BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE

FIGHT NIGHT

PRELUDE

Low-angle shot circling around Batman, the Bat-signal in the black background of the sky. He is looking up, still patiently waiting for Superman.

Loud, dissonant string textures barge in, accompanying the Batman’s monstrous form.

Then we hear Lois, almost panicking as she yells, “I need a chopper to Gotham!”

Cut to Lois, running through the Daily Planet in the direction of Perry’s office. She points to Jenny and orders, “Call the heliport!”

The dissonant strings are substituted with a low, repeating thud to amplify the sense of urgency. Time is of the essence.

As she steps aside, Perry comes into view, looking bemused. Behind him are the flashing lights from the spectacle at the scout ship. He steps over to Lois, almost yelling, “Chopper? We can barely afford a bicycle. You wanna chase a story?” He turns to point back out the window in his office. “Go to the ship. Superman’s probably there already.”

Turning from Jenny, Lois turns to face Perry in the eyes and dead seriously says, “Perry,” she takes a deep breath, “it’s not for a story.”

Perry looks at her for a few moments. He soon realises how serious she is, calms down, and turns to Jenny to order, “Jenny, get her a chopper to Gotham.”

Lois turns and runs back down the aisle of office desks and cubicles, slipping her jacket on as she runs.

At the same time, Perry continues to Jenny, “And forget the heliport. Put it on the goddamn roof.” He calls after Lois, “On the roof, Lois!”

“I don’t know that [Perry knows Clark is Superman]. I don’t think he does exactly. He knows there’s some shenanigans going on. Something’s weird. I like to think that he would not be surprised, but I don’t know that he has it 100% together. That scene’s more about the faith he has in Lois.”

Zack Snyder, Full Circle, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice commentary, 29 April 2023

This is a nice continuation of their relationship. Lois and Perry trust each other, and Perry can clearly see that this is something important and personal for Lois. He does not ask why she needs to go to Gotham, but he answers her request regardless like a great friend. We have also gotten a reminder that the Daily Planet is struggling financially. Lois heading to a chopper on the roof might also be a reference to the helicopter rescue scene from Superman (1978), but unlike that scene, Lois is the one about to save Superman. Both choppers are red too.

Cut to the roof of the Daily Planet on Lois running to the red Eurocopter EC120B Colibri. The rotors are spinning, and the pilot is ahead, moving around from the open pilot’s door to the passenger’s side. He turns to Lois and asks, “Where are we headed?”

Lois comes to a stop. She turns and points to the horizon. Rack focus to the Metropolis skyline, partially obscuring the Gotham skyline beyond. In the distance, the Bat-signal lights up the horizon amid ominous flashes of lightning. “There!” she yells.

BATMAN V SUPERMAN

High-angle on Batman, clad in his armour, looking up with his glowing blue eyes. Lightning flashes and rumbles.

Dissonant textures return as Batman looks up, amplifying the tense atmosphere and prominently screaming that this is very bad situation.

Low-angle shoulder shot from Batman on the dark sky as the rain pours down. Another flash of lightning highlights the silhouette of Superman. A god above a man. In addition to being reminiscent of a similar panel from The Dark Knight Returns, this might be a visual parallel to other shots from the film…

• It resembles the imagery from the opening, where young Bruce looks up at the entrance to the shaft he fell down, likely representing Superman as the light that Batman has lost. The beautiful lie of his dream is that the Batman persona raised Bruce to that light that Superman represents, as Batman discovers with his later sacrifice.
• It mirrors the earlier visual of Superman looking down at the flood survivors. Now, from Batman’s perspective, Superman is here to destroy him, but for Superman, he is still here to save lives. The shot represents Superman as a silhouetted figure, not as a person, further reinforcing Batman’s views and mirroring the public perspective of him.
  • Zack Snyder confirmed this comparison, equating it to the comparison between a benevolent god and “a vengeful, wrathful god,” the two perspectives for how people see Superman. “That’s the way Batman sees him, but in truth, Superman has come pleading for Batman to help him.”
• It might resemble the shot of Superman’s arrival to the LexCorp helipad where Lex is waiting for him, likely drawing yet another comparison between Lex and Bruce. Both see Superman this way, as a being who sees himself above mankind and must be brought down. Shortly after both of these shots, both characters succeed in putting Superman beneath them.

