David S. Goyer confirms a Man of Steel sequel should have been made to develop Henry Cavill's Superman, instead of rushing to replicate the MCU with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Goyer spoke at length about his impressive career as a screenwriter in a Happy Sad Confused interview with Josh Horowitz. Goyer, who penned the script for many of Warner Bros.' DC films, went on a tangent when asked about the necessity for a Man of Steel sequel, asserting Warner Bros. should have taken its time to develop its DC Extended Universe. But instead of a standalone sequel for Superman with Henry Cavill, the rush to catch up with the MCU ended up with Batman v Superman being made instead.
"I know the pressure we were getting from Warner Bros., which was, 'We need our MCU! We need our MCU!' And I was like let's not run before we walk," Goyer insisted. "The other thing that was difficult at the time was there was this revolving door of executives at Warner Bros. and DC. Every 18 months someone new would come in. We were just getting whiplash. Every new person was like, 'We're going to go bigger!'" The DCEU has been plagued with production troubles since, with many installments underdeveloped or disconnected even in relation to the Snyderverse films.
Rushing to Beat the MCU
Goyer said Warner Bros. was so adamant about competing with the MCU there was even a plan to develop it long-term with 20 films, but there was one glaring problem. "I remember at one point the person running Warner Bros. at the time had this release that pitched the next 20 movies over the next 10 years. But none of them had been written yet!" he asserted. "It was crazy how much architecture was being built on air… This is not how you build a house." Zack Snyder shared Goyer's sentiment about the DCEU being half-baked, and in a recent statement expressed his disapproval of how it was handled.
It's arguable that Henry Cavill's Superman casting was also too short-lived. Fans have clamored for Cavill to reprise his role as the Man of Steel, but his most recent appearance was a mere cameo in Black Adam's end-credit scene. 2013's Man of Steel was a collaborative effort between Goyer, Snyder, and Christopher Nolan when the latter's The Dark Knight Trilogy promised potential for grittier, grounded superhero films. Having Snyder helm Man of Steel resulted in a serious and deconstructed portrayal of a superhero defined by hope and optimism. This tone may have been pursued with Goyer writing the sequel, but it would have laid out a more workable foundation for consequent DCEU films.
James Gunn has since taken over with his own take on the DC Universe and a string of films planned to reboot the franchise.
Source: YouTube