Is There too Much in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice?

Recently, it was confirmed that Jason Momoa will indeed play AQUAMAN in BvS:DoJ. With Wonder Woman and Cyborg joining along with Flash being rumored, is it too much? Or am I just being ridiculous and we are still too far away to worry?

Editorial Opinion
By shabat - Jun 17, 2014 03:06 PM EST
Filed Under: Batman vs. Superman

Allow me to begin this article by talking about Man of Steel.  I loved it.  I've seen it a bunch of times and I still love it.  Superman punches.  He heat visions villians.  And yes, he let his emotions get the best of him and causes destruction.  Well, some of it, but only in Smallville.  


Unfortunately, as much as I LOVE this film, it isn't perfect.  My three main gripes with this film sadly come towards the end:

1.  Lois had no buisness being on the plane with Kal-El's baby ship at the end.  She could have easily told Dr. Hamilton what to do.  Which leads to...

2.  The sequence of events of Lois being on the plane ultimately ended up with Superman having to save Lois.  Did Superman and Lois have to kiss after that?  I didn't feel like there was much built between them two to warrant it at that moment.  Not only that, they were standing essentially in the middle of ground zero.  Maybe it's just me, but it didn't feel right.

3.  The destruction.  DISCLAIMER:  I liked the destruction.  It showed what a real fight between superpowered beings looked like.  Anybody who says Superman should have flown Zod away somewhere else, well that would just seem pointless for him to even try.  What would stop Zod from flying back?  Nothing.  Anywho, back to my point, it seemed like Superman and everybody else was a little to content with the events that just unfolded.  Yes, he saved the entire planet, but I feel like Superman would have not been as happy with the loss of life that occured because of Zod's attack.  We have no timeline given for when the Daily Planet scene happened, but I don't think it is out of the question to assume it happens pretty soon thereafter if no timeline is given.  Right?

Again, even though I had problems with these things, I still love this movie.  

Growing up, Superman and Batman have always been my favorite characters.  I have a big place in my heart for the Christopher Reeve movies along with Michael Keaton's Batman.  Needless to say, I find the Dark Knight trilogy the most amazing ever.  

SIDE NOTE:  The Dark Knight Rises and Man of Steel were filming relatively close in time, and I was really hoping for Henry Cavill to pop into TDKR at least for a cameo.  Even if Nolan was saying he wanted no part of that.   I still wish it happened and TDKR's events occured slightly different and we'd already would have an established Batman.  But that's not the point of this article.  

Well, when I found out from last summer's San Diego Comic-Con that Batman AND Superman are going to be in the same movie, well....

 


That being said, the more information that comes out about Batman v Superman, the less I understand and the more I get worried.  I'd like to take this time to highlight some things from a timeline perspective:

1.  Ben Affleck was cast as Batman.  Admittedly, my first reaction was, "What in the actual f@#k?!?!?!"  I didn't like it.  Then I saw Argo and The Town.  I warmed up to Ben mainly because he can tell a story.  Those problems I had with Man of Steel, I have full confidence Ben can clean up.  Then this came along:

I definitely have no problems with Ben Affleck being Batman anymore.  

2.  Gal Gadot was cast as Wonder Woman.  I wanted Wonder Woman to have her own movie.  She deserves it.  I don't think that needs much more explaining, Wonder Woman deserves her own effing movie!  I had no idea who Gal was.  I never watched any of the Fast movies with her, so I have no idea what her acting skills are.  I can't comment on that.  I can comment on her body type though.  This is what worries me about her.  I'm not talking about her bewbs or butt, I'm talking about her overall frame.  She is skinny.  I'm sure she worked her ass off getting in shape for the role, and I commend her for it, but I'm afraid she still doesn't have the mass to pull off the look of Wonder Woman.   She can lift all the weight in the world, but I'm afraid she just won't have that bulkier look that I believe Wonder Woman should have.  Who knows, maybe her costume will hide some of that or she can sell a ferocious punch.  I don't know, but I am worried about this.

