‘Mad Max’ Director Will Not Direct ‘Man Of Steel 2’


Mad Max: Fury Road continues to impress audiences and critics worldwide, and it was only a matter of time until director George Miller had his name linked to another Warner Brothers production. One such project was Man of Steel 2, a potential rumour that had DC fans in a mad frenzy. Unfortunately, Miller has confirmed that the rumours are just that — rumours.

Speaking to Digital Spy, Miller revealed that he will not be directing the Superman sequel. During the interview, which was held to promote the DVD/Blu-ray release of Mad Max: Fury Road, Miller spoke candidly about his involvement at Warner Brothers, his future projects, and some interesting DC work that may yet come his way.

Miller stated that he wanted to keep his next project low-key.

“I hope the next film I make is a very small film without any special effects and not many stunts.”

When asked if he will direct Man of Steel 2, he revealed the following.

“There’s been some of that in the mix, but I’d say it’s probably not true. I was going to do a Justice League movie that fell through in 2009, not at fault of anybody’s fault, except a new restraining government wasn’t agile enough with their rebates, were indecisive, there was a writer’s strike and the planets didn’t align for that one, but I’ve always been interested. Basically, I work in mythology and the superhero movies are basically new incarnations of the Greek and Roman mythology, so it’s always something I’m interested in.”

The pivotal question came up. DC or Marvel?

“I grew up in an era that was mainly DC, so they are the pantheon for me.”

Mad Max: Fury Road was a huge-scale production, one with Miller’s usual plethora of physical stunts and minimal CGI. With a desire to keep his next project simple, this takes Miller out of the running for Man of Steel 2. Good news for DC fans? Miller is always interested in a potential DC project, so never say never.

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Switching directors for a moment, Zack Snyder recently suggested that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will be a loose sequel to Man of Steel, so the status of an actual sequel is still very much undecided. Snyder himself suggested the movie might not even happen at all, as revealed in an interview with Movie Pilot.

“I think in a way Batman v Superman is Man of Steel 2. Justice League is kind of the transcendent, knights-of-the-round-table of the story. It’d be interesting to think about what a standalone Superman movie might be.”

Is Man of Steel 2 on the back burner? Only time will tell, but with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice due in 2016, in addition to the introduction of several important DC characters, the popularity and financial risk of any future DC movie will be a lot clearer in the wake of its gross. After all, the Justice League and potential spin-offs practically rely on that film being successful.

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Warner Brothers can keep an eye on Miller, though. With two Mad Max screenplays currently in development, and discussions taking place between director and studio, Miller isn’t going anywhere fast. Already linked to a Justice League movie, as revealed above, and with the experience and ability to pull off a superhero extravaganza, could Miller be tempted in the wake of a big-money blockbuster come 2016?

Man of Steel made $668m from a $225m budget, and was well-received by critics and fans. Some credited the film for its more adult tone, which was more in keeping with Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy. Whether Warner Brothers decide to greenlight Man of Steel 2, or lets Batman v Superman become the unorthodox sequel, one that unites two of its biggest heroes, the DC franchise seems to be just getting started.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will be unveiled on March 25, 2016.

Mad Max: Fury Road is available on DVD and Blu-ray now.

[Images courtesy of Warner Bros.]

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