With just a month remaining until the theatrical premiere of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (as of this writing), anticipation for Zack Snyder’s superhero extravaganza has never been higher. The DC film has been making plenty of headlines lately, as everything from new marketing materials, details on the home media release, and a launch date for pre-order ticket sales have been unveiled to the public recently.
One thing that’s been made abundantly clear in the movie’s trailers is that a significant portion of Batman V Superman deals with the fallout from the destructive Battle of Metropolis in Man of Steel, as humanity attempts to make sense of the god-like figure in Superman appearing. Superhero accountability seems to be a primary theme, something that’s illustrated in a new photo featuring Kal-El being faced by a formidable adversary: the press.
The image was shared through the official Dawn of Justice Twitter page and includes the caption “The world needs to know what happened,” a reference to Senator Finch’s (Holly Hunter) line of dialogue in the San Diego Comic-Con 2015 trailer.
While Superman did end up saving the entire planet from being terraformed by General Zod, it is understandable that there are those who are wary of his abilities in Batman V Superman. The two caused extensive damage in their fight, leveling several buildings and causing many deaths. The Man of Steel finale was the first time Clark Kent publicly revealed his true nature, and even though there are those who can vouch for his heroism (Lois Lane, Perry White), most of the world sees an alien capable of doing anything. They want to know Superman’s position so they can see if he’s someone to be trusted.
The world needs to know what happened. #BatmanvSuperman pic.twitter.com/HlSSTdGa5F— Batman v Superman (@BatmanvSuperman) February 24, 2016
It will be interesting to see how the reaction to Superman impacts Clark in Dawn of Justice. The paranoia and uncertainty on display in the promotional items seems to tie into Jonathan Kent’s feelings in Man of Steel. He was concerned that the world wasn’t ready to deal with someone like Superman emerging, and their initial response would be to ostracize him out of fear for what they don’t fully understand. That looks to be what has partially happened, with Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor serving as the leading figures of the anti-Superman sentiment of Batman V Superman. Seeing Clark experience doubts about his decision to come out or try to prove his worth to the world would be a compelling angle and give Henry Cavill real depth to explore.
Many fans are well aware that Snyder’s new film also sets up the cinematic Justice League, as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman team up to take down Doomsday. With that in mind, it will also be fascinating to see how the relationship between the various heroes evolves over time. They obviously set aside their differences when a larger threat appears, but how does everyone perceive Superman by the time Dawn of Justice is over? Is Clark friends with Bruce, or do they form an uneasy alliance? These are some of the larger questions about the film that remain, and the answers to them could shape the whole franchise moving forward.
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice opens on March 25, 2016, which is followed by Suicide Squad on August 5, 2016; Wonder Woman on June 23, 2017; Justice League Part One on November 17, 2017; The Flash on March 16, 2018; Aquaman on July 27, 2018; Shazam on April 5, 2019; Justice League Part Two on June 14, 2019; Cyborg on April 3, 2020; and Green Lantern Corps. on June 19, 2020.
Source: Warner Bros.
