'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' Trailer: 6 Revelations from the Trailer
Metropolis isn’t big enough for two heroes. That’s the takeaway from the new Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer, which premiered online Friday after a bootleg video leaked on Thursday. In the film, which appears to pick up shortly after the events of 2013’s Man of Steel, Superman (Henry Cavill) has come to be seen by much of the world as an alien threat. And who better to take down an alien threat than Batman (Ben Affleck)? Warner Bros. is still holding off on the big reveals – the first thirty seconds of the trailer, for example, are voiceovers on a blank screen – but here’s a closer look at the new teaser’s most intriguing moments and possible Easter eggs.
1. The Dark Knight got even Darker.
Christian Bale’s Batman was pretty broody, but Ben Affleck is practically walking around with a thundercloud over his head. All that sadness has made its way to his vocal chords: Affleck seems to have used Bale’s gravely Batman voice as a starting point, then lowered the octave for that “Alec Baldwin with laryngitis speaking from a cave” effect.
2. The Batstuff still looks amazing.
How can Bruce Wayne be so mopey when he has the Batmobile and a brand new cowl with glowing eyes? Does he not geek out over this stuff even a little?
3. Superman is a political lightning rod…
Man, saving the world is a rough gig these days. Judging from the trailer, the man in the red-and-blue-suit seems to have enraged red and blue states alike, what with his unchecked powers and tendency to destroy government property. (And do they even know about the X-ray vision?) Holly Hunter, who plays a U.S. Senator, is heard arguing that “absolute power corrupts absolutely,” in a debate that includes some other familiar voices. (We think we heard Charlie Rose and Neil DeGrasse Tyson in there).
4. …But he’s also being worshipped as a god.
Not everyone hates the last son of Krypton. We see also crowds literally bowing down to him, thus inspiring some enraged graffiti artist to tag Superman’s statue with the words “False God.” (Alternately, False God might be his street-artist alias, making him the less-talented Metropolis version of Banksy.)
5. Two major characters make stealth appearances.
Jesse Eisenberg, who plays Lex Luthor, can be heard uttering the very Lex Luthor-ish line “Devils don’t come from hell beneath us, they come from the sky.” Later on, there’s the voice of Jeremy Irons as Bruce Wayne’s butler and accomplice Alfred, giving the world’s least upbeat pep talk: “That’s how it starts. The fever. The rage. The feeling of powerlessness that turns good men cruel.”
6. ‘The Dark Knight Returns’ is showing its influence.
Director Zack Snyder has named Frank Miller’s 1986 comic mini-series The Dark Knight Returns as one of his inspirations for Batman vs. Superman. Shades of Miller’s comic are everywhere in this trailer, both visually (the glowing eyes, the shot of Superman hovering in the sky above Batman) and thematically (the idea of Superman and Batman fighting over political ideologies). During the comic’s climatic battle, Superman tells Batman that he’s “just meat and bone – like all the rest.” Batman’s threat to Superman in the trailer – “Tell me, do you bleed? You will.” – could almost be a retort.
Watch the first ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ teaser trailer:
