'Man of Steel': Zack Snyder Hints at His Superman's 'Justice League' Future

Through rousing superhero adventures and well-placed sneak peeks of their universe's future, comic giant Marvel has proven that nothing stands alone when it comes to a blockbuster brand. The Avengers set the pace for any future contenders, including Fox's own Marvel heroes (mainly, the X-Men), Paramount's Jack Ryan/Tom Clancy ensemble, and more obviously, the DC Comics slate of heroes.
So if the pressure wasn't built high enough for director Zack Snyder's upcoming reinvention of the Superman character, Man of Steel, imagine the prospects of knowing the movie would pave the way for Warner Bros. upcoming Justice League movie. Snyder's film flies into theaters June 14, 2013. WB's hope is to have Justice League in theaters by Summer 2015. A connection between the two isn't only inevitable, it's demanded by the timetable.
While Snyder is focused intently on his first entry in the cinematic Superman pantheon, a recent interview reveals that planning may already have been in the works for his vision to fuel the future of DC comic book hero movies. Speaking to the New York Post, Snyder addresses the continuation of Man of Steel by pulling out the "no spoilers" card, but teases that Warner Bros. has put their faith in him. "I will say, yeah, they trust me to keep them on course," Snyder says.
Snyder admits that the proximity of the two films could cause an issue if WB decides not to work the film's established setup into Justice League, telling the Post, "‘The Man of Steel’ exists, and Superman is in it. I don’t know how you’d move forward without acknowledging that.”
Henry Cavill is signed for three Superman films, and like his thespian counterparts over at Marvel, who were recruited for both stand alone movies and The Avengers, the actor could have both Man of Steel sequels and Justice League is in his future. The big question mark remains Man of Steel's success — 2006's Superman Returns, WB's last attempt to relaunch the character, flew under budget at the box office with a gross of only $200 million, while Green Lantern, their attempt to expand out with lesser known DC heroes, only took in $116 million. WB has found major success with Batman, The Dark Knight Rises having now grossed more than $447 million domestically. Not difficult to see why TDKR director Christopher Nolan was asked to supervise Man of Steel as a producer.
It may be too early for Snyder to reveal how influential Man of Steel will be for the future of DC movies, but his points focus fan speculation. There's only so much rebooting one franchise can take — for the foreseeable future, everything's riding on Man of Steel, even if we won't be told that in an after-credits scene.