The Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Extended Universe — the “SnyderVerse” to its close, personal friends — have a lot in common. They’re both sprawling, multi-franchise film sagas drawn from decades of comic books and featuring the adventures of colorful superheroes as they fend off warmongering conquerers from alien worlds. Despite their strong basic similarities, though, the tone, look, and feel of these movies are so different — differences that can all be traced back to the filmmakers who are making them, producer Kevin Feige and director Zack Snyder, respectively.

Looking at these filmmakers, their backgrounds, and their beliefs can give us insights into the MCU and the SnyderVerse, and help us understand why they are the way they are. And that’s exactly what we do in the video below, which examines Zack Snyder’s upbringing and family history to find the origins of his philosophy about DC’s superheroes. It also explores the early days of Marvel Studios, and compares Iron Man to other films by director Jon Favreau, particularly his comedies like Made. Check it out:

If you liked our video comparing the Marvel and DC Cinematic Universes, check out some more of our “Scene Fights” videos below, including our side-by-side breakdowns of Thor and Wonder Woman, Logan and The Dark Knight Rises, and Spider-Man (2002) and The Amazing Spider-Man. Plus, there’s tons more over at ScreenCrush’s YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe to catch all our future episodes.

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