Stunt man Richard Cetrone has weighed in on the controversy of The Dark Knight taking lives in Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. While the film as a whole continues to be a lightning rod among comic book movies, Batman killing would prove to be among its most contentious elements. It was also just one aspect of what remains an overall quite polarizing superhero movie.

The Bruce Wayne seen in Batman v Superman is perhaps the most beaten down and cynical version of the character ever portrayed on the big screen. Following the destructive climax of Man of Steel, Bruce Wayne views Superman with great paranoia and hostility, coming to the conclusion that he must be destroyed. Additionally, Batman kills a number of henchmen in his efforts to obtain the Kryptonite needed to do the job, with the character also killing in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice's Knightmare sequence and coming inches away from murdering the Man of Steel himself.

RELATED: Batman v Superman's Knightmare Will Make Sense After Snyder's Justice League 

While speaking with Screen Rant's own Stephen Colbert and Andrew Dyce on the BvS: By The Minute podcast, Ben Affleck's stunt double on the movie, Richard Cetrone, shared his thoughts on the backlash to Batman killing, feeling that, with respect to the Knightmare specifically, Bruce perceives himself as being in "a war against Superman, unfortunately." Cetrone also stated he feels that Affleck's Batman had "lost who he is, and he's lost his ideals." Cetrone would go on to state his belief that Batman realizing that Superman was not a threat was something that he needed to "snap him back" to the man he used to be. The stunt man also emphasized Batman's regard for human life, saying, "Batman deeply cares about his people. Every life is important to him."

batman v superman

As is the case with Superman himself, the idea of Batman executing villains is highly divisive. That being said, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is hardly the first time The Caped Crusader has killed on film; most cinematic portrayals show some degree of lethal force on his part. Batman Returns shows him with a particularly strong bloodlust. This also runs parallel to the much-debated reaction to the ending of Man of Steel, in which Superman is forced to break General Zod's neck to stop him from killing a terrified family with his heat vision.

In Superman's case, the situation left him with no other option but to kill Zod, due to the Phantom Zone no longer being accessible. At the same time, the reasoning behind Batman killing in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is more abstract. The movie's Bruce Wayne has been Batman for twenty years and seen the worst of human nature in that time. This is exemplified by his line "Twenty years in Gotham, Alfred. We've seen what promises are worth. How many good guys are left? How many stayed that way?" That, combined with Bruce's horror at the carnage in Metropolis, would fill him with, as Alfred put it, "the feeling of powerlessness that turns good men cruel."

Ultimately, Cetrone's comments shed more light on a controversial aspect of the film, helping to explain Bruce's decision. After all, The Dark Knight abandoning his no-kill policy is very much the core of his story in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. His journey, with Superman's guidance bringing him back from being a killer to become a hero once more, wouldn't be the same without it.

NEXT: How Superman Stayed True To The Comics In Zack Snyder's Batman V Superman

Key Release Dates