Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a 2016 American superhero film based on the DC Comics characters Batman and Superman. Directed by Zack Snyder and written by Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer, it is a follow-up to Man of Steel (2013) and the second film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The film stars Ben Affleck as Batman and Henry Cavill as Superman, alongside a cast including Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter, and Gal Gadot. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is the first live-action film to feature Batman and Superman together, as well as the first live-action cinematic portrayal of Wonder Woman. In the film, criminal mastermind Lex Luthor manipulates Batman into a preemptive battle with Superman, whom Luthor is obsessed with destroying.
The film was announced at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con after the release of Man of Steel. Snyder stated that the film would take inspiration from the Batman comic book series The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller, but clarified that it would follow an original premise. The incarnation of Batman in the film is different from the character's previous portrayal by Christian Bale in The Dark Knight trilogy, serving as a cinematic reboot of the character. The film is also inspired by narrative elements from the Superman comic book series The Death of Superman. Pre-production began at East Los Angeles College in October 2013, and principal photography started in May 2014 in Detroit. Additional filming also took place in Illinois and New Mexico, concluding in December.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice premiered at the Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City on March 19, 2016, and was released in the United States on March 25, by Warner Bros. Pictures. It grossed $874 million worldwide against a budget of $250–325 million, becoming the seventh-highest-grossing film of 2016, while also having the biggest opening weekend for a superhero film at the time of its release. It received mixed reviews from critics. A director's cut, dubbed the "Ultimate Edition", features 31 minutes of additional footage and was released to home media formats later in 2016. A follow-up, titled Justice League, was released on November 17, 2017.
Plot
In a flashback to his childhood, Bruce Wayne flees his parents' funeral. He falls into a cave, where a circling vortex of bats elevates him back to the surface. In the present, eighteen months after his cataclysmic battle with General Zod in Metropolis, Superman has become a controversial figure. Bruce is now a billionaire who has operated in Gotham City as the masked vigilante Batman for twenty years. Having witnessed the battle in person, he sees Superman as an existential threat to humanity.
Clark Kent, Superman's civilian identity, seeks to condemn Batman's brutal methods in Daily Planet articles. LexCorp mogul Lex Luthor attempts to persuade US Senator June Finch to allow him to import kryptonite discovered in the aftermath of Zod's terraforming attempt, so that it can be used as a deterrent against future Kryptonian threats. She declines, but Luthor makes alternative plans with Finch's subordinate, who grants him access to Zod's corpse and the Kryptonian scout ship.
Bruce attends a gala at LexCorp to steal the company's encrypted data, but antiquities dealer Diana Prince steals it first; she returns it to Bruce. Bruce dreams of a post-apocalyptic world where he leads rebels against an evil Superman. He is awakened by an unidentified person, appearing through a portal, who tells him that Lois Lane is "the key" and urges him to find "the others" before vanishing. The decrypted data reveals Luthor's files on several metahumans across the globe. One is Diana, who appears in a photo from World War I.
A widely publicized congressional hearing at the US Capitol, led by Finch, is held to question Superman's actions and intentions. A lead-covered bomb smuggled in by Luthor detonates, killing everyone present. Superman blames himself for not detecting it and self-imposes exile. Believing Superman was complicit in the attack, Batman breaks into LexCorp and steals the kryptonite to weaponize it. Wearing an armored exosuit and wielding a kryptonite spear, he lights the Bat-Signal and awaits a battle with Superman.
Luthor lures Superman out by kidnapping Martha Kent, Clark's adoptive mother, and Lois. Superman saves Lois and confronts Luthor, who reveals he orchestrated Batman's paranoia. He demands that Superman kill Batman in exchange for Martha's life. Superman arrives in Gotham and tries reasoning with Batman, who attacks him using kryptonite-laced gas. They battle, but Batman proves victorious. As Batman prepares to kill him with the spear, Superman pleads with him to "save Martha" – the same name as Batman's mother. Batman hesitates as Lois arrives and explains Superman's pleading. Realizing he has been manipulated, and recognizing Superman's humanity, Batman rescues Martha.
Luthor, desperate to kill Superman, executes his backup plan: unleashing a monster genetically engineered using DNA from both Zod's body and his own. A sword-wielding Diana joins Batman and Superman in their fight against the creature. Batman realizes its vulnerability to kryptonite. A weakened Superman fatally impales the creature with the kryptonite spear, but it deals him a deadly blow in return. Superman passes away in Lois's arms.
