WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Wonder Woman.

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The critics agree that Wonder Woman is the best-reviewed film in the DCEU, but the good news for everyone is that Diana's origin story makes Batman V Superman even better as a result. Those who found Zack Snyder's Justice League lead-in not to their tastes, and the changes to BvS's Ultimate Edition not much of an improvement, Wonder Woman may remain the only DCEU movie they enjoy on repeat viewings. But if the showdown between DC's biggest icons seemed like a promising, or at least interesting but ultimately flawed story, the depth and added weight behind Diana's character may improve the film more than one might expect.

With Wonder Woman flying past $300 million box office already - and possibly on pace to make more money than Man of Steel - some fond of Diana may wish to simply look forward, not backward (and that includes the Wonder Woman Amazons returning for Justice League). Having gone to the trouble of seeing what new connections, ideas, DCEU themes, and specific plot clarifications arise thanks to Wonder Woman, we have to recommend that curious fans see if the points on our list catch their interest.

Needless to say, there will be plenty of DCEU SPOILERS in our look at How Wonder Woman Makes Batman V Superman Better.

"Gods Hurl Thunderbolts"

Batman V Superman - Alfred (Jeremy Irons)

For reasons that should be perfectly obvious to anyone who has seen Wonder Woman, the scene in which Alfred addresses the apparent changing of "rules" in torturing criminals carries some new meaning. When Alfred corrects his employer and states that things have most certainly changed, it's impossible to hear the following words the same: "Men fall from the sky. The gods hurl thunderbolts." Considering that Wonder Woman's own history of humanity's creation includes both those exact features, it pairs the final battles between Diana and Ares, and Superman and Zod. In the former fight, the bout itself is based on literally hurling thunderbolts.

Alfred continues to explain that when the gods do battle on Earth, or make this plane of 'mortals' their backdrop - as Ares, and Zod have - the result is that "innocents die. That's how it starts, sir. The fever. The rage. The feeling of powerlessness. It turns good men cruel." It's a little eerie how much this claim resonates, since the notion that men are inherently "good," and that they grow "cruel" only through a hunger for power (all stemming from envy, anger, and hate) are the basic thesis statements of Wonder Woman.

Unfortunately, the pattern has begun all over again with Bruce in particular - adding further fuel to the idea that men don't need to be directly steered by Ares to be corrupted... unless you argue that Lex Luthor is now the one manipulating events, and trusting that all key players will react, and attack, as he assumes. More on that later.

"You Know, Dad Was Born in East Germany"

Jesse Eisenberg in Lex Luthor Viral Marketing

Wonder Woman may end with Diana saving the day, and The Great War ending in a ceasefire, but the wars of man were already set in motion. Even if we know that Diana didn't "turn her back" on the world, she does admit to turning away from it with Ares defeated. It's hard to blame her, considering how the so-called 'good guys' she was fighting alongside in her own solo movie handled Germany upon their defeat in World War II (which spun out of Germany's defeat in World War I). In short, dividing the country up into sections each conquering country could claim - with East Germany falling under Soviet rule until 1990. By then Lex Luthor's father had already spent his childhood in the controlled region, "marching in parades, waving flowers at tyrants."

The likely history, then, is of Lex's father growing up in the forgotten mess left behind by foreign powers. Only in adulthood did he clearly leave for America, have a son, and grow his empire in that child's name. Consider how Lex views even virtuous heroes or 'defenders' as far darker than most realize, and you're pulling at a compelling thread. Also of note: Germany largely lost the war Diana fought in by trying to knock out one superpower (France) before their other neighbor (Russia) could attack. Damaged, but aggressive and power-hungry trying to outsmart threats on either side... well, that describes Lex just as well.

The Metahuman Thesis

Jesse Eisenberg Lex Luthor Batman V Superman poster banner

As manic as he may be in pursuit of power and authority, you have to hand it to Lex Luthor for realizing that Superman wasn't the only superhuman to have walked the face of the Earth throughout history. The Kryptonite weapon he proposes is intended to deter more than just the Man of Steel, since he believes "there are more of them... the metahuman thesis. More likely than not, these exceptional beings live among us. The basis of our myths. Gods among men upon our little blue planet here." We learn later in the film that he's already found proof of one immortal Greek warrior woman, but it's a solid theory to begin with, since we now know that it's correct on even its most fundamental assumption.

If Diana would be defined as a "metahuman" due to her being the daughter of Zeus, then it stands to reason many other gods, demigods, and children of gods were similarly shifted from history to myth. Hercules seems just as likely a candidate proving Lex's point, and may even be referenced in a Wonder Woman easter egg. But if you go one step further and assume that Zeus, Ares, and the rest of the Olympian Gods were also shifted from actual figures to 'gods,' Lex may give another hint towards the Gods of Apokolips actually creating the Greek Pantheon.

NEXT: [valnet-url-page page=2 paginated=0 text='The%20Secret%20of%20Diana%27s%20Photograph']

Batman V Superman Painting Angels

"Devils Don't Come From Hell Beneath Us..."

It's a moment that's returned to in the final scenes of the movie, when Lex Luthor makes good on his musing of flipping his father's massive painting upside down. The painting, for those who forget, depict armed angels descending from the heavens to do battle with demonic warriors rising from the darkness beneath. The meaning, as explained by Lex, is his belief that the true "devils" come from the skies, implying that they are taken as saviors or righteous when they are truly the most harmful. In the broadest possible sense, it's putting forward the idea that gods - perhaps all gods, given Lex's later monologue concerning his own crisis of faith - do more harm than good. Or at least some of the things taken as good can be evil concealed.

Viewers may have just as difficult a time hearing that assertion paired with the painting's style and not immediately thinking of the painterly storybook sequence from Wonder Woman, as Queen Hippolyta informs a young Diana of that same lesson. That while Zeus created Man in his image, his son - another revered deity - took it upon himself to corrupt them. Whether you believe that version of the story, or the one Ares tells, just look to Wonder Woman's villain, Ludendorff, to hear Lex's argument made for him.

While waltzing with Diana at his gala, Ludendorff sees war as the greatest gift given to humanity, granting it purpose, and a gauntlet through which to achieve greatness. A noble idea when coming from 'the God of War'... but one that leads to horrific atrocities more befitting a being of pure evil.

Lex's Greek History Lesson

Wonder Woman Gal Gadot in Batman V Superman

Since the gala for the Metropolis Library held at Lex's house is where Diana enters the story, it makes sense that elements of Greek history and mythology should be thrown around. As Lex tries to monologue his way back to the very first philanthropist (Greek "lover of humanity"), he doesn't realize that he's actually giving a lecture to someone with a bit more direct knowledge of the stories being spun. So when his speech shifts to the classic version of the Prometheus story, Lex offers the mythological account of "Gods and men. Prometheus went with us. And he ruined Zeus' plan to destroy mankind, and for that he was given a thunderbolt."

The subtle eyeroll and not-so-subtle loss of interest that Diana exhibits now makes complete sense to viewers, now that the origin story of the DCEU's Amazons has been told in detail. In Wonder Woman, Diana is told the story of a far kinder Zeus, who created Mankind in his own image, and the Amazons to protect and guide them to their better instincts. Remember that Diana is also hearing her father described as an enemy of humanity, intent on"destroying mankind," and that she is literally the weapon he left to save them, and you can see why Diana is probably sick of hearing the West's version of events.

An Echoed Crisis & Wavering

Superman as the room explodes around him.

It's no secret that plenty took issue with Superman's arc in BvS for a variety of reasons, but thanks to Wonder Woman, it may be a bit easier for viewers to get the real narrative function of the bombing scene, ensuing carnage, and Superman's crisis of faith. For Diana, her moment of not necessarily heroism, but of doing the right thing led to victory. When the liberated village of Veld was bombed with gas, her superpowers allowed her to stand in the center of the village and drink in the horrifying, orange-hued death all around her. It's a tragic narrative beat now echoed with Superman, after answering the request of the American government and appearing before the Senators charged with sorting out his role in the world going forward. His moment of 'doing the right thing' lasts even less time, before a concealed bomb leaves him frozen with horror and defeat, just like Diana.

For both heroes, it truly is a moment of total and absolute defeat. Diana knows who is responsible and can take her anger out on Ludendorff before the pain and disillusionment sets in. For Superman, no villain can be found, leaving him to take the blame upon himself. He was the one who left the bomber injured. He was the one who didn't stop the attack. And where Diana has a villain (or two) to pursue and defeat, Superman sees only himself, and shares his loss of faith and belief with Lois before heading off into isolation. It's the same place Diana eventually gets to, Ares simply reveals his quiet manipulation and monstrous influence sooner than Lex Luthor.

The Photograph

Wonder Woman Batman V Superman Hotel Room

The most obvious connection between BvS and Wonder Woman remains the photograph of Diana taken during World War I. The first time around, the photo was largely interpreted to be of value for Diana due to its confirmation of her immortality. But as we theorized in our close reading of Diana's story in Batman V Superman, her reaction to the photograph being attached in an email from Bruce Wayne implies something far more complicated. Thanks to Wonder Woman, fans can presume two different things to be at work when watching the scene with the added context of her own movie.

First off, it seems possible that this is actually the first time Diana is seeing the image at all. In her own movie, the unknown photographer captures the liberators of Veld, and makes a hasty retreat. It's hard to believe Diana would be familiar enough with daguerreotype technology to seek out a copy or the original glass slide, and even if she was, it's safe to assume the photographer would have been killed long with everyone else in Veld. She never accessed Lex's encrypted drive, either, meaning her stunned expression is one of looking back a century through time, for the first time, at the first man she loved, and the first friends she found in Man's World. And finally, the email she quickly writes to Bruce after being hand-delivered the original bears a simple message: "Thank you for bringing him back to me."

It would seem, based on that sentiment, that tracking down the photograph was only partly to keep her secret. It was also to retrieve some piece of the man she loved, sharing their first victory, hours before sharing something even more important.

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Those are the moment, subplots, themes, and scenes that most stand out to us for the added meaning given by Wonder Woman set before and after the DCEU's Dawn of Justice. Fans are sure to have other insights to share, so we welcome them in the comments.

NEXT: Wonder Woman Movie Easter Eggs & DC References

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