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Christopher Nolan wanted Tony Scott to direct Man of Steel

EviLore

Expansive Ellipses
Staff Member


Scott tragically ended his own life at that time, so Zach Snyder ended up directing.

Scott was also scouting out locations with Tom Cruise for a Top Gun sequel immediately prior to his death.

Certainly would’ve made for a different cinematic timeline if he hadn’t passed.
 

22:22:22

NO PAIN TRANCE CONTINUE
Why did David Lynch refuse to direct Barbie?

Sad Its Over GIF by Star Wars
 

EviLore

Expansive Ellipses
Staff Member
Absolutely tragic what happened with Tony Scott. People who saw him jump off the bridge say he didn't even hesitate before doing it. What kind of person is so screwed up they don't even second guess?
Would he have done it if he hadn’t been on antidepressants?
 

ManaByte

Gold Member
Scott tragically ended his own life at that time, so Zach Snyder ended up directing.
Snyder wasn’t the immediate choice though. WB wanted Matt Reeves but he was getting ready to do Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and had a planned arc for it and he sequel, so WB was forced to go with Snyder because they had a gun to their head. A lawyer was using the Siegel/Shuster heirs to try to wrestle the Superman rights from DC and WB at the time and if WB didn’t get a Superman movie in production by 2013 they would’ve lost the character. Snyder was who was available.

But WB wanted Reeves so bad they held off on doing a new Batman until he was available so he could make The Batman.
 
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near

Gold Member
If Tony Scott was Nolan's first choice to helm Superman then Man of Steel is a staggering contrast to where he wanted this reboot to go.
 

AJUMP23

Parody of actual AJUMP23
A Tony Scott Superman would be interesting. Probably sent the DCU int the stratosphere.
 

Billbofet

Member
I think Scott's output around that time was way too chaotic with quick cuts and camera filters.
While it worked great for Man on Fire most of his last few movies I found almost unwatchable - like Domino.
I still would have been interested though for sure!
 
I mean, anyone who likes this film is a fucking idiot. But to each their own.

Although the movie sucked as a whole, the punches in the fight scenes had more “weight” feeling than any other super hero movie that followed, including the ones directed by Snyder. Idk what they did to make it work so well in that one
 
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Gp1

Member
Talking about Top Gun
As much as i love the first Top Gun, i don't know if i would want Tony Scott at the helm of Top Gun 2 given how good Top Gun Maverick is.

Tom Cruise wouldn't have the same freedom if Tony Scott were the director.
 

FunkMiller

Member
Yeah, no. Unless in those alternate universes Scott is an executive that can prevent 30 minutes of character development being forcibly cut or movies being re-edited behind the director's backs.

Tony Scott was a better director than Snyder, who knew how to make crowd pleasing blockbusters. Man Of Steel would have been a completely different, much better film. It would have created a much more solid foundation for the DCEU. None of Snyder’s immature dudebro edgy crap would have been in the film. It would have fared better at the box office, and Superman would have got a full trilogy. Everything would have been different.
 
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TheGrat1

Member
Tony Scott was a better director than Snyder, who knew how to make crowd pleasing blockbusters. Man Of Steel would have been a completely different, much better film. It would have created a much more solid foundation for the DCEU. None of Snyder’s immature dudebro edgy crap would have been in the film. It would have fared better at the box office, and Superman would have got a full trilogy. Everything would have been different.
My point is that the execs at WB did everything they could to meddle with the films, unless Scott could gain the power to overrule them they would have crippled it regardless.
 

FunkMiller

Member
My point is that the execs at WB did everything they could to meddle with the films, unless Scott could gain the power to overrule them they would have crippled it regardless.

They wouldn’t have needed to. Scott was very much a movie maker who understood the blockbuster genre. He wouldn’t have tried to turn Superman into a morose, neck snapping idiot who couldn’t give a shit about saving people, just to be edgy.

The studios only interfered with Snyder’s movies because he did such a bad job. And even then, they didn’t interfere with Man Of Steel, because they were coming off the success of The Dark Knight. They messed with BvS because it was bad.
 

TheGrat1

Member
They wouldn’t have needed to. Scott was very much a movie maker who understood the blockbuster genre. He wouldn’t have tried to turn Superman into a morose, neck snapping idiot who couldn’t give a shit about saving people, just to be edgy.
Yeah, clearly you believe narratives more than what actually occurred on film. It is a very common occurrence with MoS. Cavill Superman saved more people, in person, than Reeve Superman did in their first appearances not to mention the entire world twice over from the World Engine and Zod.
The studios only interfered with Snyder’s movies because he did such a bad job. And even then, they didn’t interfere with Man Of Steel, because they were coming off the success of The Dark Knight. They messed with BvS because it was bad.
Did Patty Jenkins do a bad job, too? They tried to cut the No Man's Land scene in WW, arguably the best scene in the film. What about when they edited Suicide Squad behind Ayer's back, was that Snyder's fault, too? They did not want James Wan to consult Snyder when he was creating Aquaman. He did it anyway and directed their highest-grossing film.
It is cute that you think the execs are some kind of auteurs doing what is best to improve the medium. They literally do not understand these characters, Patty Jenkins said as much in the link, or the genre and were simply doing what they thought would make the most money like limiting runtimes so they could get more showings in a theater in a day. They were disappointed MoS did not make $1 billion and were sure their meddling would produce that result in the future. It is that simple.

