Summary
- Man of Steel initially had a crucial scene that would have connected audiences to Superman's decision to kill Zod, but it was cut due to time and budget constraints.
- The intent behind Superman killing Zod in Man of Steel was to highlight the character's moral qualities and place them at the forefront of his development.
- Warner Bros has a history of cutting crucial scenes from DCEU movies for larger profit margins, which has hurt the overall quality and trust between filmmakers and the studio.
Man of Steel initially featured a scene that The Dark Knight trilogy and Man of Steel writer David Goyer regrets cutting in retrospect after the film’s backlash.
Despite Man of Steel critics taking issue with Superman killing Zod, which also happened in the comics, and Richard Donner's Superman 2 with Christopher Reeves, Goyer elaborates on a crucial scene that would have aligned with the controversial ending. At the very least, this scene would’ve connected audiences to Superman having to end a life as dangerous as General Zod's.
Goyer was featured on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, where he described a cut scene from Man of Steel detailing a flashback of Jonathan Kent and Clark on a hunting trip. When shooting at a deer, Clark misses the kill shot, with Goyer describing the deer as suffering and young Clark being “incredibly shaken,” so Jonathan had to finish it off. After the ordeal, Jonathan and Clark discuss the responsibility of taking a life. The scene was ultimately cut due to time constraints and budgeting, but Goyer has “always wished that scene could have made it in the movie,” as it would have given more weight to the controversial death of Zod.
For years, fans have defended Superman killing Zod in Man of Steel, and Goyer now reveals that the intent from the beginning was for this controversial scene to be an important aspect that places the moral qualities of the character at the forefront of Superman's development. Its sequel, Batman v Superman, even deals with the ramifications of Man of Steel's third act, so there was a point to depicting violence and destruction of that magnitude. Although this scene would have made Man of Steel stronger from a thematic standpoint, Superman's reaction after killing Zod says it all. The difference is that Zack Snyder did not shy away from the reality of Zod's death, unlike in Superman 2, where Zod's death happened off-screen and in Disney fashion.
However, as with almost every DCEU movie after Man of Steel, Warner Bros. Cut crucial scenes to have more showings in a day for more profit, consequently allowing its directors to take the blame. Unfortunately, Man of Steel suffered the same fate that Batman v Superman, Suicide Squad, The Flash, and presumably Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom have in this regard. Even though WB wanted to cut Wonder Woman's best scene and an equally important scene in Barbie, those directors fought to keep them included and won.
The DCEU was fresh and new at the time of Man of Steel, so there was presumably more trust between filmmakers and WB executives that decisions would be in the best interest of the movies, which would ultimately have meant better things for the studio. However, this was not the thought process for the studio, and even 10 years later, Warner Bros.' Methods continue to haunt them.
Man of Steel is available on MAX.
Source: Happy Sad Confused