Zack Snyder has become one of the most controversial filmmakers with his work in the DCEU. While critics tend to write off his films as too serious given their themes, his fan base is fiercely loyal, or what some might say, a tad obsessive.

From Man of Steel to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice to his cut of Justice League, his movies have always got people talking, and not always in a good way.

And one thing that got everyone up in arms was when he bumped off a major character in Henry Cavill starrer Man of Steel back in 2013.

Responding to the uproar, Snyder recently broke it down, explaining why the decision made total sense in the context of the film.

Zack Snyder defends his controversial decision in Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel

In Man of Steel, Pa Kent, Jonathan, tells Clark Kent not to save him during a tornado, choosing to die rather than risk revealing his son’s secret. It was one of the film’s most talked-about scenes, mainly because Clark could have saved him easily.

Addressing this debate, director Zack Snyder explained the scene from Clark’s perspective to GQ, stating that, “he let his father die to protect the idea that his father was trying to protect”.

via Imago

Henry Cavill’s Clark Kent was not ready to go public as Superman because, as he put it, he was “just a teenager who could have made a mess”. The heart of Superman’s journey in the film revolved around his decision to reveal himself to the world.

According to Jonathan Kent, if people found out about a superpowered alien living among them, they would see Superman as a threat because they would be scared of him. Though controversial, that scene, in particular, was a tough one for Henry Cavill to tackle on-screen.

Cavill once mentioned that Man of Steel’s one of the most jarring and emotionally intense scenes might have turned out differently if it were not for the invaluable guidance of two of his co-stars.

Henry Cavill’s portrayal of the raw emotion of losing his dad on screen

Typically, in most iterations, Henry Cavill’s character’s adoptive father passes away from a sudden heart attack. However, Man of Steel took a different path.

Speaking with Interview Magazine shortly after the movie’s release, Henry Cavill discussed how Kevin Costner and Diane Lane played crucial roles in helping him capture the emotional intensity required for the scene. He said, “They’re both really good people and enormously giving”.

via Imago

For Cavill, playing a character who has lost his father to a tornado was challenging. However, Costner stepped up by participating in “off-camera stuff” during Cavill’s scenes, which was helpful.

The British actor recalled, “I mean, Kevin was standing 200 meters down the road for a scene”. That support, unexpected as it was, turned out to be just what Cavill needed to nail that emotionally charged scene on screen, despite its divisive reception.

What do you think about Zack Snyder’s explanation? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!