Anghus Houvouras asks whether Batman vs. Superman really needs Wonder Woman…
Like most comic fans, I was floored by the Batman vs. Superman announcement at this year’s Comic-Con. For years we’ve been teased with hints of an expanding DC cinematic universe, but it always felt like vaporware. That super cool thing that works well in theory but falls apart prior to execution. But then, our collective dreams are realized as Warner Bros. finally pulls the trigger, albeit only after The Avengers and Marvel’s films make a few billion dollars. Not exactly major risk takers over at Warner Bros., but they got the deal done so I suppose a little slack cutting is in order.
Since then, the buzz feed has been on a steady flow. The Batman casting rumors went on for a few months before we learned of Ben Affleck’s involvement as the caped crusader. And while I didn’t think that was the final big reveal we’d be privy to, I have to admit I’m almost beleaguered by the amount of characters and plot points they are jamming into this one.
No one should be surprised by Warner Bros. interest in broadening the cinematic spectrum of DC comics. With a few high profile failures (I’m looking at you, Green Lantern), it seems as if they think the key to launching new properties is by shoehorning them into Batman vs. Superman. While it’s way too early to be making any sort of judgment call on the final product, the amount of potential characters in this movie is starting to make me feel… concerned. Here’s the thing….
You had me at Batman vs. Superman.
I’m in guys. That’s enough for me. While I certainly applaud any effort to bring more DC characters to the big screen, I’d be perfectly fine with a World’s Finest movie featuring these characters. Lex Luthor’s involvement seems like a foregone conclusion. No one should be surprised by or trouble by his involvement. The movie needs a villain. Lex Luthor is perfect. Superman’s alien obsessed arch enemy and a nice foil for Bruce Wayne. Both Lex and Bruce are multi-billion dollar tech company CEO’s. He’s a villain who, on film, could work very well for both heroes.
And for me, Lex is the only villain you need. I’ll start to worry if they decide they need to bring in one of Batman’s villains to up the ante. One of those team up moves that works well in comics but I think would feel rather forced in a film. Just make Lex the villain. Give him a henchman or a super powered ass kicking bodyguard, but let’s get away from the idea of including a Gotham rogue to fulfill some sort of creative mandate.
So Lex Luthor is in. Fantastic. Can’t wait to find out who they cast. Then we learn that Nightwing might be thrown into the mix. All right. I can kind of see it. We haven’t really gotten a decent version of Robin ever on screen, and the idea that this movie will feature a more mature version of Batman certainly lends itself to the idea of him having a sidekick. So now you have Batman & Robin vs. Superman. Getting a little more complicated, but things still feel manageable.
Now they’re looking to include Wonder Woman. Seriously? Yes, I get it. Right now you’ve got one big giant spandex sausage party sorely in need of some estrogen. But Wonder Woman? Come on. Wonder Woman has been the most maligned, mismanaged property in the DC library. A character who has baffled countless screenwriters, producers, and would be directors and hasn’t had a single cultural contribution since Lynda Carter inspired ten million masturbatory fantasies in the 1970s. I have nothing against Wonder Woman, but the idea of shoe-horning her into the Batman vs. Superman movie feels like an idea inspired by a studio that famously has no idea what to do with the character.
Ultimately whether or not it works will be in the hands of Goyer and Snyder and how organically they can weave all these characters into the narrative. However, I am a little worried that the movie will become a kind of reverse-engineered Avengers to act as some kind of launching pad for new franchises, forcing in subplots and characters that ultimately detract from what excites me about this movie in the first place:
Batman vs. Superman.
Discuss.
Anghus Houvouras is a North Carolina based writer and filmmaker. His latest work, the novel My Career Suicide Note, is available from Amazon.
Originally published November 11, 2013. Updated April 15, 2018.