No, they did not interfere with MoS and it is hands down the best DCEU film yet with action scenes that are yet to be surpassed in the genre 10 years later as a result. People like you are the reason they had to put lines like "That's [Striker's Island] uninhabited!" and "The port is abandoned." in BvS and make sure the climaxes of both versions of Justice League took place in the middle of nowhere. Just because people got their knickers in a twist because there was collateral damage when two gods clashed in a world made of cardboard. You know, something that raised the stakes and made it clear a Superman was the only thing standing between the survival of Earth and complete annihilation.

What would Scott have given us? Another happy-go lucky, mugging for the camera campy Superman with a deus ex machina ending? We got that. It was called Superman Returns. It was boring and it sucked. If that is what entertains you in the 21st century then more power to you.
From the criticism I hear online Wonder Woman 1984 is the Superman movie everyone wanted in 2013: Upbeat tone, smiling and winking at the camera, giving the villain a chance to redeem themselves. Again: Lame, boring, and corny. That is a DCEU movie made without Snyder's influence outside of casting Gadot/Pine and fully approved by the WB execs.
You did not like Superman breaking Zod's neck? Would if he have been better if he depowered him, crushed his hand and then threw him down a bottomless pit with a smile on his face?
 

Marvel14

Banned
Outside of a couple scene and the last 5min, MoS is a better movie to me than 80% of Marvel's output, and 100% after Endgame's output. Dont think Tony would have made anything exceedingly better.

Man of Steel is one of the worst movies I've ever seen.

Tony Scott would have made it memorable.

I kinda like it :(

The origin story works really well ..they fluffed the death of Jonathan Kent (much more powerful if Clark had stayed with him through the tornado and shielded him only for him to die anyway- Clark never knowing if he killed him by accident or if the tornado did).

When the crash bang wallop of Zod shows up the movie lacks sense and entertainment value. Sure Superman, smack Zod through a building killing hundreds of innocent civilans but don't let Zod incinerate four civilians in front of you. That's where you should draw the line....
 
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Glad he didn't, this movie is the GOAT
yFa6CKB.gif


Sure Superman, smack Zod through a building killing hundreds of innocent civilans
I'll never understand comments like these, it's like y'all watched a different movie or hallucinated something; clark never smacks zod through a building with civilians in it in metropolis; it's zod who punches him into an empty building, that was already partially destroyed by the world engine, then he destroys it with his heat vision.
Later when he starts flying he emerges from a building and then tosses clark through several buildings; in the last shot where it shows clark rolling through the building, you can see it's empty as well, which makes a lot of sense since the goddamn world engine was destroying the city, of course they evacuated already.

He only flies zod through the gas station in smallville, breaking a wall and a door, there's never a point where he's killing "hundreds of civilians by smacking zod through a building".
 

Marvel14

Banned
Glad he didn't, this movie is the GOAT
yFa6CKB.gif



I'll never understand comments like these, it's like y'all watched a different movie or hallucinated something; clark never smacks zod through a building with civilians in it in metropolis; it's zod who punches him into an empty building, that was already partially destroyed by the world engine, then he destroys it with his heat vision.
Later when he starts flying he emerges from a building and then tosses clark through several buildings; in the last shot where it shows clark rolling through the building, you can see it's empty as well, which makes a lot of sense since the goddamn world engine was destroying the city, of course they evacuated already.

He only flies zod through the gas station in smallville, breaking a wall and a door, there's never a point where he's killing "hundreds of civilians by smacking zod through a building".
Except where he smashes into zod causing a shock wave that blows a hole in a building, or when he drags Zod across the face of another building, or when a building Zod has cut apart with x-ray vision is collapsing onto other buildings and a street full of people and he seems to careen into the street full of people and smashes into cars on the street and takes out the bottom of a building or when he skips over a fuel truck Zod throws at him so that it can blow up on the street (where your evacuated people would be) and destroys the bottom of the building.

Did I neglect to mention that your 100%-evacuated-from-all-buildings people are mostly on the street where the debris from the destruction is falling liberally? I did didn't it? And Superman seems quite content to have a punch up with Zod on the street...where all those evacuated people are looking on..

Oh and he smashes Zod into Grand Central Station where he acts to save the 4 precious Souls, having contributed to the deaths of thousands just moments before.
 
