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April 20, 2015: Breaking Down the "Batman v Superman" Trailer

A few days have passed since the first "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" trailer was officially posted online. I wanted to give myself the weekend to soak it all in, assess the online reactions from fans, and to receive the High Definition version of the trailer from my contact at Warner Bros. before sitting down to write my own thoughts on the trailer.

At just over 2 minutes long (the file I have is 2 minutes 14 seconds long), the trailer starts off with the Warner Bros. Pictures logo and DC Comics logo.

A voice (apparently that of Charlie Rose, American journalist and TV talk show host) asks, "Is it really surprising that the most powerful man in the world should be a figure of controversy?". We approach a statue of Superman, which I assume has been erected in Metropolis at ground zero of the Kryptonian attack seen in "Man of Steel".

Another male voice says, "We as a population, on this planet, have been looking for a savior."

We then see Superman, surrounded by adoring or worshipping people, some with their faces painted, reaching their hands out to touch him. This brings to mind a scene seen in the over-sized graphic novel "Superman: Peace on Earth," where Superman is mobbed by people of an impoverished nation when he brings them much needed supplies. They're clearly in awe of him, wanting to touch him. Superman doesn't look completely comfortable with the situation.

Then a number of voices are heard, one of them clearly that of Neil deGrasse Tyson, each stating a different part of the following statements:

"We are talking about a being... an alien... whose very existence... They're not telling us the truth... Challenges our own sense of priority... This is our planet!... in the universe".

This is obviously part of the film's theme, with ongoing debate post-"Man of Steel" as to Superman's purpose and place on Earth.

Superman is then seen holding a Russian missile or rocket above his head. There is obvious devastation and destruction behind him. (On a side note, the 003 on the missile is supposedly a nod to Snyder's "300" film).

More voices are heard; "Human beings have a horrible track record/tragedy... of following people of great... power corrupts... and absolute power corrupts absolutely... Chaos...". One of these voices is possibly that of Holly Hunter.

As we zoom in closer yet to the Superman statue, we can see that the monument behind the statue appears to have many names on it, possibly as a tribute to all the people who died during the Kryptonian attack on the planet in "Man of Steel".

We also see a building in the background, which might be Lexcorp Tower, as it appears to have an L shape to it.

A group of men, who look like soldiers, but with "S" patches on their uniforms, bow on bended knee as Superman approaches them from the end of a hallway. It appears to be underground somewhere, perhaps in a bunker, as there is a metal ladder behind Superman with depth markings on the wall.

A voice of reason says, "Maybe he's just a guy trying to do the right thing..."

"We know better now don't we?", says Lex Luthor.

"He's out of control!" yells someone else.

"Devils don't come from hell beneath us," explains Lex Luthor's voice.

"They brought their war here" cries someone else.

"They come from the sky."

As someone reaches skyward towards Superman, who hovers above in a cloud-filled sky, the voices continue...

A voice that again sounds like Holly Hunter's says, "The world has been so caught up in what he can do, that no one has asked what he should do."

As we pan for a close-up on the statue of Superman, we can hear a crowd chanting, "Go home! Go home! Go home! Go home!". Spot lights turn on one at a time revealing the statue's chest with the words "FALSE GOD" spray painted in red across the "S" symbol.

Another voice, that of Alfred Pennyworth, says, "That's how it starts. The fever. The rage. The feeling of powerlessness." We see a close-up of Bruce Wayne's face as he looks sternly at the Batsuit on display. Alfred's voice continues, "That turns good men cruel."

The camera then flies over the surface of the "Man of Steel" logo before the words "In 2016" appear on the screen.

We then see Batman, standing at the end of a large room, concrete columns either side of the screen may indicate that he's actually standing in the remains of the Metropolis subway station where Superman and Zod's battle concluded. There's graffiti on the columns. There's some speculation that a spray painted question mark could be an indication of the Riddler, but it could just be a question mark and nothing more.

A flying craft/airplane (a flying Batplane?) flies down towards a riverside dock. Shots are fired down upon the street, a Batmobile is amongst the explosions.

The camera once more flies over the surface of the "Man of Steel" symbol.

Flames behind him, we see Batman emerge. We then see him atop a high-rise building at night. He appears to be holding some kind of weapon or a grappling hook gun.

We then change to a stormy night, Batman in his armored suit, looking skyward. We see that he's looking up into a rainswept night. A flash of lightning reveals Superman hovering above.

"Tell me," says the gruff voice of Batman as Superman looks down on him. "Do you bleed?" asks Batman. Superman lands forcefully on the rooftop where Batman stands. "You will" exclaims Batman threateningly.

We then see the whole "Man of Steel" logo, which darkens as it is joined by the Batman symbol, forming the now familiar "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" logo.

The words "Batman v Superman" and "Dawn of Justice" and "2016" appear on the screen. We then see all the credits attributed to the film and the characters.

The music is subtle at first, but builds as the action builds throughout the trailer. From what we know this music is the combined work of that of Hans Zimmer and Junkie_XL.

There's been much speculation about the themes of this trailer, and what it will mean for the film as a whole. I've seen articles claiming that Superman is painted as the villain of the story, who must be taken down by Batman. I've seen reports that "everyone hates Superman" in the trailer. But there are obviously people who love him, even worship him. There are people reaching out to him, people bending at the knee as he approaches. There are both people arguing for and against Superman. The city even erected a statue to him at one point. Yes, it gets defaced by those who are against his being on Earth. And I think that is a fairly evenly balanced point to take.

We're talking about an Earth where Superman's appearance came during a time when his own race tried to destroy the world. While he saved the day, it's because he was here in the first place that the threat arrived. There are obviously going to be people who feel threatened by him being here... with all his powers. No matter how much he proves himself they won't accept him. He's different.

By the same token, there will be people who will admire him, look up to him, and yes, even worship him. He's a savior. He's a being of amazing powers who is here to help.

As the dialog states... he's a figure of controversy.

All in all, I was impressed with this first trailer without being blown away. It has a dark tone, but that was somewhat expected. I like that it follows on directly from "Man of Steel". We really don't yet understand the motivations of either Superman or Batman. It's vague enough (until the very end) for us to be unsure as to how Superman feels about the way he's perceived (both positive and negative). We also don't know how and why Batman gets involved. What side of the fence he sits on at first... and why or how he decides that he must confront Superman with such antagonistic comments. We also don't know what Superman's reaction to Batman is. Does he land on that rooftop to try and talk things out and reason with Batman? Does he know anything at all about this man who dresses up as a Bat?

Future trailers may give us more insight, but for now, I think we're all just a little more intrigued and more than willing to go along for the ride Zack Snyder is preparing for us.

"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" will be released in theaters on March 25, 2016.