As the flash of lightning reveals Superman, it also brings in a screaming choir to add the final dramatic touch to Superman grandiose arrival.

High-angle shoulder shot from Superman, contrasting the prior shot by depicting Batman as small and meek.

The Man of Steel brings himself down hard and fast, landing with a thud on the wet ground, cracking it. Batman is unflinching at this terrifying display. Whether as a show of force to show he means business, or because he does not realise how he looks to Batman, this display is counterproductive to Superman’s goal of gaining his help, as this is precisely why Batman hates him.

The music comes to a sudden stop. The sound design takes charge from here.

With a smile, Batman spreads his arms and says, “Well, here I am,” showing his confidence in his complete disregard for Superman’s earlier threat, “Next time they shine your light in the sky, don’t go to it.”

Contrasting his impressive arrival, Superman looks desperate in the rain, and pleads, “Bruce, please.” He steps forward.

Realising Superman knows who he is, Batman’s smile vanishes, and he steps back, luring Superman into position. His heavy boots thud against the ground.

“I was wrong,” Superman says. “You have to listen to me. Lex wants us to–“

Suddenly, he steps on a tile that clicks loudly beneath his boot. Two sonic emitters emerge from either side of Superman from below the stone fences. Both begin to pummel him with high-frequency sound waves from either side. He groans and winces, the rain being forced against him by the sheer pressure of the waves.

Batman smiles again.

Thinking smart, Superman reaches down to grab a manhole cover, ripping it in two before throwing the pieces at both emitters. Both are destroyed by the collisions, sparking out.

Taking a breath of relief, Superman persists forward, growling, “You don’t understand!”

Batman also starts walking forward.

Superman finishes, “There’s no time!” The pretence has worn off. Now Superman has concluded they cannot resolve their conflict any time soon, but he can at least plead for a temporary alliance.

Wide shot of the two superheroes approaching each other.

Side two-shot on both of them, meeting face-to-face as Superman stops him with a hand to his chest. Literally shaking with anger, Batman growls, “I understand!”

Behind the Scene

Stuntman and co-fight choreographer Ryan Watson posted this video to his Instagram showing stunt pre-visualisation of this sequence.

“A wire gag from the Batman v Superman stunt team. This was done with two separate wire gags. The last one had to look legit to the ground. Also, it was a single pic which you cant slow down as well as more points. I basically was in a yo-yo but not rolled up right! Yours truly was performing Batman, Wayne Dalglish as Superman. I selfishly chose Batman because he couldn’t fly. I thought the Superman part was gonna be all wires, but then I realized, I would be getting in the wires the most. Hilarious after it ended all lovely!”

Ryan Watson, Instagram, 15 February 2023

Done with Batman’s attitude, Superman effortlessly throws him back some distance with a light shove, an impressive demonstration of the sheer difference in power between the two. Flying nearly sixty feet, Batman skids to a stop down the alley, groaning painfully as he labours to prop himself back up.

Superman continues forward but comes to a stop as we hear machines whirring. In a nearby metal container, two automated machine gun turrets (a modified .50 calibre and belt-fed M240) ascend to begin firing armour-piercing rounds at Superman. He shields his face from the hail of bullets bouncing harmlessly off his body or churning up ground. On the opposite side of the alley, a double-barrel turret is also firing at him.

Scowling and sick of the annoyance, Superman stands tall and levitates high into the air. Eyes glowing red, he sweeps his heat vision across the alley, incinerating the banks of machine guns and carving a wall of fire. Samuel Otten pointed out that this might be a callback to the Knightmare, where Superman incinerated the resistance fighters on either side of Batman. Here, Superman is responding to an unprovoked attack, contrasting his actions with those of his future self, yet Batman will still fail to understand that.

Then he deactivates his heat vision and turns his fiery eyes toward Batman. This ominous look of anger is a glaring declaration that Superman has given up on trying to negotiate, and now he must beat Batman into listening. Recall the words of Adriana Santos: “A man like that, words don’t stop him. You know what stops him? A fist.” That is the wrong lesson Superman has learned, and now the animosity the two characters have developed throughout the film has taken over this fight.

Batman struggles back to his feet. Armour reflecting the light of the inferno, he breathes hard as he stands and waits.

