The long-awaited Batman v Superman trailer finally leaked online yesterday. And I have rarely ever suddenly been less excited about a movie I was previously very excited for.
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Now, let’s take couple things into account here. 1. Though this is a trailer running over 2 minutes, you don’t really get much of a sense of the plot of Batman v Superman. Sure, Superman is a controversial Jesus-type figure. And yes, we see a nice tease of the promised throw down between Batman & Superman, but that’s about it. So, we don’t have a ton to go off here. 2. The leaked trailer was in another country. Trailers are often custom made to fit different countries tastes. It’s entirely possible we will see a completely different trailer here in the US that is nothing like the trailer that has leaked.
That being said, it’s still not hard to get the sense of the overall tone they are going for with Batman v Superman based on the leaked trailer alone. And it’s all the bad news come fruition. The rumored “no jokes” mandate seems in full effect here, and that, to me is a terrible direction to go.
Now, I’m not saying Batman v Superman can’t be a complex dark movie. That’s offering something different on the table from what Marvel is putting out there, and that’s a great idea to not be seen as straight up copycats. What worries me is that the trailer eliminates pretty much any sense of fun and joy you get from seeing these characters on the screen. You can have both, in fact you must. Christopher Nolan’s whole Batman trilogy is a very serious affair, but Batman is a source of good and hope and someone who inspires the people of Gotham. What I’m saying is the movie can be dark and gritty but the heroes are supposed to essentially be that light in the darkness.
For a really good recent example, let’s take a look at the Daredevil series. It strikes a much darker tone than your usual Marvel fare, and I don’t think it’s unfair to describe Daredevil as Batman without the billions. Sure, Matt Murdock has some money, but really it’s just enough to help keep a roof over his head and his struggling law practice afloat. He can’t afford a Daredevilmobile even if he could drive one. But Daredevil/Matt Murdock himself is a guy who inspires people because of the good he is doing while still being a way darker hero than say Captain America. You want appropriately gritty, that’s what Warner Bros and DC should be striving for, not this utterly joyless tone they have gone for.
Granted it’s a vague trailer that doesn’t show a whole lot. But as of right now, based solely on this trailer, I’m not terribly excited to see Batman v Superman in theaters. It feels much more like an obligation at this point than something I’m truly pumped for. I do hope I’m wrong, but all the evidence so far says otherwise.
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