Zoe Saldaña was almost Snyder's Lois Lane. He explains

SnyderVerse’s Lois Lane almost had another face. And it was that of one of the biggest movie stars of today.

Zack Snyder has already told the story behind the casting of almost everyone: Cavill, Affleck, Gal Gadot. Lois was missing. Journalist Josh Horowitz resolved this on the director’s fourth visit to Happy Sad Confused, in an interview recorded at the Toronto Film Festival and published on September 17, 2026. He played two names that were circulating at the time of Man of Steel, back in 2011: Kristen Stewart and Zoe Saldaña. Did any of them come close?

Zoe has arrived. Snyder confirmed that she almost got the role and that the decision hurt, because he loves the actress and thinks she enters any scene with strength. But on the other side was Amy Adams.

Amy was just like Amy.

Zack Snyder on Happy Sad Confused, 09/17/2026, at 39:40

The explanation that follows is a quick climbing lesson. Amy Adams was, on purpose, the most obvious choice possible: America’s sweetheart, only with an attitude. The risk of the obvious is that it comes out flat. What he decided, according to him, is that she is enough of an actress to take the obvious and deliver something else. You think you made the predictable choice, and the way the person does it still turns out better than you expected.

Anyone who has reviewed Man of Steel and BvS knows what he’s talking about. Amy’s Lois is no decoration: she discovers Clark’s identity alone, before anyone else, in the first film.

The conversation even went through Krypton. Josh said that he is passionate about the opening of Man of Steel and asked if there was a plan for a spin-off with Russell Crowe’s Jor-El. There was a small conversation about a prequel with Zod and Jor-El in the early days. Snyder treated it as a fun idea that didn’t go through.

It’s on the list of what could have been. This list, on SnyderVerse, is long, and that’s why we keep it here on the site.