An ominous rumble of percussion as Batman stands up, the first music since Superman’s thunderous landing.

We pan around him, and Superman comes into view ahead. His cape flows behind him, indicating he has just landed. Silhouetted by the inferno behind him ominously visualising that his patience has run out and anger is taking the lead from here, Superman walks forward threateningly. Batman seems frozen in fear, possibly due to his recollection of the Knightmare. In both sequences, Superman arrives hard and uses heat vision on targets on either side of Batman before threateningly approaching.

Then Superman grabs him by the chest of his armour and hoists him into the air, leaving a lingering impression of his hand in the alloy from here on. He effortlessly tosses Batman to the right, sailing down the street nearly fifty yards before grinding to a halt after ploughing through asphalt.

Strings swell up as Superman approaches, grabs Batman, and tosses him. The strings cease as Batman comes to a stop.

Groaning, he turns onto his side, and we circle around him to see Superman land nearby. This is all one shot from seeing him fly down the alley, showing that Superman closed that distance very quickly. He steps around the Dark Knight’s left, watches him stand, then flies into him, carrying Batman upwards and crashing into the façade of Wayne Station.

When Superman comes into view, the percussive rumble comes back again, fading before strings swell up a second time as he carries Batman into the air and through the building. This part of the score only has one moment of swelling strings, so I suspect the first part was just repeated for this moment.

They burst out onto the roof, flying forty feet above before Superman hurls his foe into the Bat-signal, shattering it. After saying in the opening, “In the dream, [the bats] took me to the light,” Bruce has been literally tossed into the Bat-signal the light symbolically represents. Batman crashes through the corner of the parapet, peering over the edge of the building. This may be metaphorical of how his character has come close to descending over a precipice, which he nearly would have by killing Superman soon. Of course, it is Superman who brings them up, a possible symbolic representation of what he ultimately does for Batman in this film, soon adding to the falling motif by having both characters descend further throughout their battle.

As Batman lumbers to his feet, Superman lands slowly but firmly. He yells, “Stay down! If I wanted it, you’d be dead already.”

Two ominous notes signal Superman’s landing, like an angrier and threatening version of the two iconic opening notes of his theme.

The Dark Knight is not listening, and retrieves one of his lead smoke grenades, set up earlier during the preparation montage with the periodic symbol for lead “Pb” on the canisters. Slowly and calmly, he pulls the pin and tosses it onto the roof, exploding in a thick grey plume that fills Superman’s vision, fully obscuring the Dark Knight.

Batman Theme A on distant percussion.

Unable to see through the lead, Superman dashes forward and clears the smoke, but Batman is nowhere to be seen.

Dramatic brass notes as Superman emerge cloud the grey cloud, more recognisably the two notes of his theme song now, but still threatening.

Superman turns his head, listening, and we see over his shoulder Batman is now behind him, aiming his black FN MK 13 EGLM grenade launcher.

A frantic string figure builds tension as Batman takes aim.

As Superman senses his presence, he turns to easily catch the small projectile just as Batman fires it. He examines it for a moment before it releases the cloud of Kryptonite vapour inside that envelopes him. Instantly his legs give out from under him as he chokes on the green mist, struggling to breathe. In The Dark Knight Returns, Batman exposes Superman to Kryptonite gas with the help of an arrow from Green Arrow instead, exploding in his face after he catches it in much the same way.

The frantic string figures come to a sudden stop after Superman catches the grenade. Then, when it explodes, a mix of percussion, piano, and swirling synthetic textures do too. At first, a faint hint of the Krypton Motif can be heard. This gives the toxic miasma a eerie theme of its own.

Behind the Scene

“We made [the Kryptonite grenade] with spring-loaded elements, so that when it springs open in his hand, and shows a series of gas ports and a light within, and then visual effects adds a gas element to it. We made those so that the actor could activate them in his hand or we had a cable release so that in case he couldn’t move his finger in a close up, we could just pop it open for him.”

Doug Harlocker, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice: Tech Manual, 22 March 2016, p71

With a satisfied smile, Batman holsters the grenade launcher. As Superman struggles to cough up the gas, his adversary circles him. He says with his distorted voice, “Breathe it in. That’s fear.”

A swelling synthetic scream begins to grow in volume and pitch, building up towards the moment the tide truly turns.

