Zack Snyder Addresses Negative Criticism: 'I Wouldn't Change a Frame of Anything I've Done'

Justice League has been through a lot, and the final product is clearly not what a lot of people wanted. Although, that statement can be two-fold.

Lots of people are unhappy with how a majority of the DC Films slate has shaped up, with Justice League being only a small part of that. Other fans, however, while satisfied with the DCEU overall, were not happy with the final, very much chopped up, Joss Whedon-version of the film that made it to theaters.

Then came the moment when Warner Bros. caved into the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement, paving the way for Justice League to be released in the way that Zack Synder originally intended. Since then, there has been less controversy, and more constant teasing about the upcoming release from Synder himself. In fact, fans are just over a month away from it seeing the light of day.

With all the drama, tension, and rumors that surrounded (and still surrounds) Justice League, one can only imagine how much all of that weighs down on the man behind the epic movie: Zack Snyder. In a recent interview, Snyder addressed just that - at least in part. 

HOW ZACK SNYDER HANDLES NEGATIVITY

Zack Synder recently took an interview with the YouTube channel SnyderCutBR, in which he was asked about how he personally deals with negative criticism. In response, Snyder said he "(doesn't) look at it that much.":

"I honestly don’t look at it that much. I mean look, I’ve looked at the...and sort of analyzed [the criticism]...as I think anyone would do. [...] I just don’t...I haven’t found anything within the criticism that would make me believe and/or change anything I do. "

Laughing, Snyder continued on, addressing the effect of negative criticism heaped upon him. All things considered, he still admits he "wouldn't change a frame of anything" that he's put forth:

"So in that way it doesn’t really affect me, you know? If I felt like there was an issue or some sort of...something lacking within the work, and I needed to look at the criticism to then reevaluate the way I approach things, that would be a different scenario. But I wouldn’t change a frame of anything I’ve done...the criticism is just the criticism."

Further into the conversation, Snyder explained his "great experience" so far.

"...You know it’s been a great experience...with Justice League and the fandom and sort of you know this sort of renaissance I’ve experienced. [...] The films are, they’re populist films, you know, in a lot of ways. Films that are meant for a mass audience...I’ve made them, and I’ve said this a million times, I’ve made in a very boutique-y way. Like, a very small scale production...when I’m doing it the way I want, It’s really just a very personal thing."

With Snyder doubling down on his unique approach to his projects, the filmmaker then compared his process to how other films on the market are made:

"...It is meant for mass consumption...but it’s not a boardroom kind of affair. [...] There’s movies that are made in a boardroom, sort of corporate films, and they’re very clean, and they’re very polished, and they’ve been tested and tested, and they’re very...they give you exactly what you want at every moment. And...that’s just not a thing I'm interested in. And I...frankly I just don’t think the people who are wanting to have an experience that’s possibly different than the one that they expect. [...] Maybe, you know part of the problem that I face is that the films don’t necessarily do exactly what everybody wants at every moment. And so they challenge you a little bit. And that is what it is."

THE SNYDER PRECEDENCE

Although Zack Snyder claims to be making things on a very small scale, Justice League is one of the most expensive movies of all time. Not to mention the fact that it, unlike most of the others that are up against it in that regard, did not make box office breaking grosses. This very small-scale Justice League has become a massive anomaly when grouped with how blockbusters are typically handled, especially ones that don’t do so well when they premiere.

The announcement of the Snyder Cut set a precedent for movie redoes that will likely be continued by more directors and projects in the coming years as studios look to satisfy their fanbase. In fact, shortly after the announcement, fans were already clamoring for Suicide Squad David Ayer to fight for the release of his version of the 2016 DC villain movie. Why shouldn’t they? It worked once, so why wouldn’t it work again? 

Well, the magic answer as to why Zack Snyder's Justice League exists is likely due to the worldwide pandemic, whose effects still lingers. A mostly-finished movie that primarily needs VFX work to be completed is a prime project for a remote-based COVID-1 world. While it may have taken a pandemic for the Snyder Cut to be green-lit, it seems likely that the next big-budget, initially-mishandled project that receives the same treatment will have it a little easier in getting the go-ahead.