Superman Returns relied too heavily on nostalgia, casting Brandon Routh as the Christopher Reeve version of the iconic DC Comics character. The movie was incredibly light on action, so 300 and Watchmen director Zack Snyder being chosen to take the helm of Man of Steel was welcomed by fans.
That 2013 movie was definitely action-packed and featured a thrilling final battle that saw Superman fight General Zod above Metropolis. However, it also proved to be surprisingly controversial as much of the city was destroyed, leaving fans aghast at Superman being inadvertently responsible for the death of thousands of innocents while squaring off with his fellow Kryptonian.
Now, frequent Snyder collaborator Jay Oliva has revealed the inspiration behind that controversial fight.
The storyboard artist confirms that The Matrix Revolution's battle between Neo and Agent Smith factored heavily into how this sequence was dreamed up. That sci-fi movie's unexpected influence on Man of Steel is definitely telling, and Oliva is right that it was one of the only movies to have successfully pulled off an aerial fight scene like this.
Say what you will about the ramifications of Man of Steel's final battle, but it was epic. In hindsight, the city probably should have been evacuated, but Snyder did address what happened head-on in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. That did little to placate some fans, but as damage control goes, it worked well enough.
Check out Oliva's Tweets below and let us know your thoughts on his comments in the usual place.
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