James Gunn's new DCU is now in full swing, putting to bed the past films and series in the DCEU, including many of Zack Snyder's works. However, the new DCU has a project on its slate that would be perfect to reintegrate Snyder into the cinematic book universe.
Snyder was known for directing many of the DCEU's movies, including Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, and Zack Snyder's Justice League.
The director eventually moved away from the superhero universe to direct some of his passion projects like Army of the Dead and Rebel Moon, but that doesn't rule Snyder out from returning to the DCU under Gunn.
Why Zack Snyder Should Return To The DCU
The old DCEU was heavily influenced by the tone and style of Zack Snyder. While James Gunn and Peter Safran's new DCU is going in a different direction, that doesn't mean it can't still incorporate other director's visions.
In fact, bringing Snyder back could actually be of benefit to the new DCU as the director brings with him a passionate fanbase eager to see him take on more superhero projects.
Finding the right DCU project for Snyder would be an easy way to appease these fans and give the director a chance to return to his comic book movie expertise.
One issue lies in Snyder's reluctance to return to the DC world.
In December 2023, Snyder told The Atlantic he was "not knocking on James Gunn’s door" asking to be let back into the DC. However, he also expressed interest to The Hollywood Reporter at the time in making a Dark Knight Returns adaptation for the DCU, so there's a chance the right project could bring him back.
As for what that project might be, it can't be something he has done before. The character of Superman is being taken over by Gunn himself in the 2025 Superman reboot, and Batman is behind handled by multiple directors in Matt Reeves' The Batman - Part II and Andy Muschietti's The Brave and the Bold.
Instead, Snyder needs a DC project that takes him back to his roots and suits his darker tone and sensibilities. Luckily, there is such a project on the docket for the DCU's first phase.
The New DCU Has The Perfect Movie For Zack Snyder
Early in 2023, Gunn and Safran announced The Authority, which has been described as DC's version of The Boys.
The Authority features a team of heroes gathered from WildStorm comics (one of whom will make an appearance in 2025's Superman). The group is something of an anti-Justice League and, while they are good-intentioned, the group is more cynical and aggressive in their methods to protect the planet.
In some ways, The Authority is similar to Alan Moore's Watchmen, which was a satirization and deconstruction of the superhero genre. One filmmaker who knows about Watchmen is Snyder, who directed a film adaptation of the graphic novel in 2008.
Watchmen may have earned middling reviews, but that doesn't derail Snyder's experience and understanding of the superhero genre. Directing a project like The Authority would allow Snyder to play in the new DCU while returning to his darker Watchmen roots, giving him essentially a third chance at the superhero genre.
Zack Snyder and James Gunn Make A Great Team
No filmmaker is presently attached to The Authority, although Gunn has made it clear the concept is a passion project of his.
However, the director is already quite busy directing Superman, writing Creature Commandos Season 2, and overseeing the entire DCU slate. It's possible (and almost likely) that Gunn won't have time to board the project as a director, but he could attach himself to it as a writer.
In 2023, Gunn mentioned to Collider that he'd already written much of the outline for The Authority himself, so he could potentially bump himself up to write the script and then bring in another director to take it from there.
When it comes to choosing that director, Snyder is a logical choice given his and Gunn's work history.
In 2004, the duo worked together on Dawn of the Dead, which was Snyder's breakout hit as a director thanks to a script that was penned by Gunn. To this day, Dawn of the Dead remains one of Snyder's most acclaimed works.
The two creatives clearly make a good writer-director duo, so The Authority seems like the perfect project to reunite Gunn and Snyder.
The Authority also serves as the perfect re-entry point for Snyder back into the comic book movie universe in a way that appeases fans of the SnyderVerse while still allowing the director a fresh chance at the superhero genre.
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