Summary

• Zack Snyder planned for the DCEU Superman and his god-like depiction to evolve into a deeper character arc reconnecting him with his humanity.
• The cancelation of the Snyderverse led to the loss of the intended trilogy where Superman would regain his humanity after facing corruption by Darkseid with the Anti-Life Equation.
• The DCU's new Superman movie will hopefully explore balancing Kal-El's Kryptonian powers with his human heritage as Clark Kent, offering a more balanced take on the character the Snyderverse wasn't allowed to fully carry out.

Had the DCEU continued with Zack Snyder's vision intact, criticisms about Superman's "god-like" portrayal would have been addressed. Played by Henry Cavill, there's no denying that the DCEU's Man of Steel was depicted with strong parallels to a divine savior, specifically Jesus Christ. While this framing was often controversial, Zack Snyder has confirmed that it was meant to be part of a greater character arc that would have seen Superman reconnect with his humanity in future projects.

Following the cancelation of the DCEU's Snyderverse, Warner Bros. is preparing to launch a brand-new DC Universe with James Gunn and Peter Safran at the helm. However, Zack Snyder has continued to reveal and talk about what would have been in the works beyond Justice League. This includes what could have been a very compelling endgame for Henry Cavill's Superman regarding the perceptions of the world and its masses who'd come to view the Man of Steel as a literal god.

Zack Snyder's Superman Trilogy Sets Up A Justification For The Man Of Steel God-Like Depiction

He Would Have Reconnected With His Humanity By The End

In 2013's Man of Steel, Superman reveals himself to the world at the age of 33 (the same age Jesus was when he was crucified). Having been given his purpose by his true father Jor-El who was not of this world, there are plenty of parallels between Superman and Christ in Zack Snyder's first DC movie, including a rather on-the-nose moment when Jor-El tells his son that he can save the world, just before Kal-El flies out in Earth's orbit with his arms outstretched (as if he was already on the figurative cross).

The parallels to Jesus and depictions of Superman as a god-like Savior certainly continue in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice with humanity both deifying and ultimately rejecting Superman. Likewise, this even culminates with Superman sacrificing himself at the hands of Doomsday before he's ultimately resurrected as seen in Justice League. In truth, it's a very grounded take on how the real world might accept someone of such great power as Superman, a being who would undoubtedly be met with equal amounts of both criticism and reverence.

The DCEU's Superman portrayal was certainly controversial for some audiences based on how past live-action Supermen were depicted. However, Snyder recently confirmed in a GQ interview that this god-like status for Superman was all part of an overarching narrative arc that would have ended with Superman reconnecting more with his humanity:

He was going to have to succumb to the Anti-life, be destroyed, turn the clock back, and then get his chance for this battle against Darkseid. If you will... that would have finished his trilogy of becoming this guardian, and sort of, return him to his humanity.

Following a corruption by Darkseid in a planned Justice League sequel, it seems Snyder had wanted to see Henry Cavill's Superman regaining his humanity in the DCEU's future, aligning him more with past versions of the Man of Steel as well as the one typically seen in the comics page who's far more balanced, being both apart from the world and in it at the same time as both Kal-El and Clark Kent.

How The Superman Trilogy Plan Makes Superman's DCEU Complaint A Franchise Plus

It Would Have Addressed Superman's Portrayal As A Messianic Savior

Essentially, it looks as though Zack Snyder would have taken the criticisms about Cavil's Superman being too god-like and made them a positive part of his overall character arc. If the story is about Superman gradually returning and reconnecting with his humanity, the entire depiction of Kal-El as an almost religious figure would make sense and would likely have been received far better. It would merely be an introductory point for his development before both he and the world eventually come to understand who and what he truly is: a powerful protector of Earth who was raised in Kansas.

Unfortunately, the Synderverse was not able to continue after Warner Bros. essentially lost faith in Sndyer's vision. While there is a glimmer of hope that the Snyderverse might one day be complete under DC Studios' Elseworlds banner, the odds are still pretty low. At any rate, it is nice to see Snyder being so vocal about his original plans and intentions for Superman and the DCEU, even if they'll likely never be fully realized on-screen.

How The DCU Can Make DCEU's Superman Trilogy Plan Movie Reality

The New Superman Can Be About Those Human Connections

That being said, the new DCU's new Superman played by David Corenswet could certainly do what the Snyderverse couldn't. Based on teases and comments from director James Gunn, it appears much of 2025's Superman will be about Clark Kent learning to embrace both sides of his heritage as a son of both Earth and Krypton. As such, one would imagine that this should include Kal-El figuring out how to retain his humanity despite his great power and how it will be perceived by the world at large.