Last week, Zack Snyder announced that he would be stepping away from directing the upcoming Justice League because of a family tragedy. Zack Snyder previously directed Man of Steel and Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, as well as the film adaptations of 300 and Watchmen.
Batman V. Superman was one of the most anticipated movies of 2016 and ended up being one of the biggest disappointments (even though I really enjoyed the movie and saw it in theaters twice). Despite being such a criticized film with a 28% score on Rotten Tomatoes, there is a lot that Zack Snyder’s Batman V. Superman portrayed beautifully, and overall it deserves some respect as a superhero film. Here is a short list of five things that Batman V Superman got right.
1. The DC Trinity
One thing that makes the DC universe unique compared to the worlds of Marvel and other comic book universes is that DC has the classic characters who defined what superheroes are today since they debuted in the 1930’s and -40’s. Superman is considered to be the world’s first comic book superhero. When he first appeared in the midst of the Great Depression, Superman was a character with alien origins who swore to defend the American dream, battling against corrupt governments, dirty politicians, and mad scientists. Batman arrived soon after, fighting against the criminal underworld with his superior intellect and fighting skills. Then there was Wonder Woman, an Amazon princess devoted to protecting the values of justice and equality with her bulletproof bracelets and lasso of truth. These three characters would help shape entire worlds of comic book superheroes and, with the help of Zack Snyder, they were brought to life.
2. The Batman of "The Dark Knight Returns"
Many comic book fans consider Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns” to be one of the greatest Batman stories ever told. "The Dark Knight Returns" is a graphic novel that made a point to pull Batman away from the camp and bright colors of the 1960's into a world of grit and violence of the 1980's. Frank Miller's Batman was a large, middle-aged man armed with an arsenal of weapons (including a batmobile that was more like a tank than a car) and was a dark knight detective that thrived in the night and terrified the criminal and corrupt of Gotham City. While Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises did a fantastic job of paying tribute to "The Dark Knight Returns," the movie also blended that graphic novel with other Batman stories like "Knightfall" and "No Man's Land." In Batman v. Superman, Zack Snyder more or less pulled Frank Miller's Batman from the comic book and dropped him into the DC Extended Universe in the form of Ben Affleck.
3. An Interesting Lex Luthor
While many fans hated Jesse Eisenberg's portrayal of Lex Luthor in Batman V. Superman, I think that Eisenberg was a very interesting character, even if he was not like his comic book counterpart. He was not a confident and intimidating businessman with a kryptonite armor, but instead a quirky and strange mad scientist. The Lex Luthor of the comic books is charismatic and possesses an aura of power and fear. Even though Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor was not at all charismatic, and was very awkward as a character, he was still dangerous. He was even an interesting contrast to the image of Superman. Superman is seen as confident, rational, and powerful, while this Lex Luthor is awkward, emotional, and seemingly weak. In my opinion, Zack Snyder and Jesse Eisenberg presented us with a very interesting take on a classic character.
4. First Look at the Justice League
Even though it was only for a brief moment, Batman V. Superman gave fans an exciting first look at the Justice League. I remember when I saw the movie for the first time, I was astounded by the quick cameo of the Flash, Cyborg, and Aquaman. I don't care what anyone says: as cool as the Avengers are, the Justice League is so much cooler and more iconic in American popular culture. The Justice League is a modern day pantheon of gods and heroes with powers and abilities that are far beyond those of normal humans. Their talents make them difficult to relate to, but that is what makes them so interesting. Because they are so distant from humanity, their struggle is attempting to close that distance. (Yes, even Batman with his grim paranoia and tragic past.) I am so happy that Zack Snyder attempted to put these characters in the spotlight and has already shown their godlike attributes through the character of Superman.
5. The DC Extended Universe
Even though Man of Steel was the first movie of what is being called the DC Extended Universe, Batman V. Superman really introduced an entire world of superheroes and monsters. I mentioned in the previous point that Batman V. Superman has introduced the Justice League to this universe, but now there is potential for the appearance of so many other colorful and diverse characters on the big screen. Characters like the Metal Men, the Green Arrow and Black Canary, and the mysterious Doom Patrol. Already, movies about Shazam, Batgirl, and Gotham City Sirens have been announced and I am more than excited to see these characters brought to life.
So, thank you to Zack Snyder for pioneering this cinematic universe and bringing these characters and stories into the spotlight.
