As expected, a new Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer debuted at San Diego Comic-Con. Almost 4 minutes long, this video shows off a ton of new footage, dropping not only more of the conflict between Batman and Superman, but also revealing a whole bunch of new teasers. Based on what I've seen so far, it looks like a good percentage of fans enjoy the trailer just as much as I do, but if it's cool with you, I'm going to take a moment or two to explain why I'm so excited for this film.
First and foremost, I love how DC and Warner Bros. is using the Battle of Metropolis from Man of Steel to construct its new cinematic universe. What occurred in MoS is a big deal and it should have enormous ramifications. Far too often movie franchises will have surreal events occur and then they're glossed over. 'Yay! The day is saved! Now, what's the next global threat?' Instead of racing forward and focusing on the future, DC and WB seems to be taking this big event and giving it so much more weight.
Just imagine if what went down in Metropolis actually happened in one of our cities. Aliens make a very public arrival with a clear warning - which would be startling enough - and then they begin to terraform the Earth, killing thousands in the process. Pretty terrifying up, yes? As if that wasn't shocking and frightening enough, it's revealed one of those absurdly powerful aliens - too formidable to be defeated and/or restrained by our militaries - has been living on the planet the entire time. Once the dust settles and the villainous aliens are defeated, this titan who has been hiding on our planet still remains. How do you know you can trust him, especially when the devastating battle killed so many innocents? Sure, a vast majority of the deaths came from the World Engine, but as viewers, we were given a much clearer picture of what really happened in the fight. To top it off, this person saved the day by snapping his enemy's neck. Now he's just roaming around the planet and we have to take his word that he's never going to flip out and destroy us all. Naturally, the word would have mixed responses to this seemingly invincible being. Some would think he's here to save us from every little problem and he'll always be there to help, no matter what. Others may loathe him. Many will be afraid of him. There would undoubtedly be plenty of polarizing coverage as talking heads influence people to either love or loathe Superman. This plot point is huge and it's so refreshing to see a majority of this follow-up movie is playing off of that tragic event (and in a remotely 'realistic' way, too) instead of just reducing it to a few references and then moving forward with a totally different narrative.
Seeing how the Battle of Metropolis impacted Ben Affleck's Bruce Wayne - the trailer reveals he's a man who has already endured great loss - was surprisingly powerful. The way he runs towards the destruction as everyone else flees it is a reminder of just what kind of man he is. How many close friends (and maybe even a loved one?) did he just lose as his building collapsed? Then the way he grips a child as he looks towards the sky - presumably watching Superman and Zod fighting or just gazing at the destruction they've left behind - is powerful stuff. From his view, he can't tell it's Zod who's blasting apart the building with heat vision. He just knows Superman can do that, and that's a major problem to him. Even though we know they two heroes will end up as allies and they should solve their differences with their words, this trailer makes us really appreciate where Batman's determination is coming from. Plus, we all know Lex Luthor is going to be pulling some strings, right?
Superman is now thrown into the spotlight - something he tried to avoid for years and years - and based on the drastic reactions he's receiving, it's easy to understand Jonathan Kent's concerns that the world isn't ready for someone like Superman. Despite a noteworthy percentage of the world throwing nothing but vitriol his way and an overwhelming amount of darkness and tragedies occurring across the globe, the trailer shows Superman isn't shying away from doing what must be done. When politicians point the finger at him, he's willing to meet them head-on about it. Now, what he says has yet to be revealed, but showing him going out of his way to save others (he saves astronauts from a failed rocket launch, goes to what appears to be a ginormous flood to aid people, and he is spotted saving someone else from a fire) you can see he isn't turning his back on this world, despite it throwing so much hate his way.
We didn't see much of Wonder Woman, but the little we did see leaves me feeling confident that she'll be an impressive powerhouse in the movie. It looks like at least twice she's hit quite hard (the first shot shows her in front of a damaged Batmobile with a trail, so it seems like she was knocked into it) and then she recovers like it's nothing. I mean, the look on her face after she takes a hit? If that's not an 'oh, it's on' face then I just don't know what is. It's clear they make a point to hide from us who Wonder Woman is battling and, thanks to some editing, they make it seem like Superman's the one blasting heat vision at an armorless Batman. However, I think they're fighting whatever the big bad is in those scenes - presumably a twisted, reincarnated version of Zod. This could make him a new version of Bizarro (I could picture Lex saying the being is 'bizarre') or Doomsday. Maybe even Cyborg Superman or Metallo with Lex Luthor involved! The brief shot of the Batwing reveals a devastated landscape, so I'm guessing that's thanks to Superman and Wonder Woman battling this big bad. Or perhaps it's just a trail of destruction left by this new foe. Either way, it looks like these three are definitely teaming-up to take on whatever Lex Luthor creates. And based on this small sample of footage, I'm stoked. Then again, it could just be Wonder Woman and Batman battling a somewhat mind-controlled Superman (if Lex Luthor has Zod's body, he's studied Kryptonian physiology), but I really hope that's not the case. The whole 'heroes fighting because of mind-control' plot device has been used so many times before; I'd much rather see them unite against one powerful enemy.
Additionally, this version of Batman looks like he's going to be pure fan service. There's a little nod to the iconic The Dark Knight Returns lightning cover (2:56), and seeing him use his grappling gun and briefly fight goons was totally thrilling. I appreciate Nolan's trilogy, but this version of Batman looks epic. Not only will he be a brilliant inventor and tactician, but from the looks of things, he's also going to have some serious combat skill.
One scene brings up some questions: 'desert' Batman fighting soldiers with the Superman logo. The most common and logical theory is those troops are the cinematic version of The Dark Knight Returns' vigilante group called the Sons of Batman. It seems these rogue soldiers worship the Man of Steel and kill people in his name (they're seen executing helpless people). I'm thinking that the 'Batman' they're fighting isn't Bruce (it's worth noting the chin looks different), but instead a man who's inspired by Batman as the Dark Knight stands up to the unstoppable God called Superman. It's tough to tell for certain, but if so, that could mean as a human dares to oppose the all-mighty alien, regular humans will rise against this group of soldiers who are sporting Superman's symbol. One can only assume that Batman and Superman will eventually find a way to put an end to that senseless and bloody madness. Or, this could simply be Batman trying to stop them and he's captured. (Possibly on purpose since he's crafty like that and knows it would bring Superman right to him.) If so, that could explain the shot of Superman going to their base. We'll just have to wait and see, won't we?
Holy teasers and fan service, Batman! The Robin costume immediately has me - and a gazillion other people - wondering if the first Batman spinoff will be inspired by Under the Red Hood. Seeing as that movie has the potential to look into the past (new mythos building, people!) and also offer an action-packed and compelling story in the present, that's an approach I'd love to see adapted for the big screen... especially if Ben Affleck is directing! Yeah, people still love ripping on him for his older work like Daredevil and Gigli, but his latest work is excellent (The Town, Argo, Gone Girl) and that's what matters. I was already sold on him as Batman, but this trailer further boosts my faith in his performance.
I'm not here to make you change your feelings about this upcoming movie. Man of Steel was polarizing and if you still feel skeptical about Batman v Superman, so be it. Only time will tell whether or not the movie will live up to the hype, after all. But me? I can't help but support what I love. And this new trailer? Yeah, I definitely love it.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice opens March 25, 2016.
