Despite his cinematic vision giving rise to polarized opinions, Zack Snyder is strongly recognized for bringing a very influential cinematic language to mainstream Hollywood from the 2000s onwards,[73] notable for adopting a high level of visual refinement, epic stories and films with deconstructivist and political narratives,[74][75] which is reflected in the existence of several films with a large scale of production and long duration, such as Zack Snyder's Justice League.

Oscar-winner director James Cameron, in an interview given to Comic Book Debate about the filmmakers that have at times influenced him, mentioned that the work Snyder did on 300 was pretty revolutionary at the time and introduced a new "cinematic language", along with the names of Robert Rodriguez and Ridley Scott.[76] Christopher Nolan, one of the most awarded directors of the 21st century, pointed Snyder's work as a contemporary influency on science fiction and superhero movies, stating that "There's no superhero science-fiction film coming out these days where (he) don't see some influence of Zack".[77] He also emphasized the emotional power that is very characteristic of Snyder's filmography: "When you watch a Zack Snyder film, you see and feel his love for the potential of cinema. The potential of it to be fantastical, to be heightened in its reality, but to move you and to excite you."[77]
Nolan is particularly fond of two of Snyder's films: Man of Steel and Watchmen. With regard to the former, he singled it out for its dramatic impact, highlighted by a scene about fatherhood between Clark and Jonathan Kent: "The moment in Man of Steel where Kevin Costner tells young Clark that whatever his origin, he's still his son puts a lump in my throat every time."[78]