David S. Goyer Quotes

Powerful David S. Goyer for Daily Growth

About David S. Goyer

David S. Goyer is an acclaimed American screenwriter, film director, and producer, best known for his work in the comic book and fantasy genres. Born on December 19, 1968, in New York City, Goyer developed a love for storytelling at an early age. He was inspired by classic literature, science fiction, and comic books, which would later influence his career. Goyer studied philosophy at Wesleyan University before moving to California to pursue screenwriting. His breakthrough came in 1995 when he co-wrote the screenplay for Richard Donner's 'The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas.' However, it was his work on Blade (1998) that catapulted him into prominence. Co-written with Wesley Strick, this film adaptation of Marvel Comics' vampire hunter Blade is considered a benchmark in the superhero genre. Goyer's next significant project was writing and co-producing Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises). His work on these films earned him critical acclaim and cemented his position as a master of comic book adaptations. In addition to his work in the superhero genre, Goyer has written and produced several other notable films, including Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and the Netflix series 'Daredevil.' His most recent projects include writing the script for the upcoming DC Comics film The Flash. David S. Goyer continues to push boundaries in both the comic book and fantasy genres, demonstrating a unique ability to adapt complex narratives for the big screen. His work is characterized by its dark, gritty, and intellectually engaging nature, making him a significant figure in modern storytelling.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"In storytelling, there is no greater villain than a god."

The quote by David S. Goyer suggests that in narratives and storytelling, gods, as all-powerful entities, can be the most formidable villains. This is because they possess immense power and authority, often without accountability or limits, which can lead to destructive actions and oppressive rule. When gods are portrayed as antagonists in stories, they force characters, and by extension, readers or viewers, to question their motives, morality, and the very nature of deities themselves, thus making for compelling storytelling. This quote highlights that even divine beings can be used effectively as catalysts for conflict, ethical dilemmas, and personal growth within a narrative.


"The difference between science fiction and fantasy is that science fiction is one possible future, and fantasy is never going to happen."

This quote by David S. Goyer emphasizes the distinction between science fiction (SF) and fantasy as genres in creative writing. SF presents stories set in a plausible future or a universe that follows the laws of physics and technology as we know them, even if they are advanced or alternative to our present reality. In contrast, fantasy is a genre where impossible or magical events take place, often outside the realm of real-world possibilities. Goyer's point is that while SF may offer glimpses into a possible future, fantasy is fundamentally unrealistic and has no basis in the actual evolution of our world.


"A good villain is as important as the hero. Sometimes more so."

This quote emphasizes the significance of a well-crafted villain in storytelling, suggesting that they can be equally or even more crucial than the hero. A compelling villain serves to provide contrast, challenge, and depth to the protagonist's journey. They force the hero to grapple with adversity, making their eventual triumph over the antagonist more satisfying for the audience. In essence, a good villain plays an essential role in creating engaging narratives by pushing the narrative forward and adding complexity to the storyline.


"I think it's good to question everything, to not just take things at face value."

This quote by David S. Goyer underscores the importance of critical thinking and questioning common beliefs or information. By challenging the status quo and scrutinizing facts, individuals can form their own informed opinions, foster intellectual growth, and potentially contribute to societal progression.


"Storytelling is the most powerful tool we have for changing the world."

David S. Goyer's quote underscores the transformative potential of storytelling. By weaving narratives that engage, educate, and inspire, storytellers can instigate changes in attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors among their audiences, ultimately impacting society as a whole. Whether through film, literature, or other forms of media, stories have the ability to provoke thought, empathy, and action, making them an influential force for change.


I think I regard any history in quotes, because just like science, we're constantly revising science, we're constantly revising history. There's no question that various victors throughout history have flat out lied about certain events or written themselves into things, and then you come along and you find out that this disproves that.

- David S. Goyer

I Think, About, Constantly, Revising

People have a very proprietary relationship with Superman. It's important to respect the iconography and the canon, but at the same time, you have to tell a story. Once you land on who you think the character is and what his conflicts are, you have to let that lead you.

- David S. Goyer

Character, Tell, Very, Canon

You have to decide what kind of story you're going to tell. For instance I would argue a movie like 'Toy Story 3,' which isn't realistic at all, is really emotional and involving. It just depends. I played this game called 'Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP' for iPad that is totally old school 8-bit, which I found very moving.

- David S. Goyer

Game, Very, Instance, Old School

'Call Of Duty' initially cut its teeth on World War II simulation stuff, and then we gradually advanced to the end of the Cold War, but you can't keep doing the same thing over and over again. And I think that because 'Call Of Duty' cut its teeth on presenting 'realism,' in quotes... verisimilitude.

- David S. Goyer

Doing, I Think, Cut, Simulation

I will say that adapting a character like Da Vinci really wasn't that dissimilar from doing Batman or Superman. Because all three of these guys are really iconic figures, and yes, Da Vinci was historical, but there's clearly been a lot of mythmaking about him, and a lot of things have been attributed to him that may or may not have happened.

- David S. Goyer

Doing, Been, Figures, Adapting

I honestly love nothing better than digging into a really good serialized show, whether it's 'Breaking Bad' or 'Game of Thrones' or 'Justified.'

- David S. Goyer

Love, Game, Honestly, Breaking Bad

New platforms are emerging: Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and Xbox. And film actors are gravitating towards television, because there are basically better roles there. Television is making the kind of epics and genres that the movie studios used to make, and often doing it better with more complex narratives and corresponding budgets.