3.  Other characters.  We have Cyborg and Aquaman confirmed.  A rumored Flash cameo is also out there.  Actually, I don't know that we will actually see Cyborg as Cyborg, or just Victor Stone before he becomes Cyborg.  I'm not even sure if he is just a cameo either.  I'm not saying that it is becoming overcrowded, but it feels like this film is definintely NOT going to be standing on its own.  People are saying this is just going to be a 2 hour commercial for Justice League and I fear they are right.  What I absolutely love about the Dark Knight Trilogy, is that each movie stands on its own, and then at the same time when viewed as a whole, its one large movie.  The key though is that each film didn't need another to justify itself.  Batman and Superman definitely do not need other Justice League characters to give, just them, a good movie.  I want just Batman and Superman, and I want their dynamic fleshed out properly.  More on this later...

4.  Lex Luthor.  I actually don't mind this.  I'm curious to see what Jesse Eisenberg does.

5.  The statue.  I don't know that we really know what the statue is about.  It seems all signs are pointing toward a Superman celebration of the events of Man of Steel.  Yes, he save the planet.  Like I said before, I don't think Superman would have felt all that great about the amount of life lost, nor should the humans.  I would think more people would be apprehensive to accept Superman just yet.  It just seems a little fast.  But again, we have no idea what the statue is for.

6.  The title.  At first I liked it.  Now, I don't know.  If I liked it, I would be contradicting what I want from my third point about fleshing out the dynamic between Superman and Batman.  Right now it seems more Dawn of Justice than it does Batman v Superman.  Hopefully, HOPEFULLY, they are exploring more of that dynamic, and the Dawn of Justice part is more about Superman and Batman coming to some sort of semi aggreance yet still cautious with eachother.  Surely there would be a scene at the end of the movie exploring this.  Adding Wonder Woman was a step back, in my opinion.  It seems like she's definitely getting more than a cameo and could possibly take away screen time needed to build that relationship between Clark and Bruce.  I don't know.  If she popped in at the end of the movie during a final scene with Superman and Batman shaking hands, then starts questioning about the events of Man of Steel with a heated argument ensuing, then starts kicking their asses, that would be cool I suppose.  But this film has to be about Batman and Superman and not so much about an upcoming Justice League movie.  Let it stand on its own.

This is all just rambling, but I want this film to be so effing good.  I know we are still two years away and we don't know anything.  I still feel that this film will not be able to stand on its own and I hope to God I am wrong.  It should be able to because, hell, Batman AND Superman.  Hopefully, I'm stupid and this is all for naught.  I will still be there on midnight of opening day, and if they do some sort of marathon and show Man of Steel before it, I will be doing that too.

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/TwistedKingdom/news/?a=102060

James Gunn Reveals His Title For A (Hypothetical) BATMAN And SUPERMAN Team-Up Movie
Related:

James Gunn Reveals His Title For A (Hypothetical) BATMAN And SUPERMAN Team-Up Movie

BATMAN: Ben Affleck's DCEU Appearances Ranked From Worst To Best According To Rotten Tomatoes
Recommended For You:

BATMAN: Ben Affleck's DCEU Appearances Ranked From Worst To Best According To Rotten Tomatoes

DISCLAIMER: As a user generated site and platform, ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and "Safe Harbor" provisions.

This post was submitted by a user who has agreed to our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. ComicBookMovie.com will disable users who knowingly commit plagiarism, piracy, trademark or copyright infringement. Please CONTACT US for expeditious removal of copyrighted/trademarked content. CLICK HERE to learn more about our copyright and trademark policies.

Note that ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

ruadh
ruadh - 6/17/2014, 3:57 PM
I have to say yes. Movies should only have three people, tops, and maybe four scenes. More than that, and I just tune out.
GoldSlayer1
GoldSlayer1 - 6/17/2014, 4:59 PM
Lord of The Rings/Hobbit had/have tons of characters, so did X-men: Days of Future Past.

I dont think its that big of an issue seeing how the movie is being filmed Back-to-back with Justice League, and the end of BvS is a cliffhanger for Justice League.

