'Man of Steel' Director Zack Snyder: It's OK for Superman to Be American with Obama in Office

Conservatives have embraced Man of Steel, and rightly so, turning it into a cash cow for Warner Bros. The film is open about its religious aspects and has the kind of conservative leanings that we haven’t seen in major blockbusters since The Dark Knight Trilogy.

With a sequel already greenlit, reporters are asking the filmmakers for any and all details about their future plans. Conservatives that have embraced the patriotic origin story may be a little disappointed in what director Zack Snyder had to say about the film’s patriotism and his plans for the sequel. 

When asked by BBC Radio 4 about what needs to happen in the sequel to Superman, Snyder had the following to say:

“He has no choice but to become global… That literally has to happen.But for me I was really interested in – and maybe it’s because BarackObama’s president now – it’s okay for Superman to be American.”

This statement is a little disappointing on two fronts: it’s disappointing to hear Snyder plans on taking Superman in the kind of globalist direction the lackluster Superman Returns did, and it’s disappointing to hear yet another filmmaker state that patriotism for a country doesn’t feel right unless someone they like is in office. Director Roland Emmerich said similar comments a few years ago when asked about why he avoided making Independence Day sequels while President George W. Bush was president.

Perhaps it’s best to just give Snyder the benefit of the doubt (though it’s hard not to see this statement as both worrisome and just as creepy as First Lady Michelle Obama’s comments about being proud of her country for the first time when Obama was first elected). After all, he goes on to say that he was interested in examining through Man of Steel how Superman was a “quintessentially American creature” because of his Middle American upbringing. Snyder has also been open about the film’s religious connotations in interviews.

Still, the comments do remind us how truly out of touch Hollywood can be sometimes and it makes me a little more worried for what kind of globalist message Man of Steel 2 will bring. Let’s just hope Christopher Nolan and David Goyer (both of Dark Knight fame) keep Snyder from making Superman Returns meets The Obama Effect.