Summary

Zack Snyder’s favorite superhero is somewhat controversial and does not fit the traditional superhero mold.
Snyder admires Marvel heroes, too, naming The Hulk and Iron Man as his favorites outside the DC realm, showing his appreciation for both comic book universes.
Despite his controversial films, Snyder’s comfort in the superhero cinema space is rooted in his career adapting comic properties.

Love his work or hate it (there doesn’t seem to be a middle ground), Zack Snyder is comfortable in the superhero cinema space. And that’s logical, considering he’s made a career out of adapting comic properties. First, there was 300, then the underrated Watchmen (of which even Christopher Nolan calls himself a fan), then DCEU projects Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Zack Snyder’s Justice League.

Heck, even his other projects can feel like slow-motion-loving adaptations of graphic novels. This includes the likes of Sucker Punch and Army of the Dead as well as the cosmic two-parter of Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire and Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver. So, given his familiarity with the subgenre and obvious affinity for the characters within (even if some might argue that point when it comes to Superman), does Snyder have a favorite superhero? He does, and it’s not the Man of Steel.

Who Is Zack Snyder’s Favorite ‘Superhero’?

Back when he and Ben Affleck were leading a 2020 DC FanDome panel promoting Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Snyder was asked for the identity of his favorite superhero of all time. His reply: Watchmen’s Dr. Manhattan. But is Dr. Manhattan really a superhero? Whether it is Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ source material or Snyder’s own cinematic adaptation, the short answer is no.

But it does show that he favors all-powerful heroes. Not only did he go to great lengths to convey that substantial power in his film, but he kicked off the ill-fated DCEU with Man of Steel. And unless he’s sacrificing himself as he did in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, that latter character is also essentially all-powerful.

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So, what did Snyder say exactly? First, he specified that the character would have to be a part of the “DC world” before revealing that “It’s gotta be Doctor Manhattan from Watchmen.” He then elaborated on the choice, stating, “…for me, he’s like this super cool, quantum superhero.” What exactly appeals to Snyder about Manhattan? His ability to manipulate “time, space [and] reality.”

Those seem like superpowers, no? Well, Doctor Manhattan certainly has the super part down pat, so why isn’t he immediately lumped in with other superheroes such as Captain America, Superman, or even his Watchmen peers Silk Spectre II and Nite Owl II? Because, like his Watchmen peers Rorschach and The Comedian, he’s a bit too complex for the term hero to apply.

Why Isn’t Dr. Manhattan a Superhero?
Watchmen Release Date March 4, 2009 Runtime 163

He may not be as intermittently vicious as The Comedian, but he’s certainly as cold-hearted. After all, he explodes a litany of enemy soldiers with a wave of his hand, and his expression never changes. In other words, when physicist Jon Osterman suffered his accident and received powers, he also found himself extricated from society both physically (for a time) and mentally.

Now, Dr. Manhattan did show both sadness and anger when his former friend and lover were brought in front of him stricken with cancer. Yet, when the film has a flashback to the Vietnam War, and the Comedian murders an innocent, pregnant woman, Dr. Manhattan has the ability to stop her death. And, yet, as the Comedian points out, he chooses not to. With only his mind, he could make the bullet evaporate before it hits the woman, but he actively chooses not to.

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That’s not very heroic, nor is it courageous to focus on his work solely for the sake of his love for science. He’s not actively trying to prevent the worst-case scenario of the Cold War the same way he didn’t actively attempt to save the Vietnamese woman’s life. He’s disconnected from even the core concept of humanity, which corroded what remains of his soul to the point that not even the slow demise of his relationship with Silk Spectre II seems to raise a blue eyebrow.

Zack Snyder Also Enjoys the Marvel Heroes

Did the DCEU pan out? Absolutely not, but there were bright spots. Yet, in general, it never quite rivaled Marvel’s cinematic universe in terms of reviews, outstanding box office grosses, or fan appreciation. However, with the MCU on a fairly sharp decline (a course which, admittedly, looks to be corrected sooner rather than later) and James Gunn’s DCU on the horizon, perhaps the tables could be turned in a major way.

But, considering Snyder himself hasn’t touched Marvel thus far, is he a fan? As it turns out, he is an appreciator of both sides of the comic book coin, and when WIRED asked him to pick a favorite Marvel hero, he came up with two. In his words: “The Hulk has always been one of my favorites forever. And Iron Man.” Few comics fans, cinephiles, or members of the general audience, even if they often find themselves bashing Snyder’s output, could disagree with that particular pair of choices. Zack Snyder’s Watchmen film, featuring his favorite ‘superhero’ Dr. Manhattan, is streaming on Max.