It is no secret that fanboys responded in outrage due to some of the casting announcements made for the hotly anticipated “Man of Steel” sequel. Remember the internet frenzy sparked by the announcement that Ben Affleck will be the next Caped Crusader, which was shortly followed by a petition by an angry mob. It seems that some members of the mob also gathered in outrage against the casting announcements for Wonder Woman and Lex Luther. Israeli beauty Gal Gadot will take on the role as Wonder Woman and “The Social Network” star Jesse Eisenberg will portray the villainous master mind Lex Luther.

Speaking to Herocomplex (via comicbookmovie), “Man of Steel” helmer Zack Snyder addressed the masses concerning the casting selections:

“We know the material; unfortunately, the fans don’t know the material,”

“So, we’re casting according to what’s happening in the script. And we’re hoping that leads to enough originality, enough perspective on what we’re doing that you get something fresh and exciting.”

Gal Gadot, Ben Affleck and Jesse Eisenberg

Gal Gadot, Ben Affleck and Jesse Eisenberg

He continues

“I understand the canon. I’m not crazy. I know what these characters need from a mythological standpoint. I think Jesse is going to be an amazing Lex. Let’s not forget he was nominated for an Academy Award. It’s not like I just grabbed my friend to play the guy! This guy’s the real deal.”

“By the way, in looking at all the talk-back, you can get all different perspectives in there too. Some people are hating to hate. Some people – someone did some fan art. And you look underneath and someone wrote, ‘I guess I can see it.’ Honestly, are you kidding me? Just stop it! It’s reassuring and frustrating at the same time.”

What we can expect from the sequel, he says:

“[The movie] literally takes the Man of Steel and Batman universes and explodes them. You’re not as tied to the mythology. In ‘Man of Steel’, we had to create an origin story, a mythology, and there’s a lot of energy into that, which we love doing. Don’t get me wrong. But when you think about how fun it is too – now that you’ve got these characters – to now let ’em loose. That’s fun!”

“Man of Steel 2” is set to be released on May 6, 2016. Affleck, Gaddot and Eisenberg is joined by Henry Cavill, reprising his role as Superman.

Recent updates for ‘Man of Steel 2′: