When Christopher Nolan Tried Changing The Man Of Steel’s Controversial Ending And Did Not Allow Zack Snyder To Even Try & Write Before Getting Convinced: “There’s No Way You Can Do This”
Christopher Nolan first disapproved of The Man Of Steel’s ending but it took a great power of convincing by the makers. Read on for deets.
When Christopher Nolan Tried Changing The Man Of Steel’s Controversial Ending And Did Not Allow Zack Snyder To Even Try & Write Before Getting Convinced (Picture Credit: IMDB & Wikimedia)
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The controversial ending of Man of Steel, starring Henry Cavill in the lead, sparked a debate among the fans at the time of the release. Interestingly, fans were not the only ones who had issues with the 2013 superhero flick’s ending. Hollywood ace director Christopher Nolan got to know about the Man of Steel ending prior to its release and shared his concerns with the makers. However, he was later convinced by them. Scroll down to know what exactly happened.
For those who are unaware, the Man of Steel ending saw Superman, played by Henry Cavill, killing Zod, played by Michael Shannon, by snapping his neck after the latter attacks a cornered family with his heat vision. The ending was met with criticism since DC always stuck to its no-killing rule in comics and other adaptations.
According to IGN, Man of Steel director Zack Snyder and writer David Goyer shared in a podcast in 2013 that filmmaker and comic nerd Christopher Nolan initially did not approve of the controversial ending. Goyer said, “Killing Zod was a big thing. And that was something that Chris Nolan originally said, ‘There’s no way you can do this’…. Originally, Zod got sucked into the Phantom Zone along with the others.” Goyer then had to convince Nolan and the others to go with the plot twist. “We talked to some of the people at DC Comics and said, ‘Do you think there’s ever a way that Superman would kill someone?’ At first, they said, ‘No way. No way.’ We said, ‘But what if he didn’t have a choice?’ Originally, Chris didn’t even want to let us try to write it.”
David Goyer further shared, “Zack and I said, ‘We think we can figure out a way that you’ll buy it.’ I came up with this idea of the heat vision and these people about to die. I wrote the scene and I gave it to Chris and he said, ‘OK, you convinced me. I buy it.’”
Goyer added, “If you don’t reinvent these characters then they become stagnant, and they cease being relevant hopefully, we’ve redefined Superman.”
Zack Snyder then shared his opinion on the podcast, revealing that Superman killing Zod was actually a way to developing the former as a hero. “If it’s truly an origin story, his aversion to killing is unexplained,” said Snyder adding. “I felt like, if we could find a way of making it impossible for him – Kobayashi Maru, totally no way out – I felt like that could also make you go, ‘This is the why of him never killing again.’ Snyder added, “He’s basically obliterated his entire people and his culture, and he is responsible for it, and he’s just, like, ‘How could I ever kill again?’”
Snyder further asserted, “If there were more adventures for our Superman to go on, you’re given this thing where, you don’t know 100 percent what he’s going to do. When you put in stone the concept that he won’t kill, and it’s totally in stone, it really erases an option in the viewer’s mind…you’ll always have in the back of your mind, ‘How far can you push him?’”
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