Just as the gas begins to evaporate, a fearful Superman turns to Batman.

“You’re not brave,” continues the vigilante, coming to a stop.

With the gas dissipating and allowing Superman to breathe, he glares before throwing himself at Batman with a wild right hook to the face. Batman easily blocks with his left forearm with a loud metallic clank. Instantly, we feel how the tables have turned. A moment ago, this mere mortal was nothing to Superman, but now Batman has taken his own powerlessness and forced it on his foe, literally taking Superman’s powers from him. Again, recall the words of Adriana Santos: “Men like that, words don’t stop him. You know what stops him? A fist.” Now a fist is not working out so well.

With the synthetic scream as its peak, it suddenly comes to a stop when Superman’s arm collides harmlessly with Batman’s gauntlet.

“Men are brave.” Note that Batman’s taunts put emphasis on how he sees Superman as something other than a man, rather than focusing on his normal justification for killing Superman out of fear that he might be a threat to mankind, and thus reinforcing that they are more excuses. This all sets up the big revelation. Furthermore, Superman will disprove Batman by the end of the film, bravely sacrificing his life to save humanity.

In a totally unexpected turn of events, Superman is surprised to find his arm will not budge against Batman’s, looking afraid now as he glances between his foe and their connected forearms.

Brass and percussion hits as Superman realizes he is now powerless, slightly building in preparation for the battle to continue.

Superman then pulls back, jabbing for Batman’s face with his other arm. Batman dodges while pushing the arm aside.

Superman tries an uppercut with his right, but Batman keeps his fist down and counters with a headbutt from his solid helmet, inducing a pained yell from Superman as he staggers back. This exchange has been said to resemble Superman’s fight with Zod in Man of Steel as cars fell around them, suggesting Batman analysed Superman’s style (or lack thereof) through the video footage seen earlier.

A percussive hit coincides with every dodge and blow.

Batman winds up his right and throws a jab to Superman’s face, splattering rainwater.

A slow and powerful rendition of the Bruce Wayne Motif on low brass begins playing over Batman Theme A on percussion, firmly emphasising that Batman is in control now. The rhythm of the score also coincides with the blows dealt by Batman on screen.

Batman gives him a second, allowing Superman to throw a right punch, only to meet the solid alloy of Batman’s thick armoured gauntlet and hurt his hand, pulling it back and wincing.

Batman repeats the wound-up right jab, dazing Superman for a moment.

Batman grabs Superman by the shoulder and pulls his stomach down into the Dark Knight’s right knee.

Batman elbows Superman in the neck, choking him for a moment.

Batman spins and delivers a roundhouse kick with his right leg that sends the other superhero flying twelve feet before crashing down on a skylight window, too hurt to move.

A percussive hit continues to accompany every blow as the Bruce Wayne Motif ends, leaving only the angry rage of Batman Theme A from here.

Batman stomps ominously toward the downed Man of Steel, boots thudding against the ground further, giving us a sense of Batman’s weight to set up his imminent stomp.

Superman is still stunned, but weakly lifts his head to see Batman pick up his pace and break into a run. He leaps up above Superman, stomping down on him with 480 pounds to crash them both through the skylight and into the top floor room below.

Superman hits the floor as Batman lands his stomach. He lets out a pained wail as the air is forced from his lungs. As Batman steps off his prey, Superman’s face is contorted in agony. This was painful to watch, and Cavill’s acting here stunningly conveys a sense of absolute physical suffering with just an expression.

String arpeggios and brass figures accompany a repeating Batman Theme A on percussion as Batman begins to completely annihilate Superman from here on, conveying we are entering a new segment of the fight.

Batman does not let up and follows with a kick to Superman’s side that throws him across the room.

On all fours, Superman tries to stand, but Batman comes in with a kick to the face, knocking him onto his back.

Persevering, Superman tries to stand yet again, but only reaches his knees before Batman winds up another right jab to the face, then follows with a left uppercut, beating him senseless.

Batman throws a right hook, but Superman actually blocks this time, frantically shielding his face with his arms.

Batman throws a left shovel hook into Superman’s stomach, and the Man of Steel moves his hands down to cradle his midsection.

With an opening, Batman seizes Superman by the throat with his right hand, slams his skull into a wall, headbutts him again, and finally takes him down with powerful left hook.

