Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon Title Is Deeper Than You Think

The rich mythos of the upcoming Netflix sci-fi epic "Rebel Moon" are comparable to that of "Star Wars" and "Avatar," with a planned two-part saga and several spin-offs on the way. This even applies to the titles of the Zack Snyder-helmed films, which have more meaning than meets the eye. 

The "Man of Steel" and "Army of the Dead" director spoke with Empire Magazine about the upcoming "Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire" and its 2024 sequel, "Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver." According to Snyder, the first installment's name was meant to parallel the tragedies of the mythical Princess Issa and the film's war-torn protagonist, Kora (Sofia Boutella). "'A Child Of Fire' has a double meaning," he shared. "The Child Of Fire could be Princess Issa, this myth that runs through the stories. The robots that we refer to as Jimmy, the Anthony Hopkins character, were created to protect the unborn Issa and lost all their purpose when she was assassinated. Kora ... is also a child of fire: she was a war orphan. Her home was burned down, and she was snatched up and brought into the army." 

Snyder was more secretive behind his reasoning for "The Scargiver," but it seems that the follow-up's moniker similarly intends to tie Issa and Kora together thematically. "[Kora's] nickname is the Scargiver, which is also related to her relationship with Princess Issa," he continued. "Those two myths are braided together in a pretty cool way, I think." Fans don't have long to wait to make up their own interpretations, as "A Child of Fire" releases on December 15, and "The Scargiver" comes out on April 19, 2024. But viewers need patience before learning more about the franchise's namesake. 

While the subtitles of Zack Snyder's forthcoming sci-fi operas have somewhat dense meanings, there's not as much to the Rebel Moon name itself. The first film, "A Child of Fire," follows Kora, a former member of the villainous Imperium, on a quest to unite a band of allies against their world's corrupt ruling system. Its slated sequel, "The Scargiver," will dive deeper into the ensuing war between our heroes and the Imperium. 

However, the moon described in the title is not the moon of Veldt, where much of the action in the first two films unfolds. Rather, it is the moniker bestowed to another world that audiences won't see until a potential third installment. Snyder described his intent to Empire, stating, "The Rebel Moon is not the moon that they're on. The title was conceptual, but there's a planet named Vanna, and Vanna is the rebel moon. It's not even in one shot of this movie!" A third Rebel Moon movie has yet to be greenlit by Netflix, leaving the chances of ever seeing Vanna and the franchise's overall future up in the air. But considering how much Netflix has invested in Snyder's sci-fi world already, it seems like a safe bet a third chapter will happen — especially if the first two are hits.