I'll be honest, this trailer had been rumoured to be coming so many times I actually wasn't that excited for it. When the rumour first hit that a teaser would be shown at the end of last week with the full trailer revealed an IMAX event this Monday my response was "I'll believe it when I see it." I thought it was way too close to the Star Wars event to be true, but it was!
My first reaction was pretty mixed. It's good as a teaser but part of me couldn't shake the feeling that is was too dark. It lacked any contrast between the lightness of Superman and the darkness of Batman. But the more I watched it, the more it grew on me. Because the trailer isn't about Superman, it's about the world's reaction to him.
Man of Steel was an extremely divisive film, especially amongst fans. I myself have mixed feelings about it. I think it looks beautiful and Henry Cavill was a perfect Superman (in fact the entire cast was great), the opening on Krypton was simply breath taking and I love that the film embraced Superman's full potential rather than try and play down his power level. But I disliked the film's version of Jonathan Kent (I prefer Jonathan as Clark's moral compass) and hated it when Superman killed Zod in the film's climax. I understood what they were going for and can see the logic behind it, but as a life long Superman fan my heart just wouldn't accept that he'd make that choice. Plus there was no pay off for it, no consequences. Just Superman screaming in anguish (which Cavill nailed) then cut to the final scenes for a happy ending without mentioning it again.
That changes now. Judging by the teaser if Man of Steel was about first contact then Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will be about the consequences. The opening of the teaser plays directly to the divisiveness of Man of Steel stating "Is it really surprising that the most powerful man world should be a figure of controversy?"
What follows is a series of shots of Superman looking uncomfortable as humanity reaches out to him or worships him as a saviour intermix with shots of the camera approaching a statue of Superman which is gradually being lit up as it get closer. We hear the very mixed opinions of the people of the world, and whilst there are a few who feel "maybe he's just a guy trying to do the right thing" the overriding impression is that people are afraid and don't want him here which culminates in a chant of "GO HOME!" as the statue is fully illuminated and we see the words FALSE GOD spray painted across Superman's symbol of hope. There's even reference to the destruction of the first film as we hear a man say fearfully that "they brought their war here".
One of the most distinctive voices in the mix is Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor who speaks with a quiet authority as he tells the audience "We know better now, don't we? Devils don't come from Hell beneath us. No, they come from the sky." We never see his face, but his presence is felt. It's a perfect introduction to the cinematic universe's Lex. Sowing seeds of doubt and mistrust, turning people against Superman. Maybe even those who would be his ally...
"That's how it starts. The fever. The rage. The feeling of powerlessness. That turns good men cruel."
Alfred's monologue is perhaps the most interesting piece of dialogue in the teaser. He's likely talking to Bruce but who is he talking about? The people of the world? Lex Luthor? Bruce himself?
Whilst the teaser doesn't offer the contrast between Batman and Superman that I was hoping for, Alfred's line offers a nice contrast to the chorus of the mob chanting "go home" and coming where it does in the teaser gives the impression that Alfred is on Superman's side in this conflict.
Though he may not be talking about Bruce in the final film, that's certainly the impression the teaser gives as we see Bruce Wayne staring at the batsuit whilst Alfred speaks. The shot is lingering, giving the impression that Bruce is weighing his options. We know that Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns is one of the big inspirations of this film and they're going with an older Batman so could Bruce already be retired and this is him deciding whether or not to put the suit on again? It would be an interesting choice to start the DC cinematic universe with an already retired Batman, but DC have certainly shown they're not above taking some risks when reimagining their characters for the big screen (just look at the Joker image that was released the other day). Or maybe this is the moment where he's trying to decide whether he's on the right side of this conflict, perhaps this is Alfred telling him he's gone too far, that he was a good man but this conflict, his doubt, fear and mistrust of Superman, has turned him cruel?
What I love is that it clearly portrays Batman as the antagonist, the aggressor. There was a lot of fear amongst Superman fans when The Dark Knight Returns was announced as inspiration for the film that Batman would be played up as the best to the detriment of Superman's character. This teaser alleviates that fear. It doesn't answer the question of how Batman can begin to stand against Superman (look at how quickly Faora took out the soldiers in Man of Steel) but it certainly doesn't come across as "Batman's going to teach Superman a lesson" like many fans feared. If anything it comes across the other way around as it appears Batman is the one on the wrong side of the conflict.
The next part of the teaser doesn't give anything away but it gives a great look at Batman in the most comic accurate suit to date. Seeing that on screen, I don't think they could have done any better. Batman looks amazing, like he just stepped off the pages of the comics. We get to see the new Batplane and Batmobile in action, albeit very briefly, and a wide shot that offers a small hint at the Riddler's existence in this universe (though likely not in this film).
The final part of the trailer shows Batman all suited up, The Dark Knight Returns style, ready for conflict with Superman who stands in the sky above him. The challenge is issued with the already iconic "Tell me. Do you bleed?" before Superman slams to the ground in front of him. "You will." he says as the screen goes black and the title comes up.
Given that the only time we saw Superman bleed in Man of Steel was on Zod's ship, unless the line is just bravado on Batman's part I'm guessing we're going to see Kryptonite introduced this time around. After all, that and Superman holding back are the only way this fight isn't over in a heart beat.
Personally, I'm a little torn on the ending. I love how comic book it is and seeing these two characters on screen together for the first time is a massive event, but I'm a little tired seeing hero fights hero (even though DC have never done it on the big screen). For me the best part about Batman and Superman together is their contrasting personalities and how they work together so well despite those differences. That's what I'm really looking forward to seeing in the movie. The physical fight is the least interesting part for me. But it was still insanely cool to see.
All in all I thought it was a great teaser. It may not have got my blood pumping the way the Star Wars teaser did, but it did an incredible job at building up the world of the movie, showing how Superman's arrival and the events of Man of Steel have changed things and hinting at how the new characters are going to fit into this world. Plus, it's Superman and Batman together on the big screen. How can you not be excited for that?! Roll on March 2016!
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