As most of the internet is already aware/sick of by now, the most recent episode of Rick and Morty featured cameo appearances from both Superman director James Gunn and Man of Steel director Zack Snyder.
Sure, there were self-owning jokes about slow-motion punches and creatine lunches, but coming just days before Rick and Morty’s corporate overlords, Warner Bros., are releasing a Superman movie, the whole thing had real Space Jam: A New Legacy vibes.
Un-chronically online viewers may not have been aware of the scene’s subtext: Snyder fans and Gunn enthusiasts have been warring on social media ever since it was announced that the Guardians of the Galaxy director would be taking over the DC movie franchise. Gunn’s new direction means that Snyder won’t be able to continue his “Snyderverse.”
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In other words, no more movies in which Batman is clearly thinking more about enjoying a Dunkin’ iced coffee than fighting crime.
There have even been reports that Snyder fans were even planning to “sabotage” the new Superman by “sharing spoilers, posting negative reviews and reserving cinema tickets in bulk.” But Gunn just shrugged off these threats of free publicity and ticket sales.
Then, this past February, Gunn shocked everyone by sharing a photo of himself and Snyder on social media. “Always a pleasure catching up with my friend Zack Snyder, consummate filmmaker (and a doubly consummate storyteller!),” the post read.
This was obviously a big deal at the time for superhero fans, sparking a multitude of rumors about a potential collaboration. Some speculated that Snyder had been “brought in to develop a different project in the new franchise,” such as The Authority. Others saw this as evidence that Gunn was going to “restore the Snyderverse,” while some merely theorized that Snyder had been invited to watch an early cut of Superman and provide feedback.
Gunn tried to dispel these rumors, but suspiciously avoided sharing any specifics about the photo’s context. “I was just talking to Zack as a friend,” Gunn later explained. “So, you know, we were just hanging out, and then we’re like, ‘Let’s take a picture together.’ We knew full well what we were doing… He thought it was funny. I thought it was funny. And that’s that.”
Well, now we know that this photo had nothing to with with the current state of the DC franchise and everything to do with Rick and Morty.
Showrunner Scott Marder recently revealed to Variety that the two directors recorded their lines for the show “back-to-back” and made sure to take a picture together on the day. Even though the photo immediately went viral, nobody had a clue that they were together to perform for an animated TV series, not plan the future of a multibillion dollar superhero franchise. And everyone involved was somehow able to keep it a secret.
“I appreciate that we were able to keep it tight lips until now,” Marder noted. “We’re pretty Fort Knox over here, we’re really clamped down. Anything that goes out into the public we see, and we get approval on because the fans look at everything, like the Zapruder film or through a jeweler’s lens.”
Hopefully that quote doesn’t prompt DC fans to start poring over the Zapruder film for clues about upcoming Batman and Superman movies.