Following Luthor's arrest, Batman confronts him in prison, where Luthor gloats that Superman's death has made the world vulnerable to an alien threat. A memorial is held for Superman in Metropolis, while Bruce and Diana attend a funeral for Clark, also declared dead. Bruce tells Diana that he regrets failing Superman and asks for her help in forming a team of metahumans to protect Earth in Superman's absence. As they leave, the dirt atop Clark's coffin levitates.
Cast
Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne / Batman: A billionaire socialite and owner of Wayne Enterprises who dedicates himself to protecting Gotham City from its criminal underworld as a highly trained, masked vigilante. The Batsuit in this film is made of a form-fitting fabric as opposed to the armored suits in previous portrayals, and a mechanical suit is also featured which Batman uses in his fight against Superman. On Batman's suit, Zack Snyder commented, "I had a really strong idea about what I wanted to do – I really wanted to do sort of a fabric-based Batman; not what's become the more normal, armored Batman. That's how we evolved it." Unlike previous versions who spoke in a deeper voice as Batman, this version uses a voice modulator to distort his real voice. Affleck stated a well-known billionaire would likely have his voice recognized. When asked what makes this Batman different from the previous portrayals, Affleck said this Batman "is a little older, he's a little more world-weary. He's been around the block once or twice so he's a little wiser but he's definitely more cynical and a little darker and more jaded", adding that Batman has gotten "more exposed to the violence and the criminal element of that world over time." The film's Batman was influenced by Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, which shows Batman in his 50s. Snyder said, "I definitely wanted an older Batman. I wanted a war-weary Batman. That's why, in a lot of ways, Ben was really perfect for me – we kind of aged him a little bit. It worked really great. I'm really excited about the Batman we created." On Affleck's casting as Batman, Snyder said, "Ben provides an interesting counterbalance to Henry's Superman. He has the acting chops to create a layered portrayal of a man who is older and wiser than Clark Kent and bears the scars of a seasoned crime fighter, but retain the charm that the world sees in billionaire Bruce Wayne." Affleck praised Snyder for tackling the impact of the destruction caused in Metropolis in the previous installment, saying, "One of the things I liked was Zack's idea of showing accountability and the consequences of violence and seeing that there are real people in those buildings", adding, "And in fact, one of those buildings was Bruce Wayne's building so he knew people who died in that Black Zero event". Brandon Spink portrays a young Bruce Wayne. Henry Cavill as Clark Kent / Superman: A Metropolis-based Kryptonian survivor and a journalist for the Daily Planet who uses his extraterrestrial abilities to protect humanity. Superman's suit in Batman v Superman is somewhat similar to that in Man of Steel, but with enhanced, high-tech-style surface detail and a shinier, more metallic-looking cape. A quote written in Kryptonian was added into Superman's symbol which says "Where we had thought to stand alone, we will be with all the world". The film addresses the destruction caused by Superman and Zod in Metropolis, a part of Man of Steel that was criticized for being too extensive for Superman, to which Snyder responded "I was surprised because that's the thesis of Superman for me, that you can't just have superheroes knock around and have there be no consequences". On what the public perception of Superman is in the film, Cavill said "In this movie, everyone has split into different directions as to how they feel about this alien", adding, "Some people love him, some hate him. Other people fear him. Is he a tyrant?" When asked how Superman has evolved since Man of Steel, Cavill said "Superman himself isn't that different. He does, however, have to deal with a new set of problems because he's now been revealed to the world. This film is more about how the world in general – and Batman in particular – sees this alien, and less about the evolution of Superman." Cavill described Superman and Batman as being the "two sides of the same coin. They have the same goal, but use very different methods to achieve it. Understandably, that leads them to clash with one another, and their conflict is a historic moment." Amy Adams as Lois Lane: A reporter for the Daily Planet and love interest of Clark Kent. About her role, Adams stated that "Lois is still sort of like the key to the information. She's the girl going out and getting it and figuring it out and putting it together and all of that, so she's very much involved." When asked about her thoughts on portraying Lois Lane in the film, Adams replied, "I love that she's fearless. I'm not that way so it's really fun that she really is not afraid of the consequences." On Lois Lane and Clark Kent's relationship in the film, Adams said, "What's great about this is that, as far as the relationship with Lois and Clark goes, when we meet them you can tell that they've been in a relationship for while," further explaining, "So it was great to get to develop that sort of intimacy and that sort of friendship that I've developed with Henry, to get to bring that to the screen." She also described Clark Kent as being Lois Lane's connection to humanity and said, "She may have some tunnel vision, but she's got a job and moral standards. [When] we met her before, she would do anything to get the story – now Clark has instilled some faith in humanity in her. Her relationship with Clark is the closest thing she has to anything faith-based, you know? Although moving in with Clark brings issues."