The very first Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer was posted yesterday (click here if you want to know what I think about it) and as expected, people are debating over several shots. One, however, stands above the rest and I wanted to quickly discuss it. The scene I'm talking about is the one with soldiers -- who have Superman's logo on their armor -- kneeling before the hero when they're in his presence. I already see some saying this means the story is inspired by Injustice: Gods Among Us and that means Kal-El is a dictator. I don't agree with that claim. Maybe I'll have to eat my words on this one, but I really hope that won't be the case.
Nothing about this brief shot (seriously, it's 1.5 seconds long) makes me think Superman is a dictator and he wants this kind of reception. Some say Clark looks imposing and is demanding their respect. Me? I see a ladder behind him and based on that brief shot, it seems like this is the second or so after he landed and it's right before he begins to walk forward. I'm not sure why people assume this means this is his division of soldiers, either. What about the character from Man of Steel would leave you to believe he'd want his own squad -- one which worships him? The whole point of the trailer is to show how humanity is reacting to him; not how he's reacting to it. In our world, there are soldiers who wear Punisher's logo. In the DC Cinematic Universe's Earth, there are people who worship Superman -- he did save the planet, after all. The idea of them wearing his symbol because they choose to admire him seems way more logical than Henry Cavill's character saying, 'You, my soldiers! Bow down and wear my symbol! It stands for hope, and I hope you're wearing it, because otherwise I'm going to punch you across the ocean!' I guess we'll just have to wait and see, but to me, it really seems like a group of soldiers who worship the Kryptonian because they choose to.
The trailer reveals some of humanity is treating Superman like a God; it's not saying that Superman is acting like a God or even wants this extremely high level of glorification. Kal-El's true response to all of this has yet to be revealed and I'm hoping the next trailer gives us more insight into the character. But for now, the thought of Superman wanting people to wear his symbol and bow before him just doesn't seem probable to me. Oddly enough, I wrote this quick post while wearing a Superman shirt. Go figure.
Update: @digital___rain and @derbykid pointed out something obvious that I was somehow totally oblivious to: this could be Snyder's version of the 'Sons of Batman,' an organization in Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. Basically, it's a group who strives to fight injustice in the name of their idol, but they aren't accomplishing it in a way that makes their idol very pleased. In this case, it would essentially be the 'Sons of Superman.' That theory makes perfect sense and I have no idea how it slipped my mind. I guess that's what happens when you write before having a sip of coffee?
Update: @digital___rain and @derbykid pointed out something obvious that I was somehow totally oblivious to: this could be Snyder's version of the 'Sons of Batman,' an organization in Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. Basically, it's a group who strives to fight injustice in the name of their idol, but they aren't accomplishing it in a way that makes their idol very pleased. In this case, it would essentially be the 'Sons of Superman.' That theory makes perfect sense and I have no idea how it slipped my mind. I guess that's what happens when you write before having a sip of coffee?