Finally, the intense music accompanying Batman’s moment of self-serving cathartic brutality comes to an end after downing his foe.

Superman seems grounded again, but he quickly begins to show no pain. His shield, slightly illuminated, takes up the left frame, symbolically indicating a return of hope to his situation. He looks up at Batman, slowly standing once again.

Batman’s music fades as Superman’s music takes its place — not Superman’s theme itself, but rather angelic choral figures that resemble parts of the beginning of “Flight” from Man of Steel. This shift verbally conveys Superman’s recovery from the effects of the Kryptonite.

Batman grunts with effort as he swings a furious right kick with his armoured leg at Superman’s head, but Superman catches his foot inches from his skull.

Superman swings Batman over his head and clean through a plaster wall. Batman lands, rolls, and hits a wall hard, heavy in his metal bear suit. He grunts from the impact.

On all fours, Superman look up at the hole in the wall. A rear shot shows him stand dramatically, rising behind his red cape, the hole in the wall ahead of him. The shape of hole resembles Ontario, USA, a reference to the birthplace of Superman co-creator Joe Shuster, confirmed by Zack Snyder and set photographer Clay Enos to be a deliberate homage. Snyder also confirmed the curl in Superman’s hair is an intentional reference to the character’s more classic appearance — an appropriate detail to accompany him regaining his power.

“I always felt like this hole in the wall looked like a shrimp.”

Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Watch Party, 29 March 2020

“I like this shot because Superman has the curl. The curl comes in, and I was really adamant about having that scene in particular. When he gets his power back briefly, he has the curl.”

Zack Snyder, Full Circle, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice commentary, 29 April 2023

Batman, looking back the way he flew, gets back up too.

Superman charges, running at the hole in the wall and barrelling through the remains of the wood and plaster. Batman does the same, charging from a kneeling position.

Superman takes flight as he nears his enemy, flying dramatically until Batman catches him in the air and swings him into a wall. He immediately begins pummelling Superman in the face with right punches, five blows connecting effectively in the jaw, until the sixth and seventh punches, where the slap of metal on flesh transitions to the clang of metal on metal as Superman gradually become immune to Batman’s powerful attacks.

The Batman Theme A and the Bruce Wayne Motif combo pound away as Batman does with his armoured fists before suddenly stopping on the final fruitless punch.

Eyeing his armoured gauntlet in realisation of his ineffectiveness, Batman starts backing away.

Superman gives him a menacing, “My turn,” look.

Raising his left hand defensively, pleadingly, Batman seems to be helpless. Yet, his right hand is down by his side, slowly reaching back for his one defence.

Superman rises into the air before throwing himself upon the Dark Knight just as Batman produces the Kryptonite grenade launcher yet again. Superman flies them both through the floor, landing hard in the abandoned men’s restroom below.

As Superman dives into the floor with Batman, a variation of General Zod’s theme from Man of Steel plays. Zod is obviously not present, and it seems mostly like it doubles as a battle theme for Superman here, as if putting Batman back in the position of a helpless victim of a Kryptonian onslaught like he was during the battle of Metropolis.

As Batman tries to recover, Superman stands first, grips Batman by his armour, struggles for a moment, then yells with exertion before tossing Batman through a row of tiled urinal partitions, landing on his back at the far end of the room.

General Zod’s theme ends with this.

Soaking wet from the water dripping down from above, Superman pushes himself up from the tiled floor into a kneeling position.

We come into increasingly tense choral music, slowly building as Superman readies himself.

Groaning, Batman lifts his head and empties the chamber on his grenade launcher.

Behind the Scene

These were Zack Snyder’s hands, having their own cameo.

“This moment here, I think I did that, that’s my hands unloading the gun. That’s me. Obviously Ben can do it, but I’m like, ‘It needs to go like this and like this!’ And, you know, making a movie, you gotta hustle, and those are the kinds of shots that can take forever if you have to show someone exactly how to do it. I just find it easier.”

Zack Snyder, Full Circle, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice commentary, 29 April 2023

Superman looks ahead at Batman and balls his hand into a fist. This might possibly be intended to resemble Thomas Wayne clenching his fist in the opening. Both characters are just trying to defend their families, but some have interpreted this build-up to indicate Superman steeling himself to kill Batman with this next attack.

