Snyder loyalists target new 'Superman' film

Director James Gunn claps back at trolls

When it comes to established superheroes, few things get fans more worked up than a new addition to a beloved franchise, and the upcoming Superman film is no exception.

As per Variety, since the announcement of director James Gunn's DC Universe (DCU) replacing Zack Snyder's DC Extended Universe (DCEU), a segment of devoted Snyder fans has launched a negative campaign against the new direction, including upcoming DCU projects. The latest backlash has targeted Superman, the first film in Gunn's DCU, set for release on July 11. A Snyder supporter took to Reddit to encourage users to spoil and review-bomb the film.

However, director James Gunn remains unmoved by all the negativity. Responding directly to one of the posts, Gunn wrote, "I think we will survive. I'm not sure the eight people that listen to that guy (I'm going to go out on a limb and guess it's a guy) are going to impact the course of events."

The comment quickly drew attention online, sparking a variety of fan reactions. Many supported Gunn's stance and condemned the negativity. One user noted, "Let's be honest. James and Zack are friends. I loved Zack's movies and I will probably love James Gunn's movies too." Another added, "As a Snyder fan, that's trash. Let people enjoy the movie — we had a good run with the DCEU." A third pointed out, "Funny thing is the majority of Snyder fanboys aren't even CBM fans. They just get annoyed when others like a movie."

Despite isolated online campaigns, Superman — starring David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, and others — is tracking to open strongly at the box office. It follows the DCU's animated debut Creature Commandos and precedes titles like Peacemaker season 2, Lanterns, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and Clayface.

Gunn's confident response, paired with the supportive fan reaction, suggests that online trolling may not derail anticipation for the upcoming DCU reboot.