Zack Snyder and James Gunn have taken very different approaches to one of the biggest moviegoing audiences on the planet, and Snyder’s fans think the contrast says everything.
Gunn faced backlash over a comment about a “12-year-old in India” while promoting Superman.
Snyder, meanwhile, has been actively courting and celebrating Indian audiences, and has just taken it a step further by promoting a Bollywood movie to his millions of followers.
Snyder Gives Bollywood The Spotlight
Snyder shared the trailer for the upcoming Indian film Baby Do Die Do, starring Huma Qureshi, writing: “Just watched the trailer for Baby Do Die Do and loved what I saw.
The film looks ambitious, cinematic, and incredibly well-crafted. Having worked with Huma before, it’s great to see her delivering another powerful performance.”
Qureshi previously appeared in Snyder’s Army of the Dead, so there is a direct working relationship behind the shout-out. But the post landed much bigger than a simple favor to a former collaborator. Indian fans noticed immediately, and the comments made the subtext clear.
“You don’t see boss promote an Indian movie every day,” one fan wrote. “Guys we got Zack Snyder promoting Indian movies before GTA 6,” joked another.
Even PVR Cinemas, one of India’s largest theater chains, chimed in: “We can’t wait for this one!”
The Gunn India Comment That Blew Up
The contrast is impossible to miss because of what happened on the other side.
While promoting Superman last year, Gunn was asked how he handles online criticism. He explained that he tunes most of it out, then said: “I think I might be upset about something a 12-year-old in India is saying… You know what I mean? And I’m like, ‘Let it go.'”
The remark did not land well for many fans. As we reported at the time, the comment sparked significant backlash in India, with some fans calling it dismissive and even racist, and boycott hashtags trending against Superman ahead of its release.
This Goes Beyond One Bad Comment
The India friction did not end with the interview.
Gunn’s Superman was censored in India, with the country’s censor board trimming scenes. And in the film itself, the Indian character was killed off during the action.
Snyder has been moving in the opposite direction at every turn.
He marked Man of Steel‘s anniversary with a Hindi poster aimed at his India fans that pulled 150,000 likes, outperforming his English-language posts.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League recently dominated Netflix in 21 countries overseas, and his overseas pull in India specifically has been well documented for years.
One side made a comment that alienated a 1.4 billion-person market.
The other is promoting that market’s cinema to a global audience. Snyder fans have noticed, and many see his Bollywood post as no accident.
Supergirl’s Overseas Problem Makes It Worse
The contrast extends right to the box office.
As Snyder’s overseas numbers keep climbing, the current DC regime’s newest film is struggling to find an international audience.
Supergirl is now tracking for a soft overseas debut of just $27 million to $39 million, and domestic projections have eroded badly too, sliding from an early $55 million-plus outlook down to the $47 million to $50 million range, with some analysts floating a number as low as $39 million.
The film is now expected to lose its own opening weekend to Toy Story 5‘s second frame.
It comes paired with bad reviews, adding to the sense that the DCU still has not found its footing with general audiences, at home or abroad. For a film carrying a reported $170 million budget before marketing, a soft global opening is a real concern.
The split could not be starker.
Snyder’s five-year-old Justice League is topping Netflix charts in 21 countries with no marketing, while the brand-new DCU release is fighting to crack $40 million overseas with an enormous promotional push behind it.
The Timing Says Plenty
The timing only sharpens the picture.
Snyder’s recent wave of India-focused posts comes as Supergirl arrives in theaters and as Paramount’s David Ellison has begun meeting with Gunn and Safran about DC’s future amid the Paramount-WBD merger.
