10 Directors Who Didn't Understand Their Own Movies

2. Zack Snyder - Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice

Zack Snyder and comic book fans go together like oil and water, and it's fair to say that every single one of his superhero movies released to date has attracted its fair share of controversy.

None quite so much as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which was rubbished by fans and critics for many reasons, least not that Snyder fundamentally appeared to lack an understanding of what made the central heroes appealing to audiences.

Fresh off flak for allowing Supes (Henry Cavill) to cause city-wide destruction in Man of Steel, Snyder basically turned the superhero into a boring mope in Batman v Superman.

Rather than restore his reputation through acts of chest-thumping heroism, he spent most of the movie sulking about his place in the world and, well, not being very heroic.

And as for Batman (Ben Affleck)? Though Affleck did a marvellous job with what he had, many fans took umbrage with this iteration of the Caped Crusader casually killing criminals like it was nothing.

Had the film more convincingly shown Bruce Wayne being taken to his breaking point after years on the job, it might've worked, but it ultimately felt forced and faux-edgy.

Rather than engage with the criticism in a meaningful way, Snyder simply told fans to "wake the f*** up", which might well be the most damning self-indictment of all.

At every turn Snyder took unearned dramatic shortcuts with these characters - yes, even in the Ultimate Edition - and in turn failed to realise the prevailing benevolence of Superman, as well as the resourceful tenacity of Batman.