Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel was already dark, with Superman snapping General Zod’s neck in a climactic moment. The director, known for his edgy approach, had plans to take things even further and have Superman kill Lex Luthor. As part of the social media trend revisiting 2016, Snyder once again took to Instagram to share pictures from his time leading the DC Cinematic Universe (DCEU).
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In addition to behind-the-scenes photos, Snyder shared storyboards and a plot breakdown outlining his vision for Justice League 2.
A Compromised Superman
Snyder reportedly intended to more heavily feature Darkseid, whom he planned to introduce in the first Justice League. The villain was removed when Joss Whedon stepped in to finish the film after Snyder suffered a family tragedy in 2017. When the Snyder Cut was restored after fan demand, they received some idea of where his story was going.
Still, the new images may come as something of a shock. At top of one of the storyboards, Snyder wrote that Darkseid would take full control of Superman and fight Batman. In the next line, Snyder continued: “Lex believes he’s won, but comes face-to-face with Superman. He looks at Lex with burning red eyes—and lights him on fire. As Lex screams, the world turns red.”
Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Warner Bros. Pictures
The idea of an evil or compromised Superman has appeared in the comics before, but how general movie audiences would have reacted remains unknown. While still a consequential character, General Zod is arguably nowhere near the level of Lex Luthor as villain fans love to hate. The backlash to Zod’s death in Man of Steel was considerable, and one can only imagine the outcry if Snyder had been able to fulfill his vision and have Superman kill Lex Luthor.
The rest of the storyboards were similarly bombastic, though not as shockingly brutal.
The Dark and Brutal DCEU
Darkseid would lead a full-scale invasion of Earth, beyond the abilities of the Justice League to fight. But “led and inspired by Superman” the world’s armies would come together. Themyscira and Atlantis would also join the war. Snyder wrote and underlined, “THE ENTIRE WORLD BECOMES A JUSTICE LEAGUE.”
Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, and Ben Affleck as the Snyderverse Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman – HBO Max
Snyder compared its scope to The Lord of the Rings, and it undoubtedly would have been spectacular. But even after Superman inevitably came out of Darkseid’s mind control to lead and inspire, the image of him burning Lex Luthor alive would have indelibly remained in the minds of the audience.
Superman’s path to redemption and saving Earth would likely have been as grim and violent as the rest of the DCEU.
Disrespecting the Hero
Whether or not Warner Bros. was right in shuttering the intended Justice League trilogy will be long-debated. Snyder’s acolytes have made their opinion clear. But it appears that Snyder was intent on reimagining a character whose legacy was built on optimism, justice, and hope into a tarnished and battered warrior.
Henry Cavill as Superman in Man of Steel – YouTube, Warner Bros.
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One of Superman’s defining traits is that he could kill Lex Luthor but always chooses not to. By stripping him of that choice and having him kill Lex, Snyder arguably disrespected the hero, the villain, and the fans alike.
What do you think of Zack Snyder’s plan to have Superman kill Lex Luthor? Sound off in the comments!
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The longer time goes on, the more Zack the Hack proves he had no clue what these characters were about and never should’ve been given the reins. At best, make him cinematographer since he does have a good eye for visuals, but just like how most comic book artists are terrible writers, he can’t tell a good story to save his life.
At least this garbage never came into existence. Snyder would have had more chances to misrepresent Superman.