Having produced, co-written and directed two of the greatest comic book movies ever made in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, as well as capping off his trilogy in epic if overwrought fashion with The Dark Knight Rises, it would be an understatement to say that Christopher Nolan knows a thing or two about finding success in the genre.
Fans were hyped when it was first announced that the filmmaker was set to executive produce Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, although his role behind the scenes largely proved to be much more ceremonial than hands-on. Nolan was also credited on Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, and you can only imagine the reaction he had when watching Joss Whedon’s theatrical edition.
After all, he’s arguably Warner Bros.’ crown jewel that’s built his entire career and reputation on thoughtful, complex and original blockbusters, while one of the studio’s own executives has since gone on to describe the first cut of Justice League as a piece of sh*t. And in a new interview, Zack Snyder’s wife and producing partner Deborah revealed that she and Nolan told him that he should never watch it under any circumstances.
“It was just, it’s a weird experience. I don’t know how many people have that experience. You’ve worked on something for a long time, and then you leave, and then you see what happened to it… I knew it would break his heart.”
Snyder certainly took those words to heart, having recreated Justice League in his own image without a single frame of footage shot by Whedon, and by not having the shadow of the dismal theatrical cut lurking over his shoulder, he’s been free to deliver exactly the sort of epic he wanted to the first time around. With the Snyder Cut just over four weeks away now, the finish line is finally in sight for one of the most tortured productions in Hollywood history.