It's perhaps one of the oddest (fan-fabricated) rivalries in cinema. For a few years now, fans have pitted James Gunn and Zack Snyder against one another. The latter famously kickstarted the DCEU in 2013 with Man of Steel, and was meant to oversee the franchise. After Batman v Superman's poor reception, things went downhill. Aside from a few hits here and there, the universe never quite found its footing. Ultimately, Snyder stepped away from the property, but got to come back to complete his cut of the 2017's Justice League.
His fans were ardent on social media, and following the project's HBO Max release, they clamored for the director to be allowed to finish his vision for the DC Universe. That, of course, didn't happen, and the keys to the DC kingdom were instead given to James Gunn and Peter Safran. Since Gunn's hiring, Snyder fans have perceived the Guardians of the Galaxy helmer as the "enemy;" the one who blocked Snyder from completing his ambitious take on WBD's beloved superheroes. What is usually forgotten, though, is that the two are actually pretty good friends.
Their relationship dates back to their time working together on Dawn of the Dead, the remake of George Romero's eponymous zombie classic, written by Gunn and directed by Snyder. Now, the two filmmakers have come together on Instagram to share a tribute to their memorable collaboration. Zack Snyder (in a post shared with Gunn) posted two behind-the-scenes pictures from set, one showing him carrying a baby, and the other one with a tied up individual in a bed. The director captioned the post with: "Proud father moment on Dawn of the Dead (2004) — written by the one and only [James Gunn]. What a fun time!!"
Note: The post is marked as "Sensitive content," which means it likely won't be visible on the embed below. However, it can still be accessed through the link provided above.
Gunn also responded to the post in the comments, writing: "Amazing times."
This isn't the first time the two have shared their friendship on social media. In February 2025, James Gunn posted a picture of himself alongside Snyder, with the caption: "Always a pleasure catching up with my friend Zack Snyder, consummate filmmaker (and a doubly consummate storyteller!)" As was to be expected, the image sparked surprise and speculation online. "Could Snyder join the DCU in some capacity?" Ultimately, the post was just... well, a post. Nevertheless, both filmmakers were aware of the effect it would have on their respective fandoms.
Speaking at a DC Studios press event that same month (via ScreenRant), James Gunn stated that the picture came about when both him and Snyder were simply "hanging out." That sparked the idea in their head to post the image, knowing full well the reaction it would elicit: "I was just talking to Zack as a friend, so we were just hanging out and then we're like, 'Let's take a picture together.' We knew full well what we were doing... We thought it was funny. He thought it was funny, I thought it was funny. And that's it."
So, there you have it. If it hadn't been clear enough before, hopefully this newest post will clear it up once and for all: James Gunn and Zack Snyder are friends. There is no rivalry, and they cherish the time they spent collaborating on arguably one of the most beloved horror remakes so far.
James Gunn's next film, Man of Tomorrow, lands in theaters on July 9, 2027. While undated, Zack Snyder's passion project, The Last Photograph film, wrapped principal photography in November 2025.
What did you think about this latest post from Zack Snyder and James Gunn? What's your favorite film from either filmmaker? Let me know in the comments!