My guess is, it will be about Batman and Superman with small cameos (I.e. Football game for Victor Stone) and then a first encounter with other JL members before the movie ends (Like Aquaman and the rumored Flash/GL).
TwistedKingdom
TwistedKingdom - 6/17/2014, 5:22 PM
I believe a big concern with BvS is the effect it'll have on the Justice League film.

One of the reasons The Avengers was so huge is because it was the first time seeing these characters on screen together. In the film we don't see them completely "assembled", all 6 of them, until New York.

Justice League won't have that "first time ever" advantage because that's coming in BvS. We'll have seen half the team together by the time JL comes around. More importantly, the big three.
GoldSlayer1
GoldSlayer1 - 6/17/2014, 5:23 PM
@TwistedKingdom
Batman and Superman coming together > ... > ... > ... > Avengers Coming together.
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 6/17/2014, 5:35 PM
@ Godslayer

Coming together is something that only happens to people that have a real connection. Know what I mean?
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 6/17/2014, 5:37 PM
Dirty jokes aside....I don't think anyone knows enough about this movie to answer this question.

No one knows what roles any of these people will be playing in the movie. We know Bats and Supes will be main characters, obviously. But no one knows how much screen time the others will have. So yeah, how can anyone answer this question with any type of certainty?
kong
kong - 6/17/2014, 6:10 PM
@ruadh

LMFAO!!!! That made my day!
feedonatreefrog
feedonatreefrog - 6/17/2014, 6:12 PM
The emergence of future Justice League members doesn't have to mean that it won't be a Batman/Superman story.

Was First Class not a Magneto/Xavier tale because it involved Xavier dealing with other mutants, namely the team?

For Xavier, as a leader, the presence of other mutants in the story is essential to his characterization.

Can't it be the same for Supes/Bats?

ruadh
ruadh - 6/17/2014, 6:12 PM
A lot of movies have a ton of characters, but not everyone gets a ton of origin. Aside from the two title guys, and possible Wonder Woman, and most likely Lex, I don't expect too many people to get a lot of time and development in this film. If you check out the credits on some of your favorite films, there's a LOT of speaking roles. And of those, many will have more than one scene. Doesn't mean they get 45 minutes devoted to their backstory.

That's why I still don't get when people have the kneejerk of "too many characters", or "too many villains" etc. Most movies have many characters. A lot of movies have more than one villain. Usually there's one ultimate villain, with minions etc, but the more obstacles a main character has, usually, the more interesting the journey will be.

Ferris Bueller has two villains: the Principal, and his sister. John McClane never faces off against only one angry eastern european. Darth Vader was not the entire Empire, and so on. And all of these movies had supporting characters, with many minor characters. A lot of times, these characters are people you instantly get in a moment because they're archetypes. Aquaman, and Flash if we see him, Cyborg, etc, probably won't need a ton of backstory because the audience will understand who they are and what they're about with a quick line of dialogue and some action.
ruadh
ruadh - 6/17/2014, 6:13 PM
@TheReddestHood

Thank you! Your reaction made mine.
fastflames
fastflames - 6/17/2014, 6:23 PM
This film will be to Justice League as Iron Man 2 was to the Avengers. A huge overstuffed cluster[frick] that leads into an amazing movie.
thebearjew
thebearjew - 6/17/2014, 7:01 PM
oh for gods sakes
this double standard is ridulous

avengers 2 has
captain America
iron man
thor
hulk
hawkeye
black widow
vision
quick silver
scarlet witch
nick furry
ultron
thanos
carol denvers (rumored)
and that's not a lot of heroes????? really????
shabat
shabat - 6/17/2014, 7:08 PM
@ruadh

I'm not thinking it's overcrowded. I just don't want it to turn into what FastFlames said. My only point of all this was that I want it to stand on its own. If no Justice League movie was happening, this movie should still be awesome. The only good things about Iron Man 2 (to me anyways), was all the Avengers Easter eggs. Your first comment made me laugh pretty good too.
shabat
shabat - 6/17/2014, 7:10 PM
That being said, it would be cool to see the cameos from some of these characters, but I don't want them to be a crutch for the film.
shabat
shabat - 6/17/2014, 7:13 PM
@twistedkingdom

