Batman v Superman: Zack Snyder Talks Dark Knight Returns Influence

Batman v Superman director Zack Snyder talks about how much Frank Miller’s seminal Dark Knight Returns story influenced his vision for the film

It’s really obvious that Batman v Superman draws a lot of inspiration directly from the Dark Knight Returns, the seminal tale of a very Dark Knight that had a famous battle with Superman. The film features an older, more bitter Batman. His power armor is straight from the Dark Knight Returns, and several shots we’ve seen from the trailers of Batman v Superman recreate panels from that book. Director Zack Snyder talked about how Dark Knight Returns influenced Batman v Superman and why he chose that for his vision of the film:

"The thing about The Dark Knight Returns that really inspired me about this movie is that when I read that comic book series in ’86, I was floored by it because I felt like it promised me something. It challenged my fundamental notions of Batman in an amazing way. I was like ‘holy s–t, this is something else.’ It really sort of inspired me to reconnect with Batman as a character and comic books in general."

Next: Reactions From Last Night's Batman v Superman Premiere

Of course, a huge difference between Batman v Superman and The Dark Knight Returns is the fact that in Dark Knight Returns, Batman and Superman had been allies for decades and were now in opposition, as Superman was merely a government tool at that point. In Batman v Superman, Batman has been around for years, but Superman is relatively new on the scene. Whether or not they can convincingly create that same animosity in a new way, we will see in theaters this weekend (or in my case, Thursday night, because that’s when I will be seeing it).

h/t Comicbook.com