Zack Snyder Credits Christopher Nolan's 'The Dark Knight' for Paving the Way for His 'Watchmen' Adaptation

The two critically acclaimed comic book films from the late 2000s are forever linked, according to the 'Watchmen' director.

Published on Feb. 17, 2026

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In a 2009 interview, director Zack Snyder discussed how the success and critical acclaim of Christopher Nolan's 'The Dark Knight' in 2008 helped pave the way for Snyder's own 'serious' adaptation of the graphic novel 'Watchmen' the following year. Snyder credited Nolan's film for demonstrating the potential for dark and dramatic storytelling in the comic book movie genre.

Why it matters

Snyder's comments highlight the significant impact 'The Dark Knight' had on the evolution of comic book movies, raising the bar for more mature and complex narratives in the genre. The two films, while distinct in their approaches, shared a commitment to taking the material seriously and exploring deeper themes, which helped transform audience expectations for superhero films.

The details

Snyder noted that while 'The Dark Knight' and 'Watchmen' had different levels of realism and fantastical elements, they both operated with a similar core philosophy of treating the material with gravitas. Snyder felt 'The Dark Knight' 'laid crucial mythological groundwork' that allowed audiences to better appreciate the serious tone and character-driven approach of 'Watchmen'.

  • The Dark Knight was released in July 2008.
  • Watchmen was released in March 2009.

The players

Zack Snyder

The director of the 2009 film 'Watchmen', who credits Christopher Nolan's 'The Dark Knight' for paving the way for his own 'serious' adaptation of the graphic novel.

Christopher Nolan

The director of the 2008 film 'The Dark Knight', which Snyder felt demonstrated the potential for dark and dramatic storytelling in the comic book movie genre.

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What they’re saying

“I think it's helped a lot. I think it has. It's as serious as, like, brain surgery on a baby – which I think is a good thing, I'm not saying that in a bad way – but you can't have a superhero movie more serious than that. It's like The Reader. I think it does lay crucial mythological groundwork for the appreciation of Watchmen.”

— Zack Snyder, Director (New York Times)

“People have said to me, when they talk about the graphic novel, about how it's gritty and real, and I always go, 'Yeah, you realize also though that a lot of that book takes place on Mars. And Manhattan is 200 feet tall when he walks through the jungles of Vietnam. And the bad guy-slash-good guy does have an Antarctic lair that looks like possibly like an Egyptian pyramid-ish place.' That said, it's difficult for me, anyway, to leave that conversation not going, 'Wow, this is a fantastic world.' That doesn't mean that the characters inside of that world don't have doubts and fears and are broken, and have to find themselves again.”

— Zack Snyder, Director (New York Times)

The takeaway

Zack Snyder's comments highlight the significant influence Christopher Nolan's 'The Dark Knight' had on the evolution of comic book movies, paving the way for more mature and complex narratives in the genre. The two films, while distinct in their approaches, shared a commitment to treating the material seriously and exploring deeper themes, which transformed audience expectations for superhero films.