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Except where he smashes into zod causing a shock wave that blows a hole in a building
The facade of the building at the point of them colliding gets destroyed, not hundreds of civilians die
or when he drags Zod across the face of another building
Yes some glass gets broken here, not hundreds of civilians die
or when a building Zod has cut apart with x-ray vision is collapsing onto other buildings
Yes zod does this to an empty building, again not clark killing hundreds of civilians
and he seems to careen into the street full of people and smashes into cars on the street and takes out the bottom of a building
Yes zod caused this and he bounces of some cars, big deal, nobody got hurt, so again not clark killing hundreds of civilians
when he skips over a fuel truck Zod throws at him so that it can blow up on the street (where your evacuated people would be) and destroys the bottom of the building.
Lol...no it didn't blow up in on the street, it blew up against the very same building mentioned above, and that building was a car park, not an office or anything, there was nothing there but parked cars, again not clark killing hundreds of civilians.
Did I neglect to mention that your 100%-evacuated-from-all-buildings people are mostly on the street where the debris from the destruction is falling liberally?
Who gives a shit, clark never throws zod through a building killings hundreds of civilians.
And Superman seems quite content to have a punch up with Zod on the street...where all those evacuated people are looking on..
He's quite content to stop zod from killing the world and it's 8 billion people yes, again not clark killing hundreds of civilians.
Oh and he smashes Zod into Grand Central Station where he acts to save the 4 precioys Souls, having contributed to the deaths of thousands just moments before.
He smashes through the glass ceiling and hits a balcony, nobody gets hurt, again not clark killing hundreds of civilians.

you made a whole lot of effort to basically agree with me; clark never throws zod through a building killing hundreds of civilians; it simply never happens no matter how much you hallucinate it.
 

Marvel14

Banned
The facade of the building at the point of them colliding gets destroyed, not hundreds of civilians die

Yes some glass gets broken here, not hundreds of civilians die

Yes zod does this to an empty building, again not clark killing hundreds of civilians

Yes zod caused this and he bounces of some cars, big deal, nobody got hurt, so again not clark killing hundreds of civilians

Lol...no it didn't blow up in on the street, it blew up against the very same building mentioned above, and that building was a car park, not an office or anything, there was nothing there but parked cars, again not clark killing hundreds of civilians.

Who gives a shit, clark never throws zod through a building killings hundreds of civilians.

He's quite content to stop zod from killing the world and it's 8 billion people yes, again not clark killing hundreds of civilians.

He smashes through the glass ceiling and hits a balcony, nobody gets hurt, again not clark killing hundreds of civilians.

you made a whole lot of effort to basically agree with me; clark never throws zod through a building killing hundreds of civilians; it simply never happens no matter how much you hallucinate it.
Silly lad...you never see a civilian getting killed by Superman, that is obvious. But Superman's actions produce enough damage to kills hundreds or thousands of civilians. According to you they're all out on the street but plenty will be still be in your "empty" buildings too (your " they're all 100% evacuated" is hilarious btw, if that were true you wouldnt be able to move quickly in the streets with the volume of people)... the camera never follows where debris falls and who might be getting hit.

The fact that neither the filmakers or Superman care about "colateral damage" is the whole point which makes the ending of Superman trying to save 4 people ridiculous.

But you keep telling yourself: "if I didn't see it, it didn't happen". I'm sure that will serve you well....
 
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Glad he didn't, this movie is the GOAT
yFa6CKB.gif



I'll never understand comments like these, it's like y'all watched a different movie or hallucinated something; clark never smacks zod through a building with civilians in it in metropolis; it's zod who punches him into an empty building, that was already partially destroyed by the world engine, then he destroys it with his heat vision.
Later when he starts flying he emerges from a building and then tosses clark through several buildings; in the last shot where it shows clark rolling through the building, you can see it's empty as well, which makes a lot of sense since the goddamn world engine was destroying the city, of course they evacuated already.

He only flies zod through the gas station in smallville, breaking a wall and a door, there's never a point where he's killing "hundreds of civilians by smacking zod through a building".
Detractors of this movie watched "everything wrong with man of steel," filed all the illegitimate, lazy criticisms away in their brains and called it a day.
 

Marvel14

Banned
Fair enough he doesn't punch Zod through a building but he does ram Zod across the front of a building and rams into Zod generating shockwave that blows a hole in a building. And he rams Zod through Grand Central.

So goalposts moved a bit...maybe a couple of meters...but not the other end of the field.
 
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FunkMiller

Member
Man Of Steel was only one further draft done by somebody other than Zack Snyder away from being a good Superman film.
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
Snyder wasn’t the immediate choice though. WB wanted Matt Reeves but he was getting ready to do Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and had a planned arc for it and he sequel, so WB was forced to go with Snyder because they had a gun to their head. A lawyer was using the Siegel/Shuster heirs to try to wrestle the Superman rights from DC and WB at the time and if WB didn’t get a Superman movie in production by 2013 they would’ve lost the character. Snyder was who was available.

But WB wanted Reeves so bad they held off on doing a new Batman until he was available so he could make The Batman.
Thats odd. All I heard was that it was between snyder and David Bowe's son...i forget his name,the guy who directed Moon and Warcraft. And the Nolan handpicked Snyder.

Tony Scott is one of my favorite directors but he started losing it towards the end. I absolutely adore crimson tide, enemy of the state and spy game, but by the time domino and man on fire came out, tony scott was basically making incoherent movies that were extremely tough to watch. I honestly dont know how he wouldve made a superman movie.
 

EverydayBeast

ChatGPT 0.1
When people talk about super hero movies man of steel isn’t brought up, honestly it’s probably good but I don’t see a scenario where I rewatch it.
 
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