Batman frantically loads another round into the chamber.

Superman charges off the floor at Batman with a roar, racing to stop him.

Batman finishes loading the round.

As Superman takes flight across the room with the subtle hum of the World Engine, Batman aims the grenade launcher and fires. Green mist explodes in Superman’s face an instant before he comes crashing down beside Batman, knocking the armoured vigilante aside. Frame-by-frame shows Superman’s fist crashing through Batman’s helmet.

The choral music ends the moment the grenade explodes in Superman’s face.

Behind the Scene

Stuntman Ryan Watson posted this video to his Instagram showing stunt pre-visualisation of this sequence with some additional details. Photos of this sequence were posted by Henry Cavill, Clay Enos, stuntman Albert Valladares, and official promotion.

“One of my favourite wire gags I’ve done. This is from Batman v Superman. Stunt Coordinator/2nd unit Director Damon Caro, myself, and Wayne Dalglish performed in a Viz. I was Batman and Wayne [was] Superman. @crazyowl27 is the amazing mind behind the rigging! Funny story, me being Wayne’s senior in the biz, Damon let me pick who I wanted to be. My dumb ass chose Batman simply because I thought that Superman would have more time in wires than Batman. Anyone who has done wires knows the pain and possible accidents, so I immediately let Damon know,, and boy was I wrong! This one was my favourite because I was already know CL out after punch (story-wise) and wanted to see if I could be completely lifeless during the flight. It’s scary but I like how it turned out. Zack Snyder is an amazing director and can’t thank him enough for all the work he has made possible!”

Ryan Watson, Instagram, 21 July 2021

Batman’s thick metallic cowl is damaged, sparking with electricity around his exposed left eye, wincing in agony after the impact. Snyder confirmed in the director’s commentary (1:08:28) that this was a Phantom of the Opera and Robocop (1987) homage, likely in how a character’s underlying nature is revealed through the removal of their masks. Furthermore, the damage in Batman’s armour also works metaphorically for how his making Superman powerless gradually exposes the humanity of the alien, exposing a weakness in the vigilante’s cold and hateful shell to reveal his own humanity underneath. That is how Superman ultimately turns Batman from a foe into a friend, by exploiting this opening to get through to the man behind the Bat.

“I guess that gets a shot in on the helmet, kind of breaks it, which is also symbolic. I like this idea that Batman’s mask is being removed and revealing his true nature. His face is literally not hidden anymore, so this is really his true intent.”

Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Watch Party, 29 March 2020

“Again, it allows his humanity to come through. That was the idea. I wanted to say, okay, you have to break the mask to make the connection. I think, in the drawings, I did some sketches where I was like, ‘Oh, it would be cool if it was a Phantom of the Opera kind of thing.’ Not, but you know, it has a little bit of that vibe.”

Zack Snyder, Full Circle, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice commentary, 29 April 2023

Nearby, Superman rolls onto his back helplessly in the toxic cloud, gasping for clean air.

Batman looks over at his stunned enemy before getting to his feet, turning, and ripping a sink basin from its porcelain pedestal. With his new weapon, he stalks toward the writhing Kryptonian.

Struggling, Superman manages to roll over onto all fours.

A choral hit fits the drama of Superman’s suffering in the green haze.

Now Batman stands over him with the sink at the ready, looking down at his foe.

High-angle on Superman feebly gasping for air conveys Batman’s point of view.

Close-up on Batman, barring his teeth. Then he roars and swings the sink up before bringing it down hard on the back of Superman’s skull, knocking him unconscious. This is a visual gag: “Everything but the kitchen sink,” is an expression that basically means “anything that is available,” hence Batman is throwing everything he can at Superman.

Percussion builds anticipation until the moment of the collision with Superman’s head before suddenly terminating.

Behind the Scene

The sink was a soft Styrofoam object digitally transformed in post-production.

Batman grabs him by the neck of his cape, pulls him up, yanks his head back painfully by the hair, and hoists Superman by the throat, awkwardly bending his back over Batman’s armoured shoulder with an audible crack of spine.

Strings build back up to a choral variation of the Bruce Wayne Motif over the percussive Batman Theme A yet again as the vigilante preps the fallen Kryptonian over his shoulder.

