6. Zack Snyder
Delivering a stylised sucker punch...
Limited CV: Man of Steel, Sucker Punch, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of GaHoole, Watchmen, 300, Dawn of the Dead (remake) Zack Snyder rose to prominence after directing the 2004 Dawn of the Dead remake, which all but turned zombies into sprinters overnight. Although a couple of his recent blockbusters have been painfully lacking in substance (Im looking at you in particular Sucker Punch), his adaptations of Frank Millers 300 and Alan Moores Watchmen stand up as some of the most well received and faithful comic book movie versions out there, for several reasons including their unique, comic-like art direction that were highly stylised and fantastical. Add to the mix his upcoming Superman reboot, Man of Steel, and you start to see that hes certainly generated the credentials necessary to be a credible candidate for directing the Batman franchise reboot. And depending on the fate of said Superman reboot, he may well be Warner Bros' first logical port of call when the director hunt begins. Let's not forget that WB were going to hire Snyder to take over the reigns from Batman if Nolan didn't return for The Dark Knight Rises. He was also handpicked by Nolan (with some nudging from WB brass we imagine) to direct Man of Steel. As long as his Superman reboot doesn't bomb with audiences the way Superman Returns did in 2006, the job is basically his if he wants it. His Batman movie would have to be a complete reinvention, a million miles away from The Dark Knight Rises. But perhaps that is the best we can hope for from whomever takes on the reigns?
Snyder's Batman: Fantastical, stylised, fetishistic. Like Joel Schmaucher's Batman & Robin for adults.