Greg Silverman was once President of Production at Warner Bros. Pictures, overseeing a lot of big movies like The Dark Knight, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Suicide Squad. Control of the DC Extended Universe has since passed through several hands, but the producer clearly looks back fondly at the work he did in that world alongside filmmaker Zack Snyder.
Responding to a fan on Twitter, Silverman shared his thoughts on why the likes of Man of Steel and Batman v Superman didn't receive the sort of critical response they might have with another filmmaker at the helm.
"My suspicion always was that Zack’s kindness openness and enthusiasm created an environment for critics to undervalue his work," the executive pondered. "Because he is a decent approachable humble human, he didn’t fit the mold of an auteur. Shitty. Should be the opposite."
Silverman left the studio before the Joss Whedon-helmed version of Justice League was released, though as such a supporter of Snyder's vision, you have to wonder if things might have turned out differently had he stuck around. While it does often feel like a lot of critics have an irrational grudge against the director, there are probably more logical explanations for many of them not liking his work than the perception that he doesn't fit the mould of your typical auteur filmmaker.
Then again, if you've seen the way some of those same critics conduct themselves on social media, you might find yourself wondering if Silverman might be on to something!
Do you think the odds have been unfairly stacked against Snyder after his contributions to the DCEU?