If each age produces films reflecting their times, then “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,’’ which opens Friday, should serve as a grim warning for America.
In an early scene, Clark Kent (Henry Cavill), in full Daily Planet reporter mode, asks Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck), “What’s your position on the bat vigilante in Gotham?’’ Ah, there’s that liberal media, pushing its anti-vigilante agenda. “Civil liberties have been trampled in your city. He thinks he lives above the law.’’
Wayne’s retort? Kent’s newspaper is “hypocritical.’’ Whenever Superman “saves a cat out a of tree,’’ he says, The Daily Planet writes “a puff-piece editorial ... about an alien who could burn the whole place down.’’ Swap “alien’’ for “Muslim’’ or “Mexican,’’ or “vigilante’’ for “Donald Trump,’’ and suddenly a movie about two men in tights smashing each other — wham! bam! pow! — seems more connected to our nation’s political pulse than ever before.
Two of our most enduring and beloved superheroes haven’t bonded much since their Saturday morning cartoon days as “Super Friends.’’ Now comes “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,’’ their first-ever big-screen matchup. Except that, for this outing, in the hands of director Zach Snyder (“Man of Steel,’’ “300,’’ “Watchmen’’), the Dark Knight and the Last Son of Krypton haven’t joined forces. Rather, they’re at each other’s throats. Hailing from broken-down Gotham (New Jersey to the Metropolis-inspired Manhattan), Batman worries about an unchecked, unearthly savior with divine superpowers. Superman’s equally concerned with the rule of law and justice. The two sling accusations and throw punches like a gridlocked nation in an election-year slugfest. Hence, “The greatest gladiator match in the history of the world,’’ according to an arch-villain familiar to Superman lovers, Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg). “God versus man. Day versus night!’’
Cavill is back again after his super-outing in “Man of Steel’’ (2013), as is Amy Adams as Lois Lane and Laurence Fishburne as editor Perry White. Affleck-as-Batman comes only four years after Christian Bale retired his mask after starring in “The Dark Knight Rises,’’ the final installment in Christopher Nolan’s well-regarded Dark Knight trilogy. Other fresh faces are Jeremy Irons, who succeeds Michael Caine as Bruce Wayne’s butler and guardian, Alfred Pennyworth, and Gal Gadot (the “Fast and Furious’’ films), who plays Wonder Woman/Diana Prince.
If the superhero film says something about a generation’s tastes and societal worries, look no further than the Superman and Batman franchises for windows into the American psyche.
The 1940s gave us sincere, do-gooding matinee serials that battled government agents, zombies, the Japanese, and the Spider Lady.
Remember the first Superman feature film, “Superman and the Mole Men’’ (1951), featuring George Reeves, also the lead of the 1950s “Adventures of Superman’’ TV show? Me neither.
More memorable was the campy, Adam West-headed “Batman’’ movie (1966), based on the zany TV show that reflected the trippy, authority-flouting times.
In the quartet of ’70s and ’80s Superman films — “Superman’’ (1978), “Superman II’’ (1980), “Superman III’’ (1983), “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace’’ (1987) — Christopher Reeve donned his big S suit to take on Reagan Era menaces such as supercomputers and nuclear Armageddon.
Later, the Tim Burton- and Joel Schumacher-directed Caped Crusader quartet — “Batman’’ (1989), “Batman Returns’’ (1992), “Batman Forever’’ (1995), “Batman & Robin’’ (1997) — starred a trio of more world-weary Bruce Waynes. Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, and George Clooney each played the titular role with quirky, comic book-y panache as colorful as the 1990s themselves.
Then, in a post-9/11 era marked by depression and doomsaying, Nolan’s trilogy of “Batman Begins’’ (2005), “The Dark Knight’’ (2008), “The Dark Knight Rises’’ (2012) produced a brooding Bale who donned an even darker cowl and cape, and seemed nearly as tortured as the Joker himself.
More pressing, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’’ raises this question: Can Affleck muster the role’s requisite gravitas? In “Man of Steel,’’ we’ve already seen Cavill bring the right mix of anguish and resolve to his Kal-El/Clark Kent. (Curiously, in “Hollywoodland,’’ 2006, Affleck portrayed TV Superman Reeves.) For Affleck-as-Batman, there’s more at stake. Can he redeem his disastrous turn in 2003 as the superhero Daredevil? Behind his Batman mask, his voice seems tinged with the requisite, digitally enhanced resonance and angst.
But a lot more is riding on “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’’ than whether Affleck has pumped enough iron to take on Cavill. For Warner Brothers, this double-barreled power move hopes to give the DC Comics brand the same lifeblood, and revenue streams, as Disney’s Marvel Studios franchise. Welcome to the DC “shared universe’’ sandbox, where Batman and Superman can hang with other Justice League members, akin to the Avengers, X-Men, and Guardians of the Galaxy, and try to beat Marvel in the superhero wars. Characters such as Wonder Woman, Aquaman (Jason Momoa), The Flash (Ezra Miller) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) all make an appearance in Snyder’s superhero reboot. They’ll also be the subject of a two part “Justice League’’ series, also directed by Snyder; part one hits theaters in 2017.
In these times, the fantasy of a superhero standing in for us to fight our battles feels more powerful than ever. Especially when the battlefield for our wars of terror, and wars of culture, are no longer black and white. In “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,’’ even the way they dress seems to mirror the national mood. Cavill’s Superman’s costume isn’t vivid or bright, it’s deep, blood-red and faded blue. As for Affleck’s Batman, he’s decked out in shades of gray.
By Ethan gilsdorf | Globe Correspondent
Ethan Gilsdorf can be reached at ethan@ethangilsdorf.com.
