The DCEU had plenty of peaks and valleys during its years on the big screen, starting with Zack Snyder’s blockbuster Man of Steel. That movie kickstarted the shared universe, although there were some moments of the film that fans took umbrage with. And one Man of Steel artist responded after a fan criticized a moment from the epic final battle. Let’s break it all down.
The third act of Man of Steel sees Henry Cavill’s Clark Kent face off against Michael Shannon’s Zod in a wildly destructive battle that greatly damages Metropolis. Fans have voiced criticism about this ending, and the decision to make Superman kill Zod. The way the fight basically leveled the city has also been a point of contention, with one fan complaining on Twitter about the sequence where Superman lets a gas truck destroy a parking garage. Jay Olivia was on the art department of the movie, and responded directly to that fan with his own tweet, which reads:
I came up with that scene and had no bystanders anywhere shown and used an empty parking lot for said destruction. If you want to believe that there’s people in there then that’s on you but not what’s in the film or what was intended. 🤷♂️
There you have it. While Zod and Superman’s battle did destroy buildings and locations where innocent people were, that wasn’t the case for this particular sequence. So simply dodging the gas truck and not stopping didn’t kill anyone, although it did cause even more damage to the city. But at that point Metropolis was already a mess.
Jay Olivia’s comments help to peel back the curtain on what it was like bringing Man of Steel to life back in the day. Zack Snyder has defended the destruction of the final battle, and the conversation surrounding Zod’s death has been ongoing in the years since its release. In another tweet Olivia attempted to give an explanation for any innocent civilians who might have been around during this moment of the movie. As he put it,
But I can also say that whatever bystander was in danger the flash came in and whisked them away to safety throughout the destruction of [metropolis]. Or that dr fate or other dc superhero was there to help save everyone. 🤷♂️
Well, that seems a bit like retconning. After all, there was no real indication that someone like Doctor Fate was in Metropolis during the events of Man of Steel. Although the Flash movie did reveal that Barry Allen got his powers at around the time Zod invaded Earth. But he was in no position to be actually saving lives at that point.
Of course, the MCU has also been criticized for its penchant for destroying cities. Specifically, how much damage came to New York during The Avengers. And Age of Ultron’s Battle of Sokovia was similarly widespread in its destruction. We’ll just have to wait and see how things go down in the new DCU, starting with Superman: Legacy.
The next DC movie hitting theaters is Aquaman 2 on December 20th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.