Zack Snyder: 'Superman franchise is broken'

Zack Snyder has outlined the need to put Superman back on the map with his upcoming movie.

Speaking to Hollywood Outbreak days before the release of his Sucker Punch film, the director said that the "world is out of balance" when a Thor film is garnering more excitement than the Man of Steel.

"I think Superman is broken and needs to be fixed, from a movie stand point," he said. "He is the biggest superhero on the planet - the father of every superhero."

Snyder added that he was undersold on the project before his initial meeting with DC.

His wife and producing partner Deborah Snyder explained: "I said to Zack, 'I don't really know about this. Let's go and see what they have to say... [After the meeting] we both left saying 'Wow! This is great!'"

Snyder also spoke about the film's star Henry Cavill: "I think the thing Henry has other than being a good looking guy... he's a man, which I like.

"He also has this little teeny bit of innocence, a teeny bit of kindness to him which I feel like is important to his character. Just enough where he's not soft, but you could imagine him being kind. I think that's a good quality."

The movie will begin shooting this year under the working title Superman: Man of Steel, and is planned for release in December 2012.