This trailer was at the top of my list for most anticipated moments for Comic Con this year. As you may know by now, I am a huge Batman fanatic. I live and breath Batman. That being said, I was more than a little pumped when watching this trailer the now 15,000 times that I have. This trailer was simply magnificent in every way so, this installment of “What Did I Just See?” is going to be a little different. I would usually talk about “What Didn’t Work?” but seeing how this trailer was just a nonstop powerhouse of awesomeness, I am going to skip that segment and simply list “What Did Work?” I am also going to talk about some speculations and things you may have missed in the trailer, and what some things in the trailer could allude to. So, lets put on our cowls and breakdown this spectacular trailer!
What Worked?
Holding Superman Accountable
We’ve known for some time that the world will hold Superman accountable for the hundreds of deaths that were a direct cause of his fight with Zod. It’s a great way to open up this trailer at the courthouse where Superman is being tried by a committee. It shows that the world does not yet stand in solidarity with heroes, and most of all, Superman. It gives a great sense of why not only Batman, but the entire world, sees Superman as a threat, and to some degree, a murderer.
Deaths for Batman
We know that Batman has been out of commission for a while and that he’s seen his share of devastation. However, the deaths of his employees, or “family”, and his inability to save them or protect them during Superman’s battle are a great way to motivate Bruce to suit up once more. We know that the driving force for Batman’s crusade is to save those who can’t protect themselves, and to avenge those who have died at the hands of criminals, like his parents who get a nice little scene in this trailer, or Jason Todd whose Robin outfit we see (more on him in the speculation area). Now that Batman has had his family hurt once more, the flames of rage are burning once more.
Jeremy Fucking Irons
There is no one else that could deliver the lines he has with the same amount of gravitas and precision as he does. With a Batman as badass and rage-filled as this one, we needed an Alfred who could contend emotionally with him. Jeremy Irons is the only one that can believably stand up to Batman and tell him like it is. Also, his look is so great. He looks like an old spy who still has that fire burning in him, but with much more wisdom. I can’t wait to see and hear the dialogue between he and Ben Affleck.
Lex Zuckerberg
Even though I wish Lex was a tad bigger, I am totally sold on Jesse Eisenberg’s portrayal of Lex Luthor. He is cocky and deceitful just like how his character should be. He is surprisingly compelling as a formidable foe. There is the obvious brain vs. brawn matchup between he and Superman brewing here. This makes me very excited. Also, he has hair in this trailer, so he will presumably lose it as a plot point, and I’m totally ok with that because that has been done successfully in the past.
Wonder Woman
My doubts of Gal Gadot are gone. She gives off a very good vibe. When fighting she has a smirk like Diana should have. She is obviously up against a formidable opponent, and Wonder Woman always loves a good battle. She looks like, even though she is taking this seriously, she is enjoying a good fight. Also, I’m so glad that she and Batman know each other’s secret identities and that they seem to be a bit flirtatious together. I hope this is a sign that perhaps they will have a bit of a romance, much like in the Justice League animated show. She also looks believable as this strong powerful woman. Many complained that she was too skinny, but she seems very fit and ready for battle in this trailer.
The Batman
I call him The Batman because he is certainly a figure of justice that deserves the “The.” Ben Affleck is fucking killing it in this role as not only The Batman, but as Bruce Wayne as well. He is creating a blend of both personas that mixes extremely well, while also making it believable and understandable that they are both two masks he wears at different times. His motivations, as I touched on above, are great ways to set up the pure rage that is boiling beneath the surface. I love how Ben Affleck is literally trembling with anger throughout this trailer as well. You can see this rage not only in his demeanor, but his eyes as well. When he is watching the devastation of Metropolis, as well as describing Superman’s abilities, you can see the seriousness, sadness, and rage. He is also very agile which has been a problem in the past Batman movies. While being agile, he is also HUGE in stature and extremely demanding whenever he is seen. Ben Affleck is the truest Batman we have ever seen. He embodies all of the physical elements that Batman has, as well as the emotions that come with living under the cowl.
Tone
Many people shit on DC for being so dark. I think it’s not only smart for them to embrace this tone as a great way to separate themselves from Marvel, but it's wise of them to stick more closely to the source material they have chosen. There are many incarnations of these characters and they have stated which comics are influencing them. Why would they draw inspiration from the Dark Knight Returns, and then make a movie full of jokes and lightheartedness? It wouldn’t make sense, and would in turn make the film a mess. I applaud them for embracing the source material they are drawing inspiration from, and they are doing a great job capturing the feel of these comics.
Visuals
This trailer is beautiful. The interspliced shots, establishing shots, close-ups, action shots, etc. They are all done with grace and precision. I loved seeing Superman shoot his heat vision then cut to Batman dodging heat vision (although I don’t believe it is Superman shooting at him). The shots help establish and convey all of what is being said as well as add tidbits of information not being talked about. For instance, my comment about Diana enjoying the battle was in part due to the close-up on her as she is thrown into a wall. The trembling I noticed in Ben Affleck was also in part due to the close-up shots that let us be able to observe these minor details that only further enhance our experience and understanding of the trailer.
Speculation
Jason Todd
Seeing Jason Todd’s Robin suit with a message from the Joker left behind on it is an obvious indication that he was murdered by the Joker. However, I think that they aren’t just putting this in there for mere dramatic effect. I think this is foreshadowing the events of the upcoming solo Batman film where Jason Todd comes back as the Red Hood. I also think that the staff he is holding is indeed a staff that Jason Todd used. Although it may not look like a traditional staff, it would make sense that perhaps they created a staff with some modifications. I think this is actually what we see Batman holding in the previous trailer, and what he uses to inject kryptonite into Superman with. I also think that he chooses this weapon as a means of motivation and as a reminder that he sees Superman in a similar light to the Joker at this point. He uses this staff because it is that of a fallen comrade taken from him by someone he deems to be a criminal. Superman has already killed his employees that are described as being his family, so it would make sense that he’s using one of his “family” members signature weapon to defeat an enemy that has taken what he holds closest to him.
Joker Knows Everything
It’s very suspicious that the Joker is presumably sending Batman mail directly, and calling him out for letting his family die. His note also serves as a nice poke at the death of Jason Todd at his hands. I’m assuming that during one of their previous altercations, Batman either revealed his alter ego, or it was uncovered by the Joker during the interrogation and torture of Jason Todd. I don’t quite know how or why the Joker knows who The Batman is, but it’s a very interesting dynamic that we haven’t seen before.
The Pockocmoc Satellite
I had brought this up in my review for the first trailer, but we get to see an extended look at the Pockocmoc satellite launch. I am still convinced it is some form of threat that Superman deters as a means of winning over the trust of the American military. It is clearly Russian, but this time the labelling has been removed from the satellite itself. It still bears the Russian flag, and could be a bit of foreshadowing to a larger conflict that will soon involve all of the heroes.
BatMurder?
A lot of people are calling out Batman’s obvious necksnap during the desert scene. Many don’t believe it is Batman considering he doesn’t kill people. I am wondering if these “Super Soldiers” are actually people. I’m thinking they might not be. Knowing that Lex will be using Zod’s DNA for something nefarious, and having billions of dollars at his disposal, it would make sense that perhaps Lex has created some sort of humanoid robot squadron. Now here me out. Zack Snyder admitted that Metallo was in the first draft for the film, but was later cut. Metallo is a humanoid robot with the mind of a man and powered by kryptonite. I don’t think its that farfetched to believe that Luthor has created a small scale squadron of androids to battle Superman, in place of Metallo. They can in fact serve as a precursor to the introduction of Metallo. Also, it is suspicious that we never see any skin, or any of the soldiers faces. So, with all of that said, perhaps Batman knows they aren’t human, and is then using lethal tactics in hopes of destroying them.
Doomsday Is Upon Us
From Luthor getting Kryptonite, Zod’s body, and being an all-around maniacal asshole, I think it is obvious that he creates Doomsday. We also see Lexcorps destroyed, as if something escaped, hence all of the bullets on the ground as Luthor walks through the facility. Also, we see a scene with massive devastation and fire as the Batwing flies overhead. As stated before, we see Superman using his heat vision, which he only does in extreme cases. I doubt very much so that he’s using it towards Batman. Also, Wonder Woman wouldn’t fight Superman as she is descibed as the gateway drug to the Justice League, which insinuates she is the uniting force that brings both heroes together. So if she isn’t fighting Superman, or Batman, she must be fighting someone very strong as she is seen being thrown into a wall, and using a powerful attack. I just hope we get to see this big grey son-of-a-bitch soon!
Overall Assessment
This trailer fucking delivered. It gave me more of the story, it conveyed tone, it showed character motivation, and established an overall sense of understanding of the conflict. It kicked major ass all around.
Score: 10/10
If you’ve stuck around this long to read my huge in depth nerdgasm, I thank you! Please be sure to let me know what you all thought in the comments below and let’s start a conversation. What did you think of the trailer? Were you as impressed and blown away as me? Or did you fucking hate it? As always, please follow me on Twitter @HaneyCasey, check me out on MoviePilot.com/HaneyCasey, and check out my own website at SlackerNerds.com.