Batman carries Superman’s limp body through the men’s restroom, possibly intended to resemble imagery of Christ carrying the cross, making Superman into Batman’s cross — his own burden to bear, whether he knows it or not. As they exit the restroom and approach the balcony over a deep atrium through the centre of the building, we can see graffiti on a wall saying in Latin “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” roughly translating as “Who watches the Watchmen?” Another Watchmen reference, though the Latin version of the quote is derived from the Roman poet Juvenal, which is precisely where that story’s title and themes originate from.

“That’s Latin for ‘Who watches the Watchmen?’ which I thought was an appropriate time to do a Watchmen reference, and seeing these two characters who could do so good and whose morality, credo, or thesis was to help, and here they are trying to kill each other, I thought it was a really poignant time to ask that question.”

Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Director’s Commentary, 2021, 2:09:09

Then Batman tosses Superman down the shaft, falling approximately eight floors before landing in the ground floor lobby with a crash on a pile of old rusty radiators with a long, agonised wail. Lightning flashes. The shaft through the building is octagonal, like the corridor Lex walked down to the scout ship, and the camera angle is a perfect callback too, referencing a shot from 2001: A Space Odyssey. This recurring motif may also reference the Taoist cosmological Bagua symbology. Reel Analysis discusses the theory in this video.

A rapidly falling string figure accompanies Superman’s fall before stopping suddenly when he hits the ground. Then a rumble of percussion coincides with the lightning flashing. Tom Holkenberg (Junkie XL) said that seeing Superman fall down through the building reminded him of the 1958 Alfred Hitchcock film Vertigo, and used that inspiration for the falling strings.

“When we scouted, I saw this pile of radiators. That’s where I got that idea for the pile of radiators. It wasn’t there, but it was in another location that we scouted where they just had this giant pile of radiators, and I was like, ‘Ah, so cool! That’s what he’ll land on!’ It’s not a soft thing, but we actually made a soft thing out of it.”

Zack Snyder, Full Circle, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice commentary, 29 April 2023

Batman aims and fires the Bat-claw above, penetrating a wooden ceiling beam. He then rapels down the shaft. This might be more falling symbolism, with Batman metaphorically bringing Superman down to his lowest point, into the darkness where a meaningless death awaits. But where Superman has fallen against his will, Batman descends willingly.

Batman lands in the lobby before the downed superhero and unclips the grappling gun from the cable, tosses it aside, and draws another length of cable which he wraps around Superman’s left ankle. Too stunned to do anything, Superman groggily shifts his head before as Batman picks up the Bat-claw and drags him from the pile of debris onto the floor, towards the general waiting room.

Bruce Wayne Motif plays on a lonely trumpet, but this is absent from the track on the score.

Through his malfunctioning voice modulator, the Dark Knight monologues, “I bet your parents taught you that you mean something. That you’re here for a reason.” Of course, Jonathan Kent said precisely that in Man of Steel: “But you’re not just anyone, Clark, and I have to believe that you were sent here for a reason,” which Jor-El confirmed. “My parents taught me a different lesson…”

Superman recovers just enough to reach for the cable around his ankle, struggling and grimacing.

“Dying in the gutter. For no reason at all.”

The vigilante slams a button on the Bat-claw, and the cable jerks a yelling Superman toward Batman as he swings the helpless superhero through the air counter-clockwise around the room, crashing through the two huge concrete columns beside the giant centre window. Multiple shots show this from different angles, which can lead one to think four columns were destroyed. With a final yell, Batman sends Superman’s skull slamming into a concrete slab, groaning in pain. Snyder wanted to do the swinging practically, but it proved too difficult.

Explosive choir and percussion breaks the quiet and uneasy ambience as Batman slams Superman through the pillars. The score goes quiet again after Superman comes to a sudden halt.

Batman tosses the grappling gun aside and says, “They taught me the world only makes sense if you force it to.” This is existentialist thinking. In his quest to make a tangible difference in the world after twenty years of what he believes was a pointless war on crime, Batman needs to force meaning into a world that lacks any and killing this grandiose alien will be the greatest act of empowerment for him. It is also a reference to The Dark Knight Returns…

“You sold us out, Clark. You gave them the power that should have been ours. Just like your parents taught you. My parents… taught me a different lesson… lying on this street, shaking in deep shock