- David S. Goyer

Doing, Movie, Roles, Hulu

'Flash Forward' was one of the big heartbreaks of my career. It was just this very frustrating experience. If we'd been allowed to tell the story we wanted to tell, I don't know that it would've been more successful or not. There's no way to know.

- David S. Goyer

Career, Big, Very, Flash

What Christopher Nolan and I have done with 'Superman' is try to bring the same naturalistic approach that we adopted for the 'Batman' trilogy. We always had a naturalistic approach; we want our stories to be rooted in reality, like they could happen in the same world we live in.

- David S. Goyer

Bring, Had, Naturalistic, Trilogy

Mysticism and the supernatural are embedded in the show - it's called 'Da Vinci's Demons' for a reason, and it's not just metaphorical.

- David S. Goyer

Reason, Show, Metaphorical, Embedded

It's ironic: In movies, the most successful films of all time have been sci-fi or fantasy. By far. But a lot of people won't even read science fiction books.

- David S. Goyer

Fantasy, Been, Films, Science Fiction

I grew up reading comic books, pulp books, mystery and science fiction and fantasy. I'm a geek; I make no pretensions otherwise. It's the stuff that I love writing about. I like creating worlds.

- David S. Goyer

Love, Comic Books, Worlds, Science Fiction

It took a while for the first 'Blade' to get made, and Marvel decided they liked the Whistler character so much, when Blade guest starred on the 'Spider-Man' cartoon, they put Whistler on the cartoon, and the movie hadn't come out yet.

- David S. Goyer

Movie, Cartoon, Took, Spider-Man

Hollywood loves pre-validation. Even if someone has a property that was first published as a comic book that sold only 5,000 copies, for Hollywood, that is a stamp of approval. 'Oh, it was already published in another medium? Must be good!' They get assurance from knowing that someone else already took the risk.

- David S. Goyer

Book, Hollywood, Another, Comic Book

What I really like to do is write 'genre' stories without a cartoonish element. I did the same with 'Da Vinci's Demons,' and I'll do the same with 'Man of Steel.'

- David S. Goyer

Steel, Like, Stories, Demons

There's been a long lineage of a stranger in a strange land, whether it's 'E.T.,' 'Starman,' or other movies about trying to connect with humanity; it struck me that's what a Superman story really is.

- David S. Goyer

Other, Been, Lineage, Struck

I think there's really only been one successful video game adaptation, and that was probably 'Tomb Raider.' Whether or not you thought it was a good movie, it was successful financially.

- David S. Goyer

Game, Think, Been, Financially

I am an artist, and I understand the pros and cons of being an artist, and the pressures of being an artist, and how much being an artist can be torture to people around you; you know, you friends and your family and how material you can be, and how it's hard to take criticism and all the things like that.

- David S. Goyer

Artist, Around, Your, Pressures

The thing about 'Batman Begins' is that he's a character that people thought they knew a lot about, and yet you're able to identify the spirit in his life where even in the comic books it's not explored that much.

- David S. Goyer

Thought, About, Comic Books, Explored

I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to pigeonhole people, and there's nothing an actor loves more than to do something different.

- David S. Goyer

Love, Doing, I Think, Casting

I think if we ever encountered aliens, even communicating with them would be really, really difficult.

- David S. Goyer

Think, Difficult, I Think, Communicating

'Batman Begins' came out and it was really successful, and it had gritty naturalism. And suddenly... I can't tell you how many movies I was pitched where it was, 'We want to do what you did with 'Batman' but with 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,' or whatever.

- David S. Goyer

Tell, Had, Teenage, Ninja

I did three or four weeks of work on 'Godzilla;' it wasn't a page-one rewrite or anything like that. The term is 'script doctoring,' is what I did on it.

- David S. Goyer

Work, Like, Weeks, Rewrite

I think Wonder Woman is a very difficult character to crack. More difficult than Superman, who is also more difficult than Batman. Also, a lot of people in Hollywood believe that it's hard to do a big action movie with a female lead. I happen to disagree with that.

- David S. Goyer

Big, I Think, Very, Crack

As the CG in motion capture made it look realistic, it put more of an onus on the game makers to make the dialogue they're saying more realistic. It doesn't matter what they say when they're 8-bits, but if they look almost photo-real, it matters. More and more, the games industry is realising that.

- David S. Goyer

Game, Industry, Almost, Realising

When Superman was originally created, by Siegel and Shuster, they were two Jewish immigrants that were desperately trying to assimilate into America. They were having a hard time because they were Jewish. They wanted to get in to mainstream publishing but they couldn't. That's why they, and a lot of Jewish guys, went into comic books.

- David S. Goyer

Jewish, Why, Comic Books, Immigrants

I like telling stories of imperfect people because most people are imperfect.

- David S. Goyer

Most, Stories, Telling, Imperfect

Superman has evolved continually in the comic books over the course of 75 years. He couldn't even fly for years in the original comic books. Kryptonite wasn't added until the '60s. All sorts of things like this. If a character is going to remain vital, he does have to change with the times.

- David S. Goyer

Comic Books, Added, Evolved, Vital

Superman is not as innately cool as Batman.

- David S. Goyer

Cool, Innately, Batman, Superman

I always felt that if we ever encountered an alien species, they wouldn't look like us or even be humanoid, like 'E.T.'

- David S. Goyer

Always, Like, Felt, Encountered

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