Zack Snyder Defends ‘Man Of Steel’ Death Toll

Zack Snyder is defending the massive body count at the end of Man of Steel.

While promoting the film in Japan, Snyder explained his motivation behind the high level of destruction in the third act.

“I wanted the movie to have a mythological feeling. In ancient mythology, mass deaths are used to symbolize disasters,” he told The Japan Times. “In other countries like Greece and Japan, myths were recounted through the generations, partly to answer unanswerable questions about death and violence. In America, we don’t have that legacy of ancient mythology. Superman … is probably the closest we get. It’s a way of recounting the myth.”

Whether or not the upcoming Man of Steel sequel — which is tentatively being called Batman vs. Superman (or Superman vs. Batman) — will continue the large death toll is unclear at this point, but when two superheroes battle each other, there are bound to be at some casualties. Last week, Ben Affleck was cast as Batman in the sequel.

On the other hand, Snyder said the heart of the Superman story is something more personal than wreaking havoc on the city.

“In many ways, Clark Kent’s dilemma is the American dilemma. Wherever we’re from, we all have this very strong desire for acceptance,” Snyder said. “When he’s young, most of Clark Kent’s efforts are directed toward being like everyone else. So the fact that he’s not like everyone and never will be is very difficult for him to accept… If he steps in to save everyone, he’ll never be accepted as a normal guy.”

The Man of Steel sequel will be shooting in Detroit, and the state of Michigan has approved $35 million in incentives to bring the film to the Motor City. The film will bring $131 million of in-state spending. Shooting will take at least three months.