Zack Snyder"s Divisive 2011 Movie Perfectly Explains His Dream MCU Project
Summary
- Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch, despite its negative reception, showcases his unique filmmaking style of dark stories, grounded characters, impressive cinematography and intense action sequences.
- The storyline of Elektra Lives Again, where Matt Murdock is haunted by visions of Elektra returning to life, could be the basis for a gritty and intense MCU narrative directed by Zack Snyder.
- Sucker Punch and Marvel Comics' Elektra Lives Again share many similarities, including their troubled female leads and fantasy world settings.
A previous project from director Zack Snyder explains exactly why he wants to adapt one gritty Marvel Comics storyline for the live-action MCU. After leading projects such as Dawn of the Dead, 300 and Watchmen, Zack Snyder received widespread recognition for devising the initial storylines of Warner Bros.' DC Extended Universe. Due to personal circumstances, Snyder was unable to complete his plans for the DCEU, even after delivering darker takes on DC Comics characters Superman and Batman in 2013's Man of Steel and 2014's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but his attention may now be shifting to Marvel Studios' ever-growing MCU.
During a recent cover story for The Hollywood Reporter, Zack Snyder revealed the one Marvel Comics storyline that could convince him to direct a project in the MCU: an adaptation of 1990's Elektra Lives Again. Taking place after the tragic demise of Elektra Natchios, Frank Miller's Elektra Lives Again saw Matt Murdock plagued with visions of her coming back to life and operating as an antihero once again. With Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock, a.k.a. Daredevil, now embarking on new stories in the MCU, Zack Snyder's Daredevil and Elektra project is a real possibility, and one of Snyder's previous movies could reveal exactly what form this intense MCU narrative may take.
Related Marvel Is Setting Up An MCU Movie Zack Snyder Is Perfect For Despite being well-known for his work with DC Studios, Zack Snyder would be the perfect choice for one potential upcoming Marvel Studios project. Sucker Punch Shows What Zack Snyder's Dream MCU Project Could Look Like Close Shortly before helming the DC Extended Universe, Zack Snyder wrote and directed 2011's Sucker Punch, and though the film received generally negative reviews and underperformed at the box office, it could provide insight into how Snyder's Elektra Lives Again adaptation may unfold. There are clear parallels between the storylines of Sucker Punch and Marvel Comics' Elektra Lives Again, especially since both focus on a woman who is liminally alive. In Elektra Lives Again, it seems as though Elektra has indeed been resurrected following her demise, while Emily Browning's Babydoll in Sucker Punch inhabits a fantasy world following a lobotomy, meaning that both stories share a sense of grittiness and surrealism.
Why Elektra Lives Again Is Perfect For Zack Snyder's Film Style 
Zack Snyder has been noted to be one of the most polarizing filmmakers of his generation, though he is also one of the most innovative, and has used his career to establish his own cinematic language. Sucker Punch is the perfect representation of Snyder's filmmaking style, as its primary setting in a fantasy world allows for some interesting camera work, impressive cinematography and intense action sequences, which would also fit perfectly into an MCU adaptation of Elektra Lives Again. Zack Snyder is renowned for his exploration of darker stories and more grounded characters, both of which are emphasized to the extreme in Marvel Comics' Elektra Lives Again.
Frank Miller's Elektra Lives Again is an incredibly heavy-hitting narrative, delving deep into Matt Murdock's psyche in the wake of the death of his long-term love-interest. This Marvel Comics story would be perfect for Zack Snyder to take on for the MCU, especially after Matt Murdock's character is developed further in 2024's Echo series and Marvel Studios' upcoming Daredevil: Born Again. While an Elektra Lives Again adaptation would hopefully be received better than Sucker Punch, the divisive 2011 film provides some insight into what the MCU's potential Zack Snyder project might actually look like.