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 DCEU’s architect. The temperature of the debate will only heat up as the DCU’s Superman (starring David Corenswet) nears its release in 2025. Inevitably, comparisons will be made to Snyder’s Man of Steel (starring British actor Henry Cavill), and battlelines will be drawn by DC comics fans.
Now, taste is entirely subjective. Some people love Zack Snyder’s movies, while others worship at the altar of James 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 (like Snyder did for other DC movies like 2023’s Aquaman and 2017’s Wonder Woman). We’re also ignoring TV shows like Peacemaker and Netflix’s Twilight of the Gods.
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%
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%
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: Josh Whedon / Zack Snyder
Budget: $300,000,000
Box Office: $657,926,987
Rotten Tomatoes Critical Approval: 39%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Rating: 67%
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%
Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire
Director: Zack Snyder
Budget: $166,000,000 (shared with Part Two: The Scargiver)
Box Office: N/A
Rotten Tomatoes Critical Approval: 22%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Rating: 56%
Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver
Director: Zack Snyder
Budget: $166,000,000 (shared with Part One: A Child of Fire)
Box Office: N/A
Rotten Tomatoes Critical Approval: 16%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Rating: 47%
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 achievements for Marvel Studios are undeniable, as they are a trifecta of financial success, critical validation, and audience approval. Overall, James Gunn does receive higher levels of praise from both critics and audiences for his movies than Zack Snyder. Will James Gunn’s Superman film do the same?
A fan asked Gunn on Threads if he had come across Snyder’s comments about the DCU, to which he responded, “I didn’t, but I knew it already because he’s texted me. He’s been incredibly supportive throughout this process.”
There seems to be no bad beef between the two directors either, with Snyder telling CBR that he would be open to directing a DCU film, too. “You know, I’m a pretty open book. I really feel like, you know, if the characters are treated with reverence, and mythologically correct, then I’m down. I’m in,” Snyder said. “Let’s see what happens. I’m pretty excited. I mean, we’re going to get Superman pretty soon, so we’ll see what that’s like.”
RELATED: Zack Snyder Predicted The MCU’s Fall Years Ago
Tell us, do you think Zack Snyder is a better director than James Gunn? Let us know in the comments.
