Scott Snyder Reveals The Marvel Opportunity That Slipped Away Before DC’s Absolute Success

Scott Snyder’s return to superhero comics could have happened very differently. Before becoming one of the driving forces behind DC’s Absolute Universe and the hit series Absolute Batman, Snyder revealed that he actually had conversations with Marvel about a possible return.

Speaking on the AIPT Comics Podcast, Snyder explained that after leaving DC around 2019 and 2020 to focus on creator-owned projects, he was ready to come back to the superhero world. However, he was not just looking to write a single comic book. Instead, he had a much bigger publishing idea in mind.

“I did approach Marvel after I approached DC first,” Snyder said during the interview.

After stepping away from DC, Snyder spent several years creating independent projects, including Nocterra and Dark Spaces, while working with Comixology Originals. When he decided to return to superhero comics, he wanted to do something ambitious rather than simply take over an existing character.

When Snyder first spoke with DC, he shared the idea that would eventually become the Absolute Universe, a major publishing initiative created with writer Joshua Williamson. Because the project was much larger than a normal comic launch, Snyder said it took time for DC to review and approve the plan.

“They were really enthusiastic, but it took… a while to okay it,” Snyder explained.

During that waiting period, Snyder told DC that he would also speak with Marvel about his ideas. According to him, DC was aware of the conversations and supported him exploring other options.

“I told Marie, ‘I’m going to reach out to Marvel too.’ And she was like, ‘That’s fine.’”

Snyder said Marvel was open to working with him and showed interest, but the timing did not line up. The company had other plans already in place and did not have room for the type of project he wanted to create.

“They were enthusiastic in a way, but they didn’t really have a spot for me at that time,” Snyder said. Marvel did discuss the possibility of Snyder writing one ongoing series, but that was not what he was looking for. He wanted to build something bigger that could involve multiple books and a larger creative direction. “They did mention one series, but I just wanted to do more than that,” he explained.

The most surprising part of Snyder’s comments was that his Marvel pitch was not simply about writing a character. He revealed that he presented the company with a full publishing initiative. “I pitched them an initiative that I had in my head,” Snyder said. “It wasn’t Absolute. It was a very different thing.”

Snyder did not reveal details about what that idea was, but he described it as something that would have affected multiple titles. Marvel ultimately passed because the company already had its own publishing plans underway.

The reason Snyder wanted to return to superhero comics was also personal. He said he was frustrated by the growing belief that superhero stories were losing popularity and that the genre had reached its peak. “I was really mad,” Snyder admitted.

At the time, discussions about superhero fatigue were becoming common, especially after changes in the popularity of major superhero movies. Snyder said he wanted to prove that superhero comics still had room for new ideas.

“There was this conversation that superheroes were finished,” he said. “I was really on a mission when I was coming back to superhero comics.”

That mission eventually led to DC All In and the Absolute Universe, which launched in 2024 after years of planning. The initiative has become one of DC’s biggest recent successes, especially with Absolute Batman gaining strong attention from fans.

While Snyder’s Marvel idea never became reality, his return to DC clearly paid off. The question now is whether his mystery Marvel concept could ever happen in the future or if it will remain one of comics’ biggest “what if” stories.

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