Warning: MAJOR spoilers ahead for Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice
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Zack Snyder's Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice not only contains a wealth of easter eggs and references, it also features certain scenes that will make a lot more sense to audience members who already have fundamental knowledge of the DC Comics universe and its characters. For example, not everyone who sees the movie will know that the mysterious stranger who reaches into Bruce Wayne's dream to yell a warning at him is the Flash (Ezra Miller), or that the strange jumble of human and machine parts seen in a video clip is Cyborg (Ray Fisher).
Aside from the brief glimpses of the other members of the Justice League, there are two major scenes at the end of Batman V Superman which may require further explanation: Lex Luthor's (Jesse Eisenberg) raving that the "bell has been rung" for DC supervillain Darkseid, and Superman's (Henry Cavill) apparent imminent rebirth as evidenced by the dirt rising from his coffin. We've already discussed these two plot points in detail, but now it's time for the movie's director to weigh in.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Snyder said that he "felt like we had to kill Superman in this movie in order for us to have been serious with the entire premise of the film." That said, for anyone who wondered if perhaps the dirt was simply lifted by a freak tremor or gravitational quirk, Snyder made it clear that Superman is due for a resurrection. Referencing a scene in which the U.S. government tries to "help" by firing a nuke at Superman and Doomsday while they are in space, Snyder explained:
"He comes very close to death in space and the reason why we did that is because I wanted to show — and keep the idea in the viewer’s mind – that he can come pretty close to death and the sun can revive him, or he can be revived... [But] I think something more is gonna need to be done [to revive him this time]... I felt like there’s a mythological journey for Superman. There’s the birth, death, and resurrection thing. And when you bring him back, who knows what he is when he comes back."
As we noted in our analysis, the comic book version of Superman emerged from his death and rebirth a changed man, with enhancements to his previous abilities. Whether that happens in the movie universe or not, it sounds like the story of Justice League could involve Earth's other metahumans coming together not only to resurrect Superman, but also to help him on his journey back from death to life. The real challenge, however, will be for Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) to convince those metahumans to join him despite the fact that he himself is not a metahuman. Synder said:
"I wanted Bruce Wayne to build the Justice League. I felt like with Superman around, it’s a different conversation when you create the Justice League, right? It’s like, ‘Me and Superman, we want to make a Justice League.’ [Other heroes would be] like, ‘Okay, yeah, I’ll join!’ I just feel like Bruce Wayne having to go out and find these seven samurai by himself, that’s a lot more interesting of a premise."
Of course, Bruce has already found an ally in Diana Prince a.k.a. Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), but based on the small glimpses of them in Batman V Superman, the other future Justice League members may require a bit more work in order to rally together as a team: Aquaman (Jason Momoa) is lurking in the ocean and doesn't seem particularly friendly towards those from the surface, while Cyborg has only recently been "born". The Flash might be the easiest to persuade, since he's already demonstrated an interest in fighting crime, but will Bruce Wayne's 'Seven Samurai' be deterred by the recent loss of the world's most powerful superhero?
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is in theaters now. It will be followed by Suicide Squad on August 5th, 2016; Wonder Woman on June 23rd, 2017; Justice League Part One on November 17th, 2017; The Flash on March 16th, 2018; Aquaman on July 27th, 2018; Shazam on April 5th, 2019; Justice League Part Two on June 14th, 2019; Cyborg on April 3rd, 2020; and Green Lantern Corps. on June 19th, 2020.
Source: EW