10 Ways The DCEU Films Nearly Turned Out Completely Different
7. Zod Lived - Man Of Steel
The DC Extended Universe has been bathed in controversy since its inception. One moment that fans still argue about to this day is Zod's death in Man of Steel. As the maniacal Kryptonian prepares to kill a group of civilians, Superman is left with no choice but to break Zod's neck. Because Superman is known for never taking a life, millions of viewers believed his actions contradicted his character.
But if the producer, Christopher Nolan, had his way, this scene would've been nixed. As screenwriter, David S. Goyer, explained in an interview with Empire (via Huffpost), Nolan was instantly against this decision, stating it was uncharacteristic of the iconic superhero.
Instead, he wanted Supes to hurl Zod back into The Phantom Zone during the climax. But Snyder said having the Boyscout superhero consciously taking a life was integral for developing the character and so, wouldn't budge with the idea.
It's intriguing how different the DCEU would've been if Nolan got his way. Not only would Man of Steel received far less flack, it would've had a snowball effect on future movies since Superman's decision to kill was a pivotal plot point in the follow-up.