How the SnyderVerse Fandom Lost the Plot

There was a time when the SnyderVerse movement stood for something admirable.

It was about artistic integrity. About respecting a creator’s vision. About fairness, transparency and letting filmmakers tell the stories they set out to tell.

It was about supporting something, not tearing everything else down.

For a moment in time, that movement even proved something important… fandoms could organize, advocate, and be heard.

And then… something shifted.

Today, large portions of the SnyderVerse community no longer define themselves by love for Zack Snyder’s work. They define themselves by hatred.

Hatred toward the DCU. Hatred toward James Gunn. Hatred toward DC Studios as a whole. The mission quietly changed from celebrating what Snyder created to burning down anything that isn’t Snyder.

That’s not advocacy. That’s resentment. And it’s why the movement is mocked today.

This part may be uncomfortable… but it is 100% necessary to say.

Zack Snyder did nothing to deserve this behavior being carried in his name. DC Studios did nothing to “betray” him. James Gunn did nothing to him personally or professionally. There was no contract guaranteeing Justice League sequels. There was no promise broken. There was simply a corporate decision to move in a different direction.

That happens in Hollywood. Constantly.

Yet somewhere along the way, parts of the fandom decided that disappointment justified hostility. That grief justified harassment. That loving Snyder meant attacking Gunn. And once that line was crossed, the entire perception of the movement changed.

The irony is brutal.

A fandom that once demanded empathy now shows none.
A fandom that once spoke about creative freedom now actively roots for failure.
A fandom that once said “let artists create” now dedicates itself to sabotaging anything created by someone else.

And surely enough this when the confusion came in.

Why are we mocked?
Why do people say the SnyderVerse is never coming back?
Why does no one take us seriously anymore?

Because no one believes that a group built on vitriol deserves to be rewarded.

The truth is, the likelihood of the SnyderVerse returning in any meaningful capacity was always slim. That’s not an insult. That’s reality. Film franchises move on. Studios pivot. Creative eras end. But instead of accepting that reality and channeling their passion into celebrating what exists, parts of the fandom chose to escalate. To lash out. To turn every DCU announcement into a personal attack. To treat Gunn as an enemy rather than a creative executive doing his job.

That rhetoric made it easier for everyone else to call them out.

It made it easier for casual fans to disengage, neutral observers to dismiss the movement entirely and for people to say “this isn’t about art anymore.”

And they’re not wrong.

That’s not to say the other side is spotless. It isn’t. There are plenty of non-Snyder fans who behave like fools. People who antagonize for sport. People who dismiss genuine emotional attachment as stupidity. Every fandom has its loud, unintelligent minority that thrives on dunking instead of discussing.

But when you step back and compare the two cultures, the difference is obvious.

The excitement around the new DCU is largely future-facing. Curious. Hopeful. Focused on what might work. Even criticism tends to center on tone, casting, or storytelling choices.

The loudest parts of the SnyderVerse fandom, by contrast, are backward-facing and hostile. Their online presence is dominated by doom-posting, conspiracy theories, and an obsession with seeing the DCU fail. They don’t just dislike the direction. They need it to collapse to validate their identity.

And that’s the core issue.

When disliking something becomes your entire personality, you stop being a fan of anything. You become a spectator rooting for destruction. At that point, the conversation isn’t about art, or fairness, or respect. It’s about grievance.

The saddest part is that this outcome was never inevitable. The SnyderVerse could have lived on as a respected Elseworld. As a cultfavorite era. As a finished chapter that people revisit and defend on its merits. Instead, parts of its fandom ensured it would be remembered just as much for its hostility as for its films.

Movements survive on credibility.
Credibility requires restraint.
Restraint requires maturity.

The SnyderVerse fandom lost all three.

And until that changes, the mockery won’t stop. The pushback won’t soften. And the door they insist is still open will continue to feel very, very closed.

Not because the studio is cruel. Not because James Gunn is vindictive.

But because no one owes a future to a movement that abandoned its own principles along the way.