Making the best of the source material

Batman v Superman – The Dark Knight Returns. Captain America: Civil War – Civil War. Both comic books are larger than life, and this is why many believe that the movies failed to deliver. While Batman v Superman focused more on the Dark Knight’s paranoia, it didn’t really capture the plot of the book. And while Captain America and Iron Man did fight, the movie was in no way a Civil War (more like a brawl).

But I beg to differ. The ideology remains the same as in the comics. The movie version of the Civil War dropped the Registration Act and introduced the Sokovia Accords; Batman v Superman didn’t see the Man of Steel as a presidential watchdog and saw Batman only as a figure of legend.

And both of the movies deal with the fact that the superheroes need to respond to a higher power. Just as it happens in the comics. For example, Marvel had no chance in a million to bring massive numbers of superheroes to the big screen as the comics writers did. All the studio could do is take the idea from the original source and bring it to the big screen.

In the same way, Warner Bros. is trying to build a universe – whereas the Dark Knight Returns takes place in a world where all superheroes are outlawed. So adapting this part of the story makes no sense – instead, Batman v Superman only touches on this subject (ended abruptly by Lex Luthor), and focuses on a Batman who sees himself as representing all humans (the higher power who must keep Superman in check).

On the next page, the lesson to be learned.