EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Zack Snyder On the Challenges & Joy of Superman

When the subject of a Superman movie comes up, there’s usually two contingencies responding: fans of the character who can’t hide their anticipation for the next adventure, and the detractors who proclaim the character to be too retro or passé. Director Zack Snyder seems to believe that the gap between the two can be bridged.

By EdGross - Mar 03, 2011 08:03 AM EST

Filed Under: Superman

Interview conducted by and © Edward Gross

For the full Zack Snyder interview, check out issue #52 of SciFi Now Magazine, on sale soon.

"You’ve got to keep in mind that they look at Superman as passé because that is the way he’s been approached in the movies,” says Snyder. “It’s not like the movies have done anything to fight that, so all I can say is that Chris [Nolan] and David [Goyer] address that in their story. I think the challenge is to make him relevant – figure out how we can make them care about him. That is the challenge.”

He believes a good part of meeting that challenge is the casting of Henry Cavill as the Man of Steel. “He just did a great job with the material that we had him try out, so it was a win-win situation,” he notes. “He’s definitely – without saying what our Superman is – it. He knows how to do what we needed him to do.”

As to the appeal of taking on the character, Snyder enthuses, “Superman’s the king daddy; he’s the shit. If you can make him work, in the end there’s nobody else in the superhero world. For me, Watchmen was the exact opposite of Superman in that now that I’ve deconstructed the superhero world — I tore the curtain down — maybe I’m the right guy to put it back up.”

Exciting and daunting as well is the notion that with this film he will become a part of a much bigger legacy.

“It’s like participating in the Olympics,” he smiles. “I know that’s a weird metaphor, but, you know, there is definitely a historical aspect that is beyond you. The character is bigger than you and you have to keep that in mind. And the character will continue when you’re done. I feel pretty good about that now.”

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