When it comes to underappreciated science fiction franchises, there aren't many that can stand next to The Expanse. Not only did the TV show escape survive cancelation, but its journey from novels into live-action, and now into comic book sequels, makes it a showcase for adaptation from one medium into another. Not to mention giving the creators serious expertise in spotting an adaptation well done.

That expertise has continued even after the novel series and The Expanse TV show ended (for now), continuing the story into record-breaking comic book sequels. So it's no surprise that after inviting co-writer of the Expanse comic book, Andy Diggle, onto their Ty & That Guy podcast, Expanse co-creator Ty Franck and star Wes Chatham shared their personal favorite adaptations. Taking the chance to praise another underrated, cult-hit genre piece, Franck gave special mention to director Zack Snyder's first controversial superhero 'blockbuster.'

The Expanse Creator Praises Watchmen As A "Fantastic" Adaptation

Zack Snyder's First 'Most Controversial' Comic Book Movie Won Over Ty Franck

Speaking about the Spider-Man 2 as the best superhero movie ever made (in his opinion), the Expanse co-creator made sure to call out one of the most divisive in the genre:

"I'm going to give an honorable mention to a movie a lot of people don't like, but I thought was a pretty fantastic comic-to-movie adaptation. I think the Watchmen movie, the one done by the 300 guy... Zack Snyder. I think it's a great adaptation of Watchmen. Now, it changes an important plot point at the end; it doesn't have the big squid monster. But I think up until then, it is like watching the comic. Which I was very impressed by."

Many genre movie fans will be staggered by this praise alone, since the divisiveness and hyperbole surrounding Snyder's adaptations of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen was a glimpse of what 'The Snyderverse' would elicit years later. But while some criticized Snyder and cinematographer Larry Fong's efforts to literally adapt the comic book s and pages into live-action, it's that dedication to translating the original work that Franck praises. But the changes made in the film didn't go unnoticed, either.

Even Watchmen's Controversial Ending "Made Sense" To Expanse Writers

Swapping Doctor Manhattan For The Giant Squid Rubbed Many Fans The Wrong Way

As fans of both the comic book Watchmen and film adaptation will know, the painstaking adherence to the source material was broken when it came to its 'grand finale.' The Watchmen TV series would eventually adapt the 'giant teleported psychic squid-bomb' as Ozymandias' master plan, intended to unite humanity against a shocking new threat. But in the Watchmen film, Snyder and writers David Hayter and Alex Tse altered the story, substituting Doctor Manhattan's fearsome power and erasing the giant squid altogether.

When the film released into a sea of controversy from all sides, this fundamental and dramatic rewrite was also heavily criticized. Not to be outdone by Franck's defense of the movie, longtime DC/Vertigo writer Andy Diggle offered his own unexpected praise, stating the controversial Watchmen rewrite is the creative choice he agreed with most strongly:

Andy Diggle: Actually... the thing I liked most about that movie is the ending. Because I thought the changes he made—or whoever wrote it—that change made sense.

Ty Franck: It made sense, yeah, it did.

Whatever indivdidual moviegoers or superhero fans may think of Watchmen (either the theatrical edition or Snyder's more highly acclaimed director's cut), Franck is wise to highlight the different ways that faithfulness to an adaptation can be measured. And all things considered, Franck referring to the cult personality Zack Snyder as "the 300 guy" only emphasizes that he is measuring the work, and not any individual creator or filmmaker.

As someone with plentiful experience in adapting characters, dialogue, and an entire sprawling universe from one medium to another, The Expanse has earned more fans to its cause by giving Watchmen credit for earning its 'adaptation' name the hard way.

Source: Ty & That Guy