The world of DC films is certainly never boring as fans are now debating the future of the DC Universe under DC Studios CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran while considering the past where Zack Snyder was the architect. The temperature of the debate will only heat up as Gunn’s Superman: Legacy nears its release in 2025. Inevitably, comparisons will be made to Snyder’s Man of Steel, and battlelines will be drawn by fans.
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Now, taste is entirely subjective. Some people love Snyder’s movies, while others worship at the altar of Gunn. Then, there are those who enjoy both filmmakers’ efforts and couldn’t care less about silly Twitter arguments. So, this article isn’t about to tell you who makes the “better” movies or who should be heralded as the king of cinema. No, this will be about assessing their films in terms of financial performance (using Box Office Mojo numbers) as well as their critical and audience receptions. Note: We are only looking at the films they are listed as directors – not the others which they only produced or wrote.
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Director: Zack Snyder
Budget: $26,000,000
Box Office: $102,278,712
Rotten Tomatoes Critical Approval: 76%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Rating: 77%
Slither (2006)
Director: James Gunn
Budget: $15,000,000
Box Office: $12,834,936
Rotten Tomatoes Critical Approval: 87%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Rating: 63%
300 (2007)
Director: Zack Snyder
Budget: $65,000,000
Box Office: $456,068,181
Rotten Tomatoes Critical Approval: 61%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Rating: 89%
Watchmen (2009)
Director: Zack Snyder
Budget: $130,000,000
Box Office: $185,382,813
Rotten Tomatoes Critical Approval: 65%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Rating: 71%
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Super (2010)
Director: James Gunn
Budget: $2,500,000
Box Office: $422,618
Rotten Tomatoes Critical Approval: 49%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Rating: 56%
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole (2010)
Director: Zack Snyder
Budget: $80,000,000
Box Office: $140,073,390
Rotten Tomatoes Critical Approval: 52%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Rating: 63%
Sucker Punch (2011)
Director: Zack Snyder
Budget: $82,000,000
Box Office: $89,792,502
Rotten Tomatoes Critical Approval: 22%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Rating: 47%
Man of Steel (2013)
Director: Zack Snyder
Budget: $225,000,000
Box Office: $668,045,518
Rotten Tomatoes Critical Approval: 56%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Rating: 75%
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Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Director: James Gunn
Budget: $170,000,000
Box Office: $773,350,147
Rotten Tomatoes Critical Approval: 92%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Rating: 92%
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Director: Zack Snyder
Budget: $250,000,000
Box Office: $873,634,919
Rotten Tomatoes Critical Approval: 29%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Rating: 63%
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Director: James Gunn
Budget: $200,000,000
Box Office: $863,756,051
Rotten Tomatoes Critical Approval: 85%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Rating: 87%
Justice League (2017)
Director: Zack Snyder
Budget: $300,000,000
Box Office: $657,926,987
Rotten Tomatoes Critical Approval: 39%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Rating: 67%
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Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
Director: Zack Snyder
Budget: $70,000,000
Box Office: Streaming release
Rotten Tomatoes Critical Approval: 71%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Rating: 93%
Army of the Dead (2021)
Director: Zack Snyder
Budget: $90,000,000
Box Office: Streaming release
Rotten Tomatoes Critical Approval: 67%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Rating: 75%
The Suicide Squad (2021)
Director: James Gunn
Budget: $185,000,000
Box Office: $168,717,425 (released on streaming simultaneously)
Rotten Tomatoes Critical Approval: 90%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Rating: 82%
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
Director: James Gunn
Budget: $250,000,000
Box Office: $833,174,752
Rotten Tomatoes Critical Approval: 82%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Rating: 94%
RELATED: How Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Proves James Gunn Is Right for Superman: Legacy
Overall observations
Zack Snyder has directed more films than James Gunn. All of Snyder’s films have had their box office hauls exceed the production costs. Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean they were all profitable ventures at the end of the day since theatres get a significant cut, and there are other hidden costs to consider. Nonetheless, it’s still a good sign if a box office number is higher than the production cost.
What is clear is that all of Gunn’s non-MCU films have lost money. That being said, his MCU achievements are undeniable, as they are a trifecta of financial success, critical validation, and audience approval. Overall, Gunn does receive higher levels of praise from both critics and audiences for his movies than Snyder.
