Zack Snyder Wants Rebel Moon to Be the Start of a New Cinematic Universe

Zack Snyder’s upcoming Netflix film Rebel Moon could be the start of a new cinematic universe if the Man of Steel director gets his way.

Speaking to Empire Magazine, Snyder said Rebel Moon is already confirmed to be two films but discussions have taken place surrounding follow-ups and even a TV series.

“When I pitched it to Netflix, the scale was a thing they wanted,” Snyder said. “They were like, ‘Well, how big could it be? How many movies?’ That made me go, ‘Okay, if we really do this, we can sink our teeth pretty deep into this. We can’t really hit the bottom’.”

It’s unclear exactly what else is on the way but a TV series about the big baddie Balisarius has been discussed alongside a third film that sees the heroes visit the titular Rebel Moon (which isn’t featured at all in the first film).

The second film’s premiere date is currently unknown but will come least several months after the first (which hits Netflix on December 22), though another piece of the Rebel Moon story may be released in between.

“Everyone felt like part one needed to have its space,” said co-producer Deborah Snyder. “They’re hoping that we bridge the two releases with some other things that we’re working on.” This could also be the extended, more adult version of the film that is also on the way.

Snyder seemingly has a lot of background to pull from, including what’s described as a 450-page bible about the Imperium’s (the baddies’) rise to power.

There’s plenty of other lore established too, with Snyder’s office containing a whiteboard timeline that starts way before the first film and ends way after the second. “This is the small board,” Snyder said. “The big board is over at my office on the hill. It’s three times the size of this.”

Though it wasn’t mentioned here, Snyder has also said a “ridiculous scale” video game adaptation is in the works for Rebel Moon, which could expand the universe even further.

Netflix announced the new franchise in July 2021 as a sci-fi adventure about the residents of a peaceful colony struggling against the armies of the tyrant Balisarius. Leaning into that theme, it was compared to Man of Steel’s Krypton scenes but “on the biggest scale”.

Sofia Boutella stars in the lead role of Kora alongside the likes of Ray Fisher, Charlie Hunnam, Jena Malone, E. Duffy, and Anthony Hopkins (who plays a sentient battle robot). Snyder has only shared brief glimpses of the film so far, though the most recent images were awfully reminiscent of Star Wars.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.