Zack Snyder takes a dig at DC fans over Batman's purpose, says "You're making your God irrelevant"

In a recent interview with Joe Rogan on The Joe Rogan Experience, filmmaker Zack Snyder discussed his conflict with overprotective DC fans regarding Batman. In the podcast released on March 7, Snyder expressed his thoughts about fans who did not want Batman to kill people:

"Well, that’s just like you’re protecting your God in a weird way, right? You’re making your God irrelevant."

Zack Snyder is renowned for kickstarting the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) with the Superman film, Man of Steel, back in 2013. He also went on to direct its subsequent installments Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Justice League (2017) and its four-hour director's cut, popularly referred to as the Snyder Cut, in 2021.

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What did Zack Snyder say about Batman?

In the conversation with host Joe Rogan, the 58-year old filmmaker spoke about the hatred he received from comic book fans due to the changes he made to Batman's character in his film Batman v Superman. According to Variety, the choice to make Batman kill his enemies ignited outrage among DC fans.

The backlash comes from the belief that Batman does not kill people. Although he has committed the deed in some past comics, the caped crusader is popular for his stance against taking away the life of a person. As per The Hollywood Reporter, the character's 'no-kill rule' originated in 1940's comic issue Batman No.4, where he said:

"Remember we never kill with weapons of any kind!"

Snyder's film polarized critics and fans alike, with the latter attacking the director with personal attacks on social media. "I have no issue with you not liking the movie," Zack Snyder said during the podcast, referring to those fans. "That’s not the question. Who cares? The thing is, like, you would personalize. You'd hate me because of it. I don’t understand that."

Zack Snyder revealed that he preferred taking a "deconstructivist point of view" and wanted to take superheroes apart. He stated:

"People are always like, ‘Batman can’t kill.’ So Batman can’t kill is canon. And I’m like, ‘Okay, well, the first thing I want to do when you say that is I want to see what happens. And they go, ‘Well, don’t put him in a situation where he has to kill someone.’ I’m like, ‘Well, that’s just like you’re protecting your God in a weird way, right? You’re making your God irrelevant if he can't be in that situation."

According to a blog titled Why Batman Doesn't Kill published in the official DC Comics website, editor Whitney Ellsworth did not want the character killing people due to the "moral panic" of the times.

In a 2000 comic issue titled Batman: Ego, the character is questioned about his no-kill rule. Batman responds:

"If I allow myself to go down into that place… I’ll never come back."

However, the article opines that the real reason why Batman does not kill is because he has to "set an example" for the next generation of superheroes.

Robert Pattinson, the latest actor to don the role of Batman, also made headlines when he spoke to Premiere magazine in 2022:

"There is this rule with Batman: he must not kill. It can be interpreted in two ways. Either he only wants to inflict the appropriate punishment, or he wants to kill, and his self-control prevents him from doing so."

However, Zack Snyder revealed that he has no interest in a superhero who "has to maintain this god-like status." He liked putting Batman in situations where the character had to take a life.

Contrary to fans who did not want the character to be in "a no-win situation because we don't want to see him lose," Snyder is interested in exploring more nuanced settings.

During the interview, Snyder also disclosed that he had to trim down Batman v Superman due to the R rating its previous cuts got. He believed that the director's cut was a "much better movie" in his opinion.

The full interview with Zack Snyder on The Joe Regan Experience is available to watch on YouTube.