In September, I began sharing my thoughts on the film “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” (as per usual, I’m now going to shorten it to “BvS”). Today I want to give my final thoughts on this maligned film. One of the criticisms of “BvS” is how Batman (Ben Affleck) murders. It’s true that he does, but it’s a mistake to presume that it’s the end of his story. There’s more to his character development. In fact, I submit to you that Affleck’s Batman leaves this legacy: no matter how dark the path they may be on, a man or woman can change. Let me unpack this.
Batman misunderstood Superman (Henry Cavill), and this
gross miscalculation drove him down a dark path. For 18 months, Batman had bitterness,
seething anger, and increased violence.
So much so, he actually came within an inch of taking the life of Superman
with a kryptonite spear. He was so
deluded that he thought doing this was a service to humanity. However, when Superman mentioned that Martha
was going to die, Batman saw that he was wrong; Superman wasn’t the villain as
he had thought he was.
By the way, unfortunately I can only hit and run on this,
but the controversial “Martha” scene in “BvS”
is one that probably could have been executed a little bit better. But the change of heart is not simply because
Clark and Bruce both have a mother named Martha! Whatever your opinion on the scene, the
result is Batman ultimately fights alongside Superman. Moreover, as a gesture of friendship, he
promises Superman that he will save Martha.
And in a dazzling scene (one of my favorite scenes of the film), Batman
singlehandedly fights off probably 30 men, and rescues Martha.
At the film’s end, Superman selflessly died to save the
lives of humanity, including the lives of Batman and Wonder Woman. This was the only course of action; only
Superman was capable of this heroic act to save the world – a clear picture of what Jesus Christ did for
us on the cross. This picture was
completed in 2017’s “Justice League” when Superman returned from the dead. And it was Superman’s influence that had
changed Batman. One example of this is
when Batman visits an incarcerated Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg).
Speaking of Lex, while Eisenberg’s performance as Luthor in
“BvS” receives a lot of criticism, I
think Eisenberg is a lot of fun to watch in this role. He is brilliant, calculating, and manipulative. Interestingly, the dialogue also suggests
that this is actually Lex Luthor Jr (like father, like son). Anyway, Batman confronts Lex in jail. Luthor is sure that Bats will use a branding
iron on his neck, just as he had done to other criminals earlier in the film,
but this time, he doesn’t. His
transformation is further evidenced by his concern for life in subsequent films
in this cinematic universe. For example,
in 2016’s “Suicide Squad” Batman
saves Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) from drowning, even though she essentially
thanks him by turning around and trying to kill him.
Let me conclude with a fascinating contrast. There’s another live action presentation of
a Batman that went down on a dark path.
In 2019, the CW presented an epic crossover event titled “Crisis on Infinite Earths”. In part 2 of this saga, we were treated to
Kevin Conroy playing an aged Bruce Wayne, only able to move around with the
help of an exoskeleton suit. Batwoman
and Supergirl travel to his Earth (referred to as Earth-99) to recruit him, but
in a stunning development, it is revealed that this Bruce Wayne was far from
honorable (spoiler alert). This Bruce,
by his own admission, murdered without remorse or guilt. In his consuming hatred of all things
Kryptonian, he tried (unsuccessfully) to murder Supergirl.
As a result of the fight, the Bruce of that alternate Earth
died. His last words to Batwoman were: “There
is no hope.” Shout-out to the talented
Kevin Conroy here (I confess I’m still in grief over Kevin’s death); he was
chilling as a hardened villain, rather than a noble hero. Conversely, Ben Affleck’s Batman – his
cinematic legacy as I see it – showed us the truth: there is always hope. Christmas
will quickly be here. As November of
2023 ends in a matter of hours, I want to conclude my thoughts on “BvS” by saying there is hope for you and
for me today, no matter what – because of Jesus.
God bless,
Kevin
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