Love it or hate it, it is hard to argue that 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was an epic yet polarizing spectacle to behold.
It was the first DCEU movie to come out after 2013's Man of Steel, and it was the story that kicked off the entire line up of shared-universe DC films. Reviews of Batman v Superman were mixed, to say the least. Some fans applauded the new direction Zach Snyder took the characters and the incredible action sequences, while others scoffed at what they felt were miscast characters, weak villains, and a convoluted plot. Either way, the film raked in over $800 million worldwide and acted as the springboard for Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, and Justice League - as well as a slew of upcoming DC title like Aquaman and Shazam!.
Say what you will about director Zach Snyder, but the man definitely cares deeply for his work. Snyder's movies have always been packed to the brim with beautiful cinematography, symbolism, and incredible action sequences. Batman V. Superman was no exception- Many fans felt like the titular fight alone was worth the price of admission! A lot of hard work went into making this movie, and the behind-the-scenes photos prove it.
Here are Batman V Superman: 20 Behind-The-Scenes Photos That Change Everything.
Aquaman takes a plunge
Later this year, Aquaman is getting his own solo film courtesy of The Conjuring director James Wan. Though he had less than a minute of screen time in Batman v Superman, Jason Moma as Aquaman was a major standout of Justice League.¨he DCEU's version of the superhero is much more sarcastic and epic than the version of Arthur Curry most people are familiar with thanks to the old Hanna Barbera cartoons.
This behind-the-scenes photo shows how Zach Snyder filmed Aquaman's brief appearance. Instead of using CGI to make it look like Jason Moma was swimming in the depths of the ocean, the director had the actor hop into a pool of water surrounded by a green screen!
In the picture, Moma is taking a breather in between holding his breath for the different takes.
Batman isn't always grumpy
Even if you are a huge fan of the DCEU, it's hard to argue that the overall tone of the universe isn't dark and gloomy. Wonder Woman lightened things up somewhat and it looks like Aquaman and Shazam!, in particular, will attempt the same.
This photo is so stunning because it shows not just Superman smiling, but Batman cracking up with a cheesy grin! T
he DC films can get so serious that it's sometimes hard to remember that all of these characters are just actors playing their favorite caped heroes -and having the time of their lives while doing it. This photo reminds us that Cavill and Affleck are both huge fans of the characters they are playing and don't take themselves too seriously.
Wonder Woman vs. Doomsday
Zach Snyder surprised us all when it was announced that Batman v Superman was not only going to include the Man of Steel and the Caped Crusader duking it out on screen, but that it was also going to give us the first big-screen appearance of Wonder Woman!
Gal Gadot's iteration of the character is easily the most popular hero in the DCEU right now, with a hit 2017 film and a large role in the Justice League movie.
In this behind-the-scenes photo we see Gadot in full WW garb, fighting against an unseen force. The mo-cap costume and Diana's upward glance make it appear like she is fighting the larger-than-life villain Doomsday.
Even though the creature isn't really present, Gadot's intense, warrior-like stare would strike fear into the hearts of any monster.
Nobody Recognizes Henry Cavill
Though many felt that nobody could ever replace Christopher Reeve as the Man of Steel, Henry Cavill seems to come pretty close.
Cavillloves the role dearly, and has the perfect amount of charm, charisma, and wholesome vibe needed to play Kal-El. Not to mention, the actor has the Superman look down tee! The jet black hair; the chiseled chin; it's hard to tell the actor apart from the character!
Or so we thought. This picture was taken by Cavill himself in Times Square right around the release date of Batman v Superman.
The actor walks around right in front of multiple billboards promoting his film,wearing a Superman T-shirt, yet nobody in the Big Apple seems to recognize him.
Maybe Clark Kent's disguise isn't so ridiclous after all!
Bat-eyes revealed
Like many other superheroes in comic books and cartoons, Batman's eyes are shown to be pure white whenever he dons the cowl. In all of the Dark Knight's films, the costume designer gave the character regular eye holes surrounded by black eyeliner.
The Dark Knight paid homage to the comics by having Bruce use a sonar system that put white screens in front of his eyes, while in Batman v Superman the hero had the familiar white lenses in his power armor.
Though Batman's anti-Superman suit eyes were mostly CGI, Zach Snyder wanted the effect to be achieved through a mix of practical and digital techniques. While filming the scenes in the armor, Ben Affleck had white neon lights surrounding his eye holes. The above picture shows the lights in action!
Filming the Iconic Fight
After almost two hours of build-up, the titular battle between the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel didn't disappoint! The fight featured a depowered Supes getting wailed on by Batman, only to regain his powers and give it right back to the Caped Crusader. Of course, fans are all familiar with the laughingly bad lines that end the fight. However, "Martha" aside, it was a spectacle to behold.
The above photo shows just how much went into a single shot of the epic clash of titans.
The scene you are seeing is no more than a few seconds long, but they had to get Henry Cavill in full Superman gear, make the floor look like it was smashed, and rig up an entire camera arm just to get the perfect shot.
The Flash's Cameo
While Bruce Wayne, exhausted from plotting to destroy Kal-El, takes a catnap he dreams of the Flash appearing to him and leaving the cryptic message that Lois is the key to all this. Of course, nobody had ever seen this Flash on screen before, and it is the first case of time travel in the DCEU, so it left many in the audience simply scratching their heads.
While it is somewhat hilarious to see Ezra Miller in a mo-cap suit, this photo is also intriguing simply because it shows how simple this part of the Batcave set was. Other than the screens and the desk Bruce sleeps on, the set looks like a regular old office building.
The effects crew must have had to work double time to make the regular setting look like a subterranean cave.
Henry Cavill and Amy Adams ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
Superman and Lois Lane are easily the most iconic couple in comic book history. The Daily Planet reporter was there from the beginning in Action Comics #1.
The DCEU wasted no time setting up the iconic romance; Lois and Clark hit it off in the early stages of Man of Steel, and their fates have been intertwined throughout every Superman story the universe has told.
Behind the scenes, Cavill and his co-star Amy Adams are good friends.
During the filming of Batman v. Superman, social media was abuzz with big-name celebrities doing the "Ice Bucket Challenge" to raise awareness for ALS.
The two actors, clad in their full costumes as their characters, did the challenge and posted it for the world to see. This photo shows the aftermath of the co-stars' frigid bath.
Even the windows used CGI!
Zach Snyder's films are always pretty polarizing. The director loves to create beautiful shots that you can find nowhere else, but this usually means he has to use CGI to do so. One of the biggest criticisms of Snyder is that his films are always over-saturated with CGI and that this makes them look "fake."
Snyder's dependence on CGI is even more apparent in this behind-the-scenes photo. The scene is a simple shot of Lois Lane in her hotel room.
In the background, however, we see that the skyline of the city outside and the images on her TV screen are both created through green screen computer effects.
Directing Lex
Batman v Superman was a polarizing enough movie to begin with. The thing that seemed to most divide the fans, however, was the decision to cast Jesse Eisenberg as genius billionaire Lex Luthor. In the comics, Lex is cunning and somewhat stoic. The Luthor we saw in BvS was much more animated and cocky, leading him to be branded as more of a "Mark Zuckerberg" style of billionaire. To this day fans are split on the character.
However, one thing that Snyder's Luthor didn't lack was his ability to manipulate! In this behind-the-scenes shot, the director tries to frame the climactic encounter between Kal-El and his arch-enemy after Lex reveals he has kidnapped Mrs. Kent.
The photo also shows how they got the effect from Lex's helicopter landing: with a simple fan!
Cyborg
In the New 52 relaunch of DC Comics, the writers decided that Cyborg would be a founding member of the Justice League instead of Martian Manhunter.
The decision seemed to be a popular one, and the DCEU followed suit with its slate of films; Victor Stone was teased alongside the rest of the League in Batman v Superman. In this short video we see Stone's father experimenting on his son with Motherbox technology. Of course, this tech fuses with Victor and turns him into a cyborg.
The behind-the-scenes photo of Cyborg's cameo is interesting simply because it shows how much effort goes into creating a character that is half-man, half-machine.
Actor Ray Fisher is covered in a green morph suit everywhere outside of his upper torso and head, allowing the effects crew to replace his arms and lower half with CGI cybernetics.
The Battle of Metropolis
Batman v Superman started off with a literal bang, as we got to see Bruce Wayne's perspective on the climactic battle featured in Man of Steel.
Bruce watches in horror as buildings crumble around him, ending the lives of numerous innocent bystanders. In true Batman fashion, he runs headfirst into the collapsing rubble to save a little girl.
This photo shows that, much like many of the Metropolis shots in Man of Steel, Bruce's POV of the Battle of Metropolis was done on location.
We can see Ben Affleck in full costume as he stands among the rubble of a destroyed building. Meanwhile, the crew swarms Affleck, trying to get the shot just right.
Batman's Cape is CGI
Zach Snyder may use a ton of CGI in his films, but most of the time he puts it to good use. When filming a superhero film, capes can become a nuisance. They get in the way of the shot, they cause the actors to trip, they don't move the way you want them to, and so on. However, you can't include a character like Batman or Superman without their iconic cape!
The solution is shown in this picture: Snyder CGI-ed in Batman's cape whenever he was engaged in an action sequence.
This meant that the director didn't have to spend countless takes trying to get the garment to do what he wanted. Instead, he simply shot the scene and handed it off to his effects crew to fix in post!
Prepping Wonder Woman
To many, Gal Gadot is Wonder Woman. The actress plays Diana Prince with such a charming, innocent demeanor, yet you can always tell the warrior is simmering just below the surface.
Wonder Woman had been a huge hit in all three of her DCEU appearances. Even in a film as polarizing as Batman v Superman, there are few who have an issue with Diana.
This photos shows director Zach Snyder attempting to coach Gadot on her "gauntlet stance," aka the pose she is supposed to use when Wonder Woman uses one of her greatest weapons. The fact that Snyder had a vision for even the smallest of details shows just how much he cared about the film's production.
Batman Watches Himself
Much like the decision to include Wonder Woman, there are very few people out there who will speak ill of the warehouse fight scene in Batman v Superman.
This scene shows the Dark Knight in his prime, taking out an entire warehouse full of Luthor's goons and saving Martha Kent without breaking much of a sweat. It felt like the combat from the Arkham games come to life!
This photo shows Ben Affleck in full Batman costume rewatching the scene with Zach Snyder.
On top of being an actor and Oscar-winning writer, Affleck also has a lot of directing experience under his belt. You can see in his face that he's studying the scene, taking in all the shots and trying to figure out how to make it better.
An Intense Moment
One of the coolest moments in Batman v Superman comes when the two heroes meet for the first time. As Batman is trying to chase some criminals in the Batmobile, Superman crashes the party - and the Dark Knight's ride. Kal-El tells the Caped Crusader to give up his life as a vigilante. Batman's response? He asks Superman if he bleeds. After the Man of Steel flies away, Bruce mutters to himself, "you will."
This shot gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the epic scene, with Snyder directing the two costars as they listen carefully. Most surprisingly, however, is the set on which this scene takes place; not twenty feet away is an RV trailer, and floodlights shine bright in what is otherwise supposed to be a dark scene.
The Action Scenes with the Suit
Zach Snyder is a huge fan of The Dark Knight Returns. When he finally got a chance to make his own Batman v. Superman film, the director couldn't pass up the chance to give Batman the anti-Superman armor that he famously wore in the graphic novel. The suit seemed to translate seamlessly on film, with Ben Affleck wearing the actual armor for many of his scenes.
However, it was to be expected that the armor was bulky and awkward for Ben Affleck to move in.
Affleck had to use a stuntman in a mo-cap suit for the fight scenes that required more agility.
This picture shows how the effect was captured; a man stood in for Batman and interacted with Henry Cavill and his stunt men whenever Batman needed to look like the ninja he normally is.
Superman Takes Flight
Though Zach Snyder often catches flack for his overuse of CGI, the director has shown that he likes to try and blend the practical and the digital whenever possible. One of the oldest and most efficient special effects in the DC film repertoire comes from all the way back in the '70s, when Richard Donner convinced the world that a man could fly.
Much like the Christopher Reeve movies of old, Zach Snyder felt like the best and most natural way to show Superman fly was to actually make him fly!
This photo shows Henry Cavill strapped up to two wires as they lower him down to the ground. Sure, the effect could have been done with digital effects, but where is the fun in that?
The Bat Creature
Another strange scene in Batman v Superman comes when Bruce Wayne goes to visit his parents' grave in their mausoleum. As he stands there inspecting the tomb, a giant bat-like creature pops out and sinks its teeth into his neck. Of course, Bruce Wayne is just dreaming, but it was a moment that came completely out of left field and took us by surprise.
Also surprising is the fact that the man-bat creature was an entirely practical effect.
As seen in this photo, the creature was an actor in an extremely life-like costume who hid behind a set wall.
The cherry on top of this photo is Ben Affleck's expression, which looks both confused and amused at the same time!
The Showdown
After years and years of waiting, fans finally got to see Superman and Batman throw down on screen in Batman v Superman. It had everything you could want: Kryptonite, a stormy night, two superheroes tossing each other through walls, and Batman throwing his entire arsenal at the Man of Steel. It was epic!
This photo shows just how much work went into crafting the showdown; the crew actually built a roof for the duo to fight on, complete with a breakable skylight, and used a real water system to simulate the effect of a heavy rainstorm for ambiance.
Completing the awesomeness of this picture is the fact that both actors are present in their respective costumes, ready to clash in the most brutal of ways.
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Did these photos change your perception on Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice? Let us know in the comments!
