Why Zack Snyder is the Only Director Who Can Save RoboCop

Think about it for a moment, the DCEU’s Zack Snyder is the perfect person to direct a RoboCop reboot movie.

Neill Blomkamp’s Departure from RoboCop Returns

Using Twitter, director Neill Blomkamp announced his departure from RoboCop Returns in 2019. It was news that disappointed fans, especially since Blomkamp also lost out on an Aliens film a little while back.

Off Robocop. I am shooting new horror/thriller and MGM can’t wait/ need to shoot Robocop now. Excited to watch it in theaters with other fans. N— Neill Blomkamp (@NeillBlomkamp)

Blomkamp mentioned that MGM couldn’t wait and needed work on the film to start imminently, while he wanted to do another movie. Undoubtedly, this means that the studio wanted to go into production before the end of 2019 in an effort to release RoboCop Returns in 2021.

Since then, Amazon has acquired MGM, and in 2023, they announced both a RoboCop TV series and a new film in production. Then Ed Neumeier revealed to MovieHole that the RoboCop prequel TV series will focus on a young Dick Jones and the rise of Omni Consumer Products.

In short, the RoboCop franchise has been in a whirlwind in recent years.

MGM’s Urgent Need for a New Director

With Blomkamp no longer attached, what the franchise really needs is a strong director to do the massive job of world-building. There are likely to be many candidates for this coveted gig, but there’s a certain someone who fits the bill here. This director, who’s currently delivering big blockbuster hits for Netflix right now, might be the perfect person to capture the wild, over-the-top, violent nature of RoboCop in the same way that Paul Verhoeven first did in 1987.

Yes, we’re talking about Zack Snyder, the filmmaker with all the fans still clamouring for Warner Bros. to release the Justice League sequels.

Zack Snyder’s Love for Frank Miller

In many ways, it’s a match made in heaven when you think about it.

It’s no secret that Snyder is a huge fan of Frank Miller and the writer/artist’s style of cynical, violent, crime stories. Miller contributed to the scripts of RoboCop 2 and RoboCop 3, while also penning the memorable RoboCop Versus The Terminator comic book series that featured art by Walt Simonson. RoboCop is typically Miller, and that’s something that’ll appeal to Zack Snyder, who’s adapted the comic legend’s stories in the past.

There’s also no doubt that RoboCop Returns needs to be rated R like the original film, and that’ll be right down Snyder’s alley. He’s a filmmaker who wants to tackle the dark, gritty and violent, which isn’t always best conveyed in a PG-13 setting. Now, imagine Zack Snyder’s aesthetic in an R-rated RoboCop movie, which will likely share more in common with 300 than the director’s other films. It’ll be brutal, beautiful and everything that a sci-fi action should be.

Plus, in 2009, Snyder named his five favourite films as Excalibur, Mad Max 2, A Clockwork Orange, Blue Velvet, and RoboCop.

Zack Snyder Deserves Another Shot at a Major Franchise

Let’s be frank here: Snyder deserves another chance at a big franchise. While he’s often blamed for the DCEU’s perceived shortcomings, he ended up being the fall guy for all the behind-the-scenes meddling and drama. A project is the sum of all its parts, and he got left out to dry while others got away unscathed. At the very least, he should get a chance at redemption here.

Hopefully, if Zack Snyder ever gets the opportunity to film this, there’ll be no need for a Snyder Cut of RoboCop Returns in the future!

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Tell us, would you like Zack Snyder to direct a RoboCop reboot? Do you think Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will do a good job as Officer Alex James Murphy? Let us know in the comments.