batman, who has been following news of Superman closely since what came to be known as the Black Zero Event, which culminated with Superman’s catastrophic combat with General Zod. “I think the story really sets the stage nicely for understanding why Batman wants to fight Superman,” he says. “It’s logical to assume that they’d be friends since they’re both good guys, but this film takes a more nuanced view of how these characters might exist in the real world and what sort of complications might come about as a result of their abilities and actions.”
“Superman is beginning to face the exact challenges Jonathan Kent was worried about,” observes Henry Cavill, who reprises his dual roles as Clark Kent and the Man of Steel. “The world is filled with fear after being attacked by aliens and literally shaken to its very core. Despite having what they look to as a redeemer, the people need to direct their fear at something. In the meantime, Superman is still trying to do right by everyone and ignore the slings and arrows.”
But certain arrows will be harder to deflect than others, and if Bruce Wayne, as Batman, is intent upon acting out a revenge fantasy on Superman, how might one describe his fellow industrialist Lex Luthor’s reasons for undermining the “red cape”?
