Zack Snyder Just Reignited Man of Steel 2 Hype, But There’s a James Gunn-Sized Hurdle

So here we are again: rumors swirling, fans connecting dots, and two very different visions for DC floating around. The chatter right now is that Netflix is circling Warner Bros. Discovery, Zack Snyder is teasing the past, and James Gunn is very much building the future. Let me break down what actually happened and what people are hoping it means.

Snyder just poked the bear

Zack Snyder hopped on Instagram and posted a shot of Henry Cavill in full Superman mode. That alone is enough to make certain corners of fandom lose their minds, but he added a little milestone note too: he cracked 500,000 followers in just over two months and used the occasion to talk about how seriously he takes these characters.

'Today marks a little milestone on this wild Instagram journey—500k followers in just over two months! I just want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who’s joined along the way. For me, these characters are a kind of modern mythology, and I put a ton of reverence and respect into bringing them to life. Seeing that resonate with so many of you means the world. Here’s to many more stories together!'

Is that confirmation the Snyder-led DCEU is coming back? No. Is it him knowingly fanning the flames? Absolutely.

Meanwhile, Gunn is very much not letting go of the wheel

Quick refresher: in 2023, James Gunn and Peter Safran took over DC Studios and started rolling out a new slate, with Gunn’s 'Superman' planted as the first big flag. The movie landed with both critics and audiences and did real business at the box office. Behind the scenes, Gunn has been open about how brutal the process was on him personally. In a past interview, he put it bluntly:

'Just giving up everything in my life and soul, literally. I’m miserable, frankly. Really, I’m miserable, but hopefully it’s for the greater good.'

Point is, Gunn has poured himself into setting up the DCU. On top of the feature side, 'Peacemaker' Season 2 also kept the momentum going on TV. If anyone thinks he’s going to quietly step aside if another company takes the reins, I’ve got a Mother Box to sell you.

About that Netflix-WBD thing

The big, loud rumor: Netflix is trying to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. Not confirmed. Not done. But it’s loud enough that people in the industry are already nervous about what a deal like that would do to theatrical releases, and there’s been talk about pushing lawmakers to keep it from happening. The fear is simple: if Netflix owns that much content and infrastructure, theaters could get squeezed even further.

The pitch people are already workshopping: run both universes

Let’s game out the scenario fans are tossing around, because it’s actually not a bad thought experiment. If Netflix ever did wind up owning WBD, the cleanest path to keeping everyone (somewhat) happy might look like this:

• Revive Snyder’s DCEU as a Netflix-first streaming tentpole, with Snyder steering that ship on the platform.
• Keep Gunn’s DCU as the theatrical brand, using Warner’s distribution pipelines, with Netflix layering in its hybrid release strategy where it makes sense.
• Result: more variety for subscribers, theaters still get big DC movies, and Netflix has a better shot at justifying a rumored $82.7 billion price tag if such a deal ever materializes.

Receipts, for those keeping score

For context on why both sides of this fan debate are so dug in: Zack Snyder’s 'Man of Steel' pulled in about $670 million worldwide and sits around 57% with critics and 75% with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. James Gunn’s 'Superman' has been positioned as a critical and commercial win too, with scores hovering in the 80s/90s range on Rotten Tomatoes and a box office haul reported around $616 million. Different vibes, both with passionate followings.

So, what’s actually real right now?

Snyder teased his old Superman and thanked his fast-growing audience. Gunn is actively building the DCU and has the first movie out the door with momentum behind it. A Netflix-WBD mega-deal is something people are talking about, not something that’s happened. If that ever changes, don’t be shocked if the smartest play is letting Snyder and Gunn cook in parallel instead of forcing one vision to swallow the other.

Where to watch

'Superman' and 'Man of Steel' are streaming in the US on Max (formerly HBO Max).