Zack Snyder's Snyderverse: Unprecedented Profits Revealed by Former WB President
Former WB President confirms Zack Snyder's Snyderverse was hugely profitable, settling the debate once and for all
Highlights
Contrary to the unfair claims made by critics, former WB President Greg Silverman has rebutted by stating that the majority of Zack Snyder's DC films were indeed highly profitable for Warner Bros.
The financial success of films such as Man of Steel and Batman v Superman, which surpassed their budgets in box office earnings, is evidence of Snyder's films' achievements. Despite initial doubts from WB executives regarding the Snyder Cut, the strong box office numbers and high streaming viewership of Zack Snyder's Justice League confirm its success, dispelling the notion that Snyder's films were not financially beneficial for the studio.
Greg Silverman, the former President of Warner Bros, passionately defended Zack Snyder against critics who claimed that his Snyderverse films were not financially successful for the studio.
Critics have persistently attempted to persuade fans that the DC films directed by Snyder were either not profitable or did not generate enough profit for the studio. Upon release, reports indicated that the box office earnings for some of these films were lower than the studio's expectations. The argument was that a movie featuring Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman should have easily earned a billion dollars at the box office. In response, Silverman vehemently rejected this criticism and refuted these allegations.
Silverman countered a criticism that suggested Snyder's films were unprofitable for the studio by stating that only Legends of the Guardians and Sucker Punch fell short in terms of profitability. Silverman emphasized that "the rest of his films at WB were highly profitable." For instance, Man of Steel earned $668 million at the box office with a $225 million budget, surpassing the earnings of Superman Returns, which made only $391.1 million. Batman v Superman was removed from theaters early, despite generating $872.7 million on a $250 million budget. The theatrical release received poor critical reception, but the Ultimate Edition resolved many of its issues.
Comparatively, DCEU films considered part of the Snyderverse, such as Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, and the immensely successful Aquaman, performed significantly better under previous WB executives Toby Emmerich and Walter Hamada. Man of Steel, the first DCEU and Snyderverse film, outperformed Birds of Prey, The Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman 1984, and Shazam!: Fury of the Gods combined at the domestic box office (although not worldwide). Despite WB expressing reluctance towards the Snyder Cut, the studio would likely prefer to achieve similar box office success for its DC films once again.
Man of Steel and Batman v Superman were profitable based on their gross numbers, as a movie typically needs to make about 2.5 times its reported budget to break even and start generating profit. Despite Zack Snyder's Justice League being the highest-selling Blu-ray and receiving significant attention on social media, Warner Bros. did not disclose its streaming numbers. However, it is worth noting that the film reportedly surpassed Avengers: Endgame in terms of streaming viewership in China, and the HBO MAX servers crashed upon its release. This should help dispel the notion that Snyder was not profitable for the studio. Nevertheless, the controversy surrounding Snyder continues to attract interest in popular culture, and the quality of his films remains a subject of debate. It may be naive to believe that the former WB President's defense of Snyder will definitively put an end to the conversation.
Zack Snyder's Justice League is available physically and on MAX in some regions.
Source: Greg Silverman