I don't know that BvS will necessarily be a first time for these characters. Aside from Bats and Supes, the rest are cameos. Wonder Woman may have a total of 10-15 minutes of screen time. Just a guess. I think we will still get the first time from the entire team in Justice League.
ruadh
ruadh - 6/17/2014, 7:15 PM
Eh, I still have no problem with Iron Man 2. I also don't see it as the avengers prequel a lot of people apparently do. Having other heroes pop up in this movie, whether as a cameo or full supporting character....awesome.
shabat
shabat - 6/17/2014, 7:17 PM
I probably should have titled this differently. I think maybe I gave the wrong impression of what I was going for. My bad.
shabat
shabat - 6/17/2014, 7:20 PM
@ruadh

I just remember feeling like Iron Man was amazing midway through the movie and it carried through. The second one, I don't know, I just didn't get that same feeling. The whiplash thing felt really dumb. But that's just me.
shabat
shabat - 6/17/2014, 7:26 PM
@mancalledsting

Dude! If they put some comic book based shows on cable television...nudity could be a thing.
ruadh
ruadh - 6/17/2014, 8:16 PM
No problem, I don't think people are stupid or even wrong to dislike Iron Man 2. I just don't sympathize.
tonytony
tonytony - 6/17/2014, 8:55 PM
they are filming back to back so these need to be casted
jaysin420
jaysin420 - 6/17/2014, 10:05 PM
Good article, I agree about with you on just about everything regarding MOS.

I don't think having so many characters will be a problem as long as they're mostly cameos. It would have been great if one or two of these characters had a cameo in MOS to split it up more, but whatever.
DeusExSponge
DeusExSponge - 6/17/2014, 10:55 PM
I'm sure most of these castings will be cameos, with the main focus being placed on good ole Man of Steel and the Dark Knight. Gotta have some references in the movie in order to make a cinematic universe you know!
kinghulk
kinghulk - 6/18/2014, 2:26 AM
for cyborg im imagining a quick cameo playing football and then later in the film he saves some kid's life while the end battle is going on and get's crushed or something then we see him being treated at the end of the film. then he can be shown becoming cyborg early in justice league.



Pasto
Pasto - 6/18/2014, 5:43 AM
Put on the red light...
Klone
Klone - 6/18/2014, 6:30 AM
Depends on how the characters are used. I'm more concerned about the seemingly shit, horrible, terribly laughable casting and what they may be doing with these characters.
Klone
Klone - 6/18/2014, 6:32 AM
"Lord of The Rings/Hobbit had/have tons of characters, so did X-men: Days of Future Past."

[frick]ing hell... what is wrong with people? There are much better arguments to be made in favor of this damn film THAN THAT STUPID ONE THAT IS USED OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND MAKES NO DAMN SENSE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
MrBlackJack
MrBlackJack - 6/18/2014, 8:07 AM
I don't know, I'll have to watch the film.
shabat
shabat - 6/18/2014, 8:49 AM
LOL here come the monkeys!
ToxicCap
ToxicCap - 6/18/2014, 6:04 PM
To my knowledge, no one has confirmed that there would be no post-credits scene to BvS:DoJ. So, what if all these Justice League members are just here for a post-credits scene? WB have confirmed that they do want to drift away from Marvel's way of doing things so its highly unlikely.
PeterParker1991
PeterParker1991 - 7/8/2014, 9:26 AM
Ok. First, X-men ALWAYS has tons of mutants. That's just how it always is. A Batman/Superman movie doesn't need to throw every dam DC character in the same movie just to see how it goes. I say this because mostly of the general public. The average joe don't even know who Aquaman or Martian Manhunter are. Cyborg. Flash. GL. Yeah and I suppose Doomsday and Darkseid will be announced too, right? And.. my main issue with this developing series is that Batman is gonna be old as dirt fighting alongside Supes and everyone. He'll be dead b4 the second JL film!
View Recorder