The long-standing Zack Snyder Watchmen controversy centers on the director’s bold adaptation choices, particularly his omission of the comic’s famous psychic squid attack. When HBO released its Watchmen series years later, it revisited this controversial decision, revising the narrative and resonating with fans and critics who cherished the original story by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.
Snyder’s Adaptation and the Choices That Sparked Debate
Before joining the DCEU with films like Man of Steel and Justice League, Zack Snyder was already familiar with adapting complex comic stories to film. In 2009, he brought Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ Watchmen to the big screen. Much like how Robert Rodriguez staged Sin City, using near shot-for-panel recreations, Snyder attempted to visually honor the original graphic novel. Despite this, critics and Watchmen fans argued that Snyder misunderstood or altered essential themes and notably changed the series’ ending, igniting lasting debate among devoted viewers and the broader DC Comics community.
In both the original Watchmen comic and the film, the mastermind Ozymandias devised a catastrophic attack to stop global conflict, hoping to unite divided nations through shared fear. However, Snyder swapped out the comic’s dramatic alien squid attack for a different twist: in his film, the godlike Doctor Manhattan was portrayed as the villain responsible for nuclear devastation. This decision polarized Watchmen fans, many of whom felt the omission of the squid undermined the original’s message and symbolism.
HBO Restores the Squid Attack and Comic Authenticity
Keeping the Zack Snyder Watchmen controversy alive, HBO’s Watchmen sequel series took a different approach by honoring the source material more closely. This series, set years after the events of the graphic novel, is not a continuation of Snyder’s movie but instead picks up where Moore and Gibbons left off. Through the series, it is revealed that Ozymandias’s infamous psychic squid attack did happen, restoring a key plot element fans missed from the film version.
The pivotal episode “Little Fear of Lightning” explores this event in depth. Featuring Wade Tillman, also known as Detective Looking Glass, the show revisits the squid attack in a haunting flashback. Tillman, the only main character to directly experience the psychic blast in 1985 New York City, was on a church trip from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to New Jersey at the time. Shielded inside a hall of mirrors when the squid struck, he emerged to the city’s devastation and countless lifeless bodies scattered across the streets. This traumatic vision provided a stark reminder of the horror that Snyder’s adaptation had set aside due to cinematic constraints.
Snyder himself defended his decision, suggesting the alien squid would not have worked on screen as effectively as Doctor Manhattan in his narrative. Yet, the HBO series proved otherwise, showing that the original comic’s surreal twist translated powerfully to television, further supporting the argument made by those critical of Snyder’s alteration.
How HBO’s Approach Reshaped the Watchmen Legacy
While Snyder’s adaptation presented a more grounded disaster in the form of Doctor Manhattan’s nuclear attacks, critics and fans alike observed that this change softened the tale’s psychological and political impact. Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons constructed the original Watchmen narrative to use the psychic squid as an allegorical device: it was meant to unsettle and horrify, with no real-world associations, forcing humanity into uneasy alliance out of existential dread. By recasting Doctor Manhattan, a hero long identified with the United States since the Vietnam War, as the instigator, the neutrality and shock of Ozymandias’s plan were lost in translation.
Wade Tillman’s storyline in the HBO series illustrates the lasting trauma from Ozymandias’s plan, reinforcing the notion that the squid attack was not just a physical horror but an event with deep psychological scars for survivors. The show built on the comics’ themes by examining how trauma rippled through generations, further distancing itself from Snyder’s more sanitized ending.
Moreover, the HBO series intentionally situated its story in Tulsa, a city marked by one of the most horrific massacres in U.S. history, layering new depth onto the narrative. By weaving contemporary issues of hate and bigotry into the fabric of its world, the show echoed the warnings first presented in Moore and Gibbons’ original work. Through its return to the comic’s vision—including the squid attack—the series asserted that unity built on fear is fragile and fleeting, especially in a society rife with unresolved prejudice.
The Continuing Conversation About Adaptation and Legacy
The restoration of the squid attack in HBO’s Watchmen did more than just correct a divisive creative choice; it demonstrated the importance of honoring a story’s themes rather than simply its visuals or superficial plot elements. In doing so, the series repositioned itself as a critical and fan favorite, setting a new standard for how beloved comics could be adapted faithfully without losing emotional or thematic complexity.
For fans and critics, the conversation surrounding the Zack Snyder Watchmen controversy continues to inform debates about adaptation, authorship, and fidelity to source material. Snyder’s contributions to DC’s cinematic universe are part of a much larger tapestry that now includes a television series willing to tackle the boldest, most challenging elements of Moore and Gibbons’ vision.
The renewed discussion around Watchmen—both the film and the HBO series—underscores the enduring relevance of these characters and their stories in popular culture. By spotlighting uncomfortable truths and posing difficult questions about humanity’s capacity for violence, manipulation, and hope, both adaptations ensure the Watchmen legacy remains as rich and conflicted as ever.
“Warner Bros Quietly Canceled Another Batman Spinoff 3 Years Ago”
– Unattributed
