Popular comic book writer, screenwriter, director, and producer Frank Miller has finally shared his thoughts about being the inspiration for Zack Snyder's DCEU films, including Batman v Superman. Miller's work on The Dark Knight Returns served as an iconic Batman story in which fans saw an older Caped Crusader take on Superman.
For those who don't know, a large part of Miller's story served as inspiration for Snyder's take on Batman, who was played by Ben Affleck. This Batman was bigger, older, more brutal, jaded, feared, and much more aggressive in a way that resembled his first years starting out as a crime fighter.
Snyder was very clear as to where he drew inspiration from, and many liked Affleck's portrayal of Batman. The only person who has yet to officially comment was the creator of The Dark Knight Returns himself. In a podcast with The Beard and the Bald, Miller admitted he was "very territorial" at first but then he went on to say, "Now I’ve kind of sat back and with a much deeper breath and longer view on the whole thing and all I can say is: this is great. I came in and I came up with my idea for The Dark Knight Returns and that basically was the big splash I made, which started my whole career going. And since then I’ve seen the two fields collaborate back and forth... I benefited greatly from Dark Knight Returns and so have they and continue to... And it can only be looked at as a healthy relationship."
In both Miller's limited graphic novel series and Snyder's story, Batman used an exosuit to face off against Superman, which is primarily how he was able to survive a fight with the superpowered alien. Along with Batman's planning, traps, and combat prowess, this fight saw the extraterritorial superhero losing the fight against the brooding caped crusader. Snyder's film was expected to be one of the multiple installments in Snyder's overall story Batman and Superman story, but the mixed reception to his work prompted Warner Bros. to change course with the DCEU.
Hearing that Miller is much more accomodating of people taking inspiration from his craft is a good sign, as a lot of creators would feel a negative way about something like this if they were in his shoes. Seeing Miller take it with pride makes it better for fans who want to see more live-action adaptations of popular stories.
Moving forward, it would be nice to see the original creators highlighted more publically to the demographic of people who aren't as comic book savvy. It would also be nice to see them involved somehow with the creative process for the movie, although at times that can result in a battle of egos.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is currently available on HBO Max, DVD, and Blu-Ray.