Zack Snyder has liked yet another post on Instagram, and this one takes a direct swipe at James Gunn’s struggling Superman reboot.
Snyder Bros on X caught the interaction from back in August and immediately circulated the screenshot, adding more fuel to the ongoing debate over which filmmaker delivered the better Superman.
The image compares Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel box office to Gunn’s Superman. Cavill’s film made $670 million in 2013 without adjusting for inflation, while Gunn’s movie pulled in a much lower $616.6 million more than a decade later ($585M at the time Snyder liked the post), even with ticket prices nearly double.
When adjusted for ticket sales, the gap becomes massive. Man of Steel sold over 82 million tickets. Gunn’s Superman sold around 36 million. Fans are pointing to this as the real measure of popularity — and Zack Snyder seems to agree.
Snyder Appears to Support the Fan Narrative
The IG post Snyder liked makes a straightforward argument: Cavill’s Superman clearly reached more people and had stronger demand. For fans, the like is another subtle signal from Snyder that he stands with the audience frustrated with the Gunn reboot.
This comes immediately after Snyder liked a viral reel mocking the claim that his Superman was “too dark,” by showing Cavill’s hopeful moments from Man of Steel and Batman v Superman (see below). That reel went viral after our previous report, and Snyder’s new interaction shows he’s not slowing down.
Fans Think Snyder Is Sending a Message
With Snyder liking post after post defending Cavill’s Superman, many see this as quiet pushback against the current DC leadership — especially with Gunn’s reboot underperforming creatively and reportedly financially.
It also lands at the same time Snyder has been flooding Instagram with DCEU-era images, everything from Batman and Joker to Aquaman and Superman.
And as we’ve reported, Snyder has been open to returning to DC through The Dark Knight Returns, especially if WBD changes hands and the Gunn era ends. However, now we are thinking there could be more, especially with Netflix in the mix to buy WBD.
The Bigger Picture Behind Snyder’s Social Media Wave
The timing is impossible to ignore. Warner Bros. Discovery is up for sale, Netflix is exploring a bid, and Paramount Skydance is still in the fight.
As we’ve been told, a reshuffling of DC leadership is very likely. We’ve repeatedly been told that “EVERYONE” moved on from the SnyderVerse, but Snyder’s sudden surge of DCEU posts — and his public liking of anti-Gunn content — suggests he may know more than the rest of us.
For fans, this latest like isn’t just about box office numbers. It’s proof that Snyder sees them, hears them, and maybe — just maybe — is preparing for something bigger.