While the buzz for Batman v Superman is slowly increasing, this doesn't mean at all that everything is in its right place. And that especially after the reveal of Doomsday and after Zack Snyder said that the entire Justice League (minus the Green Lantern) will be assembled. You can probably guess why some of the fans aren't at ease with these two points.
Isn't this too early for Doomsday to appear? Won't the movie be overcrowded with so many main characters and superheroes?
Unfortunately, these aren't the only issues Batman v Superman might encounter. There are plenty of things which could go wrong. So what should Zack Snyder capture in this Justice League prequel? Here are out top 10 pointers of how Zack Snyder should approach this movie.
The Detectives
The last Batman v Superman trailer opens with a high society event, in which Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent meet for the first time. The reason why Kent is there is because he wants to do a piece on Batman, even if Perry White doesn't support his initiative.
In the comics, Kent is one great journalist, something which has been missing from the modern movies so far. The rumor is that he already knows the secret identity of the Caped Crusader, which means that all he needs now is to prove it. In a way, he needs to do what a good journalist is supposed to do.
On the other hand, we have Bruce Wayne, who isn't too cryptic in his answers. Pair that with his smug, as well as with his obvious aggressive attitude towards the interviewer and you can guess that he also knows the secret identity of Superman. But the thing is that he has no interest (as far as we know) in revealing it.
And this could be a problem, especially if we aren't shown how he discovered who Clark Kent actually is. And it is one because the Dark Knight is also known as the world's greatest detective - and, let's be frank, he hasn't put his detective skills to work in the movies thus far.
And this could be a nice change of pace, if Zack Snyder sticks this close to the comics. Will Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent be like their comic book counterparts? We don't really think so - at least, not entirely.
The Hope
The biggest issues with Man of Steel (as many fans say) is that Superman wasn't exactly what he is supposed to be - a symbol of hope, a good-natured person who can be the savior of the world. While Zack Snyder pushed the symbolism beyond what many of us wanted, he still didn't manage to make the hero more than just a savior for those alienated, for the very few.
Of course, Man of Steel was just the beginning, the way in which Clark Kent found out that he is Superman, which can explain why he hasn't been portrayed as a savior of the entire world. So Batman v Superman should continue this arc - and maybe should lose all the messianic imageries and make Superman actually be super.
In Man of Steel, Henry Cavill starred quite a lot into nowhere, contemplating the choices he needs to make. Now, in Batman v Superman, he needs to actually act and show how versatile his character can be. Will we see that?
Well, from the trailers, there is still plenty of destruction happening, as well as a very peculiar scene in which Superman hovers above a flooded street, only looking at that house which has his symbol on the roof. We're not convinced that the Superman we want will make an appearance this year.
But we say this after seeing only the trailers. So who knows?
The Destruction
Zack Snyder made a big mess in Man of Steel, literally - half of Metropolis was leveled after the brawl between Superman and Zod. That is explainable, since Superman had no idea the impact his actions would have. In other words, he was an untrained hillbilly fighting against a super soldier - he had no idea what will happen when the fight will be taken in Metropolis (though"¦)
So he has no reason to do the same thing in Batman v Superman. In other words, he should have a better battle strategy - but this doesn't happen. As we saw in the trailers, he and Batman damage several buildings when fighting each other.
Then, when Doomsday enters the scene, it seems as if an entire city was destroyed (and not just half of one, as in Man of Steel). We get it - this is what would happen in the real world, if superpowered beings traded punches. But still"¦
But still, Wonder Woman is also on the scene, and she is a veteran warrior already. She should know better and she should take the fight somewhere else (we have no idea where). Will better tactics be used in Batman v Superman?
The trailers don't seem to suggest that - but we can only hope that the combined minds of Batman and Wonder Woman won't let too many civilian lives be lost.
Batman v Superman
The movie should be all about this - Batman v Superman, the Bat vs. the Man of Steel. We know that it won't be, because the Justice will Dawn. We know that Wonder Woman will also be there and that, by the end of it all, the former combatants will unite to fight Doomsday.
This doesn't mean that the fight between the superheroes shouldn't be the main event. And we have no doubt that it will be what every fan has expected. Thus far, the trailers have teased two types of confrontation between the superheroes - a more psychological one (in which mainly Batman tests Superman's strengths) and the actual physical one (in which Batman dons the Mech suit).
And both of these types of fights count, since the first one will lead into the other (thus proving Batman's genius as a strategist). What kind of weapons will he use? Will Superman be weakened in some way, just like in The Dark Knight Returns? Will Kryptonite be involved? We'll just have to wait and see.
The Humor
The last trailer for Batman v Superman showed us that DC can make a joke - but the thing is that it wasn't such a great one (that moment when Wonder Woman appears and the others are bewildered). Of course, Zack Snyder said that the path towards that exchange of lines is the one that counts the most - but when the hook is missing, is that still a joke?
There is also the introduction of Lex Luthor at the high society event, introduction which doesn't inspire confidence, with Jesse Eisenberg being too over the top (and sort of winking at the audience). Is this the patch which should be taken?
Man of Steel had its humorous moments and it was perfect just the way it was, from this point of view. Is Zack Snyder overdoing it right now? It appears so.
The Colors
The colors are the ones which bring life and suggest what kind of character we are seeing. From this point of view, Man of Steel was a failure. As said, Superman should be about hope and salvation and optimism - and you can't have these with muted, lifeless colors.
From the trailers, we see Superman all around the world, revered like the God he is. But the colors don't help him just yet to be that symbol he is supposed to be. But the thing is that this is Batman v Superman and not Man of Steel 2. So the colors may be right this time, lifeless as they seem (we wouldn't mind a bit more of them, but still).
On the other hand, this is Batman v Superman and Batman is the dark and brooding one. So the color palette fits him more than it does Sups. So what gives, Zack? Do you love the Dark Knight more than the Man of Steel?
The Lex
From what we've seen, this new Lex Luthor is like nothing we have seen before - even if, at times, we can see something borrowed from Gene Hackman. However, we can blame that on the neurotic persona of Jesse Eisenberg (basically, all of his characters resemble from this point of view).
This Lex is so new that his past was rewritten for Batman v Superman - which is a good thing, since times have changed and the new industrialists are the programmers and other nerds like that. And since Eisenberg has also been Zuckerberg"¦
But then again this character seems to be the comedic relief of the movie (which aims to be a serious one). And this isn't a good thing. While the first trailers showed that he has a dark side and that he is a master manipulator (as he should be), the last one showed his other side - which might as well be the way in which he presents himself to the world, so just a mask.
But still - too much is too much. We do hope that this new version of Lex Luthor doesn't end up just a farce, before the DCEU can make the most of him.
The Doomsday
Is that really Doomsday? If he is, then Zack Snyder has already messed things up - why didn't he go for Bizarro instead, if he wanted to manipulate Zod’s corpse?
The Amazonian
From the moment Gal Gadot was announced, Wonder Woman has been the great unknown of Batman v Superman. And it has been so simply because she has in no way the frame of an Amazonian, while she hasn't proven herself as an actress (the Fast and Furious franchise doesn't count). But everybody who has seen the movie praises her performance.
And she does make an impact in the trailers (literally), though it is too less for us to say that she is the definitive Wonder Woman. Furthermore, as we understand, she has just a glorified cameo in Batman v Superman"¦
The addition of Wonder Woman raises another problem as well - will the movie be overcrowded? We guess not, since the other metahumans will have just cameos as well. But still, since this is the first time in the modern age when she appears on the silver screens, Wonder Woman should be captured perfectly, as an ambassador as well as a fierce warrior. And, apparently, she was - she is the warrior which helps against Doomsday and we also see her at the high society events where Bruce Wayne is going.
Justice League
And here we are again - the problem with the overcrowding. Batman v Superman, when announced for the first time, was supposed to be all about Batman and Superman. Then Dawn of Justice was announced, which brought with itself the casting of Wonder Woman - as said, she will have a big cameo, which will most likely happen in the third act.
But the problem is that Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg have also been announced for Batman v Superman by Zack Snyder himself, who said that the Justice League will appear in the movie (minus Green Lantern). Add to that both Lex Luthor and Doomsday and you might just have too many characters.
Is it so? Not necessarily. One of the most recent rumors says that the credits will roll on a montage which presents each of the Justice League members and how they were revealed to the world. Which is nice - Zack Snyder did wonders with such a montage in Watchmen. And this is a great way to introduce the Justice League.
On the other hand, if the other superheroes also have a part in all the action, this could lead to disappointment, since many would ask themselves who they are and what they are doing there.
