Discover why one Man of Steel scene is widely criticized and how Zack Snyder should not be blamed alone for the poorly executed moment.

Out of all Zack Snyder’s Snyderverse movies, Henry Cavill’s Superman debut, Man of Steel is considered one of the best out there. From its pacing to structure, it is generally regarded as one of the top DC movies as well. However, that does not mean the film is without any faults, for comic book fans have a bone to pick with one particular scene of the film with the infamous Tornado.

Man of Steel (2013) | Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

A scene that ended up becoming pivotal for Clark Kent’s superhero identity, fans have been blaming Zack Snyder for ages over it. However, Snyder is not the only one to be blamed for the fiasco.

Zack Snyder does not deserve all the hate for the infamous tornado scene from Man of Steel

Zack Snyder | Credit: Gage Skidmore/Licensed Under CC-BY-SA-2.0/Wikimedia Commons

Hailed as one of the best Snyderverse films of all time, Man of Steel might be a great entry into the DCverse but it has its own faults that continue to haunt fans even years after its release. One of its most controversial scenes was the infamous Tornado scene that occurred during the teenage years of Henry Cavil‘s Clark Kent.

The scene begins with Clark, his father Jonathan, and his mother Martha Kent driving on a highway when suddenly a huge destructive tornado appears out of the blue. One thing leads to another, Jonathan ends up dying after being trapped by the tornado and declining Clark to help him since he believed ‘he wasn’t ready and the world wasn’t ready for his powers.’

Screenwriter David S. Goyer is to be blamed for Man of Steel’s tornado scene as well | Credit: Vanity Fair / YouTube

Meant to serve as a pivotal scene that emphasizes the theme of personal restraint and the burden of responsibility that Clark must carry as Superman, for years fans and critics have criticized Zack Snyder for creating the poorly conceived scene. However, while Snyder carries the majority of the responsibility for the fiasco that the scene was, the blame also lies in the script.

Man of Steel might have been directed by Zack Snyder but the screenplay was written by David S. Goyer, who developed the story along with Christopher Nolan. Since screenplay is not just about dialogues but rather a blueprint for how a scene unfolds, dictating motivations, actions, and tone, Goyer’s writing is as much to blame as Snyder’s direction. Even though a director is the one calling the shots and can change a scene at the time of the shoot, it is ultimately the script that provides the foundations.

Reason why DC fans have hated Man of Steel’s tornado scene for years

The infamous scene featuring Kevin Costner in Man of Steel | Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

The tornado scene in Man of Steel has been a sore spot for DC fans ever since the movie was released. The criticism isn’t just based on the logic of the moment but also on the movie’s fundamental misunderstandings about Superman and his moral framework. One of the major criticisms of the scene is about Kevin Costner‘s Jonathan Kent’s portrayal.

Not only do fans believe that his sacrifice is nonsensical but it does not make sense that Clark would let him die to protect his secret, especially given his speed could have easily allowed him to save Jonathan without anyone noticing. Furthermore, many argue that Jonathan’s stubbornness doesn’t come across as noble but as needlessly reckless.

Instead of being a pivotal scene, it rather ends up becoming the opposite, making Clark rather a cripple, running away from his powers, rather than inspiring him to do good. Many fans also feel that the scene would have worked better if Jonathan had died of a different cause, like a heart attack or debris hitting him when Clark wasn’t looking. Not only would it have perfectly resulted in the desired effect but would have been far more effective if it had been caused by something Clark truly couldn’t prevent.

Thus, fans aren’t wrong when they hail the scene as one of the worst scenes in ANY movie (via Reddit). Ultimately, the scene not only ended up being one of the most poorly executed moments in the history of DC but also showcased that the movie really had no clue what to do with Superman.

Man of Steel is available to be streamed on Max.