Before DC Studios brought James Gunn and Peter Safran on board to reboot its cinematic universe, another auteur was given the reins more than a decade ago. Zack Snyder kicked off a new era for Superman and DC films with 2013’s Man of Steel, a divisive reboot that followed in the gritty footsteps of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy and focuses on the angst, self-doubt, uncertainty, and grief swirling within Henry Cavill’s Superman.

Man of Steel prompted a lot of incensed and opinionated responses when it premiered, but none of Snyder’s choices in the film drew as much ire as the decision to have Superman kill Michael Shannon’s General Zod during their Metropolis-destroying battle. Their fight showcases the ruthlessness of the Kryptonian general’s approach to battle and the greenness of Supes, who’s never tangled with a threat like this before. It ends with Superman, who’s only been a superhero for a few days, choosing to kill Zod to stop the general from killing a civilian family. Cavill’s Superman lets out a haunting, anguished scream, immediately remorseful for what he’s done.

Somehow, 12 years later, Gunn’s rebooted Superman features a surprisingly similar moment.

[Ed. note: Broad spoilers for the ending of the 2025 Superman below.]

During the film’s finale, Lex Luthor arrogantly states “brain beats brawn” as he commands his Superman clone Ultraman in a fight against Big Blue. Superman parrots that line back at him before summoning Krypto to help save the day. During that........

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