2nd ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ Trailer — 9 Things You Might Have Missed


The latest Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer made its anticipated debut last night, an introduction that was all the more relevant due to the tantalizing sneak peek dropped by Warner Bros. on Monday. Thus far, the trailers for the movie have provided nothing more than subtle hints for the dedicated fans, teasing at what is to come in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. After last night’s reveal, all that is about to change.

Since its release, the trailer has exploded on social media, reducing Twitter and Facebook to nothing more than rabid DC discussion forums. The trailer has invoked rage — did it give too much away? — and joy in equal measure, and fans are now eagerly awaiting the release on March 26, 2016. Nonetheless, the film is now firmly in the minds of the loyal fans and viewers, with its major release only months away.

As is the nature with trailers of this magnitude, people might have missed several things in the lead up to the latest huge reveal in the final moments. Batman and Superman fans alike have much to be excited about, and rightly so, as two of the most infamous superheroes in comic history go head to head for the first time. Therefore, here are nine things you might have missed in the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer. Be warned, spoilers are forthcoming. You can also see the trailer below.

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Bruce Wayne is older and wiser. Will his confidence become his undoing? [Image via Warner Bros. Pictures]
Bruce Wayne is older, wiser. But is he smarter?

From the outset, the trailer seems to portray an older, more mature and sophisticated Bruce Wayne, one who has left his womanizing ways and extravagant cars behind. Sure, he pulls up to a glitzy shindig in a classic Aston Martin — a subtle nod to James Bond perhaps? — and he still gets the celebrity treatment courtesy of paparazzi camera flashes and the undivided attention of the masses. As Gotham’s first son enters the party, he is introduced to Clark Kent, who greets him with a sly wink and a knowing, if slightly naive, stare. Then there is that conversation about the bat vigilante that stalks Gotham’s streets, which results in Affleck’s trademark grin. The obvious conclusion is a simple one — at this point, Bruce has been around the block as our favorite vigilante, and nothing seems to phase him anymore. Whether this converts to laziness or lack of focus in his work or sheer exhaustion at his never-ending plight — two things that happened in the comic books — remains to be seen.

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Lex Luthor. Or is it? [Image via Warner Bros. Pictures]
That isn’t Lex Luthor — How?

In one of the more secretive moments of the trailer we’re introduced to Lex Luthor, played by Jesse Eisenberg. Kent and Wayne are attending his party, and the host doesn’t hang around in introducing himself in an epic moment of foreshadowing. The thing you missed? That isn’t actually Lex Luthor, it’s Alexander Luthor, son and heir to Lex’s fortune and business, as revealed by Comic Book Resources back in October. A younger interpretation of the character, he’s more excitable and immature in his ways and is more than eager to introduce the two alter-egos of Superman and Batman to each other. Does he know their secret? Does this moment lead to the superhero smackdown of the title?

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The Joker isn’t seen in the trailer, but his presence is dominant. [Image via Warner Bros. Pictures]
Does The Joker make an appearance?

The conversational sparks fly between Kent and Wayne. It seems the two are aware of each other’s secret identities, something that leads to some subtle, jabbing banter. Gotham City and The Daily Planet become hapless punchlines in their calm, passive barbs of superhero one-upmanship. That’s when Wayne utters a phrase that could have repercussions in future DC movies.

Now, this reveal is two-pronged. The first is the quote at the one minute mark, “Freaks who dress like clowns,” which is an obvious nod to Batman’s arch-nemesis, The Joker. It also hints that Wayne is aware of Kent’s knowledge of Batman and doesn’t care one bit. It’s a polite conversation that has massive undertones for future moments in the film and future films in general — but that’s not all.

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Courtesy of The Joker, will Batman’s past come back to haunt him in ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’? [Image via Warner Bros. Pictures]
Did he already make his mark on Batman’s sidekick?

In the comics, Joker kidnapped and seemingly killed Jason Todd, aka Robin. Wayne’s failure to protect his eager rookie sidekick haunted him for years and created one of the most poignant storylines in Batman history. With Wayne being more mature and dog-eared, will this be hinted at in the film? Well, yes, if the trailer is anything to go by. Wayne mentions his “bad history.” We also Robin’s battered suit besmirched by yellow graffiti, the handiwork of The Joker himself, and held aloft on a shrine, a constant reminder to Batman that, despite his ability to fight crime and ease the worries of Gotham, he is just a human being. At any time, he could be killed in the line of duty — unlike Superman. With The Joker due to return to the screens in Suicide Squad in late 2016, could we see a potential cameo in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice?

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Is Batman a feared vigilante, someone who strikes fear into the hearts of Gotham? [Image via Warner Bros. Pictures]
Is Batman feared or revered?

Each Batman movie has featured an alternative portrayal of the character. Tim Burton’s Batman was a mysterious entity who struck fear into the hearts of criminals while Christopher Nolan’s interpretation bordered on a glorified police/army officer, but in this trailer, it seems Batman is something darkly enigmatic — more of a dark boogeyman who hides in the shadows and actually does more bad than good with his vigilante exploits. Now, this could be a simple diversion by the trailer to eventually join Superman and Batman together before forming the Justice League. However, if Batman starts out on the dark side of the superhero spectrum, possibly driven there by the traumatic experiences of his torturous plight and the deaths of his loved ones and Gotham residents alike, we can expect some huge clashes between him and his friends. Alfred is very cautious in the trailer, which heavily hints at Bruce Wayne losing control of his alter ego. Either way, it should be interesting to see Batman as the “villain” for most of the movie.

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Superman and Batman go to battle. The trailer shows some devastating set-pieces between the two. [Image via Warner Bros. Pictures]
That smackdown…

“Son of Krypton vs Bat of Gotham” are the words that Alexander Luthor monologues towards the end of the trailer. It just has a truly epic feel to it, and the DC fans will agree. Never before have these two giants of the comic book world shared a screen, and it looks like a lot of their collaborative time is going to be shared in brutal, violent fashion. We’ve already seen Batman’s heavy armor, something essential for fighting the Man of Steel, but there is no doubt that when these two go to war, the fans will feel it — every punch, every quip, and every wall-shattering, sky-pummelling power slam. The fight played out beautifully in the comics, and Batman managed to actually get the upper hand in that one — but will the results be the same on the big screen?

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The dark edge and tone of Frank Miller is ever-present in the visuals. [Image via Warner Bros. Pictures]
Frank Miller influence

Whether or not this was intentional on the part of Zach Snyder, the stunning visuals of the movie — from Batman’s gritty, modern Batcave, to the brutal annihilation of tower blocks, right down to the rain-soaked fisticuffs on the streets of Gotham — harken back to a darker comic book source, those of Frank Miller. The most obvious element of this is Batman’s pose on the side of the tower block at the 1:48 mark — which could be taken straight from the shadowy pages of The Dark Knight Returns. Also, the plot and costumes are reminiscent of Miller’s best work. However, let’s not forget there are two superheroes in play here, and Supes deserves the same treatment, which he gets. Superman’s laser eyes have all the hallmarks and spine-tingling terror of a horror movie, and the menacing undertones are quite unsettling. Will Clark Kent’s alter-ego have a darker side, one unleashed in his battles with Batman? Remember, he nearly broke that boundary in Man of Steel by killing Zod.

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Doomsday will be the second antagonist in ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.’ [Image via Warner Bros. Pictures]
Doomsday

This one was a bit obvious in the trailer, but for those thinking this is Abomination (wrong cinematic universe) or Killer Croc (nope, we have to wait for Suicide Squad for his big-screen debut), settle down. Doomsday is a major enemy in Superman’s comics, a creature derived from a Kryptonian genetic experiment designed to create the ultimate lifeform. The creature was born and found its way to Metropolis and easily dispatched several members of the Justice League. In the process, he also punched Superman to death — but he would eventually be subdued. Superman would ultimately get better, but the tone and the aggression of his introduction suggest very bad things for Superman and his reluctant buddy, Batman. After all, he nearly killed them in the trailer! In the movies, it seems he was genetically engineered from Zod’s corpse at the hands of Luthor himself. However, this also entered another aspect into the movie, one we have known about for some time.

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Wonder Woman makes her debut, saving Batman and Superman from certain death. [Image via Warner Bros. Pictures]
The introduction of Wonder Woman

Okay, this one was pretty obvious too, and unmissable, but if this is, in fact, the introduction of Wonder Woman, it’s a staggering one. First, she just saved two of DC’s best superheroes from certain annihilation at the hands of Doomsday. Two, she did it without a single word, leaving the relieved, death-defying banter to the guys. The impact of her introduction is certainly unique and shows she has a major part to play in future movies. She is getting a solo outing, of course, but what part will she play in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice? Answers are bound to be revealed, but of all the trailer tidbits on display here, this one is probably the most mysterious. One thing is certain, though: If a Justice League movie materializes from this superhero smackdown, they are taking it very seriously.

And finally, here is the trailer. Keep an eye out for the moments above, and see if you can find some for yourself.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will be released on March 25, 2016. Enjoy!

[Image via Warner Bros. Pictures]

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