Hey there, since I've got your attention and the assumption that I hate Batman v Superman, let me clarify, what I meant to say was, Batman v Superman was treated as a failure because it explored the real-world issues using Superheros as a medium, for that the film was bashed. Captain America: Civil War was treated as a success because it was campy and fun and it didn't dive into the real-world issues and for that it was hailed as the greatest movie ever made. The reality is Captain America: Civil War has largely been ignored today and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is analyzed as a particularly ambitious development within the evolving superhero genre.
Let's start with the ludicrous plot of the Civil War-What was the focus of the film? Zemo avenging the death of his family? Iron Man avenging Bucky for killing his parents? Iron Man vs Captain America? The teams which were forced to choose sides? or The Sokovia Accords which was forced into the movie and was ignored soon after? while the focus of this film was all over the place, Batman v Superman focused on one thing, that is Superman. Everyone's focus was on Superman, from Bruce Wayne to Lex Luthor, The Government, The Media, and The Civilians. So unlike this the fight between Batman and Superman, When marvel's heroes start punching each other, the conflict doesn't feel real. What do you expect when the heroes take a break from fighting to tell jokes. It feels like the Civil War took the complicated story of Batman v Superman and turn it into a big joke to please the masses.
Superheroes, however, are not merely disposable entertainment, but an important part of how society understands justice. Exploring the real-world issues, Lex Luthor represents the American Government that is always hungry for power that uses false flag operations targeting someone, Bruce Wayne representing the civilians who gave up their ideals for security and who has given up their moral high ground, rationalized their extreme methods as necessary. Senator Finch who represents the people who seek a level headed conversation instead of violence to solve an issue, Superman representing the immigrants and minorities, targeted by hate groups. This is a world of manipulated media and xenophobia. These themes challenge mass audiences to critically engage with society’s assumptions about justice.
This film forces the audience to ask themselves about the idea, like what is a superhero? For example, when Superman rescues Lois in Africa, the audience assumes, like the film’s citizens, that Superman has killed again, which puts the audience in an uncomfortable position until Clark Kent later insists to Lois that he did not kill anyone. Luthor exploits and pollutes legitimate discourse about these superheroes, he widens the void between them as both they and the audience are confronted by their assumptions. When Superman saves the planet by killing the last of his kind, he makes himself a promise that no matter what he will always find a way to win without killing and it is shown throughout the film Batman v Superman but then, an early sequence in BvS revisits Superman’s destructive battle from Bruce Wayne’s point of view, destroying the foundations of Superman and replacing them with Bruce’s animosity. The audience is forced to question the idealism of superheroes. Snyder views superheroes as part of society’s modern mythology. This is not your typical superhero film where good and evil fight each other and the evil is defeated at the end. Lex Luthor indeed kill Superman, evil manages to defeat the good. But something happens that Lex didn't predict, Superman becomes a beacon of hope to the world. Batman v Superman is a thriller on democracy in a polarized world of manipulated media and xenophobia, it brings more layers to how commercial art and mass audiences analyze their archetypes and engage with the complexity of justice.
I also want to add a note that the world reacted to this film in the same way as the characters in the film reacted to Superman's arrival. I also wanted to share a message from Batman v Superman film to the Snyder Cut Fandom, the only way to solve a situation is to talk to each other. The Fist didn't stop Batman from killing Superman, words did.
I hope you liked this article. Thank you and have a great day.
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