Why BATMAN V SUPERMAN Backlash Will Benefit The DCEU Moving Forward
Around three years ago, Zack Snyder swept the rug from under our collective feet and announced that he would be tackling Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. We rejoiced, we cried, we hated...but regardless of what camp you belong to in our world of infinite opinions, there was one simple fact no one could ignore: this was going to be an event.
Fast forward to present day: BVS has come and gone. To many, it was a disappointment. To some, a joy. Regardless of what you think, Snyder has made his decisions and we're stuck with them...but I'm not convinced this is a bad thing moving forward. He's already stated in an interview with Vulture:
"When Batman V Superman came out, I was like, 'Wow, okay, oof. It did catch me off guard. I have had to, in my mind, make an adjustment. I do think that the tone of Justice League has changed because of what the fans have said."
So you've spoken, and you have been heard! Let's take a look why some of the more widely criticized aspects in BVS will result in better quality movies as we move forward into the DCEU, because it's happening whether we like it or not. I'll throw a spoiler warning out there, just in case a some of you were in space a few months ago, or something. SPOILERS FOR BATMAN V SUPERMAN LIE AHEAD!
MINOR SPOILERS FOR JUSTICE LEAGUE!
One of the most widely criticized aspects of BVS was its dark and somber tone. Seldom breaking for moments of light-heartedness, BVS resembles Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy but fails to achieve similar quality. Moving forward, I can understand why some might have a sour taste in their mouths. Since The Dark Knight's success, we've been given grounded adaptations of heroes resulting in more grounded stories...but that era seems to be coming to an end.
Justice League promises to build upon the foundation BVS laid in many ways, starting with tone and continuing with scope. Snyder has not only promised a lighter and more adventurous tone; he showcased it from the set of Justice League in London a few weeks ago when a gaggle of journalists were invited to the set (not me). Shifts toward a more comic-book accurate world were evident, and that plays well to Snyder's grandiose flair for visuals and scope. Some of you may have heard about certain scenes involving a fun and humorous conversation between Bruce Wayne and Barry Allen, or another with Commissioner Gordon and a few members of the Justice League on a rooftop in Gotham; there were also reveals of a massive Wayne-Tech airship to transport the Justice League, a crazy Batmobile-walker, and a happier, less-murderous Batman!
One key figure missing was Henry Cavill's Superman, who has spent the better part of two films being a sad and confused mess. This characterization of Superman has been criticized a lot, and for good reason. His character hasn't organically grown or evolved since his inception in Man of Steel, and we needed about 90% of BVS' runtime to finally move him along. I understand the goal was to humanize Superman, but it's left us with an utterly joyless version of such a beloved character. Having said that, the DCEU would be moving forward regardless of our opinions, and that freedom allowed Snyder to kill off Superman in BVS without severe repercussion. We all know Superman will return (mullet or not), but this is clever because it allows them to reset his character in a positive and lighter way. Superman has now sacrificed himself for the world! Now he can quit sulking around and become the beacon of hope and leader he is hopefully meant to be. I'm wondering how they'll explain Clark Kent's resurrection though...
Speaking of missteps in characterization, Ben Affleck's Batman was (although admittedly one of the best parts of the film) a driving force of chaos and death, but hey! Just mention Martha and maybe you'll have a new best bud, you know, with a cape and everything. Bruce Wayne's savagery and disregard for life in BVS was off-putting at first; it went against everything Batman stands for! However, this allows an older and seasoned Bruce Wayne/Batman an interesting potential arc moving forward: digging within to find his ideals of old, trying to find himself again after years and years of emotional and physical battery. It gives us reason to get behind Batman and his crusade again while creating a fresh take that we haven't seen on film before. As you may know, Warner Bros has officially announced a solo film. Pair that with an Affleck/Geoff Johns script, Affleck in the director's chair, sprinkled with Jeremy Irons' delightfully grumpy Alfred, and it's a solid recipe for (potential) success.
Some didn't buy Jesse Eisenberg's portrayal of Lex Luthor, aka Alexander Luthor, Jr. He was unhinged and wildly disturbed, more akin to Heath Ledger's Joker than anything else. He lacked that "supervillain" quality, didn't he? Never really in control. The choice to name him Luthor, Jr. is an interesting one, leaving a large opening for Daddy Lex to possibly come back into the fold. Maybe for a Man of Steel sequel, eh? Regardless of the speculation, Lex Luthor is out of the way for now, giving way to Steppenwolf in Justice League, which is probably a good thing. Primarily, Lex Luthor and General Zod have been Superman's main antagonists since the Richard Donner era. It was cool seeing Superman fight Doomsday, but that's done now, Zod is dead, and Lex is taking a back seat. Opening up the field for some well-known villains such as Brainiac or Metallo is a fresh and exciting premise for the future.
Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman was one of the only universally praised aspects of BVS but was underutilized and left us all wanting more. Thankfully, her solo film is less than one year away; it'll be a breath of fresh air in a film landscape dominated by male heroes. Snyder has gone on record stating that she is the 'best fighter' in the DCEU, and I'm quite certain we're all excited to finally see her kick some ass for more than 15 minutes. According to the official synopsis released a few days ago, we'll see Wonder Woman leaving her sheltered island life in order to fight along side humanity in World War I.
The Justice League reveal email could've been handled better, but it gave us cool glimpses of Aquaman breaking James Cameron's submarine camera and The Flash's crazy convenience store lightning storm. The most interesting tease might have been Cyborg, whose little email file showed us our first glimpse at the transforming black cubes known as Motherboxes, which will tie into the Justice League storyline.
Batman v Superman deserved some praise, and it also deserved some hate. As we look forward at the upcoming slate of DCEU films, there's plenty of reason to be excited for the future of the franchise. Suicide Squad is right around the corner and if the hype is to be believed, David Ayer's villain-led ensemble piece could prove to be the spark to ignite interest in the universe again. Wonder Woman isn't too far away, and Justice League should be a film that all fans can rally behind, leaving us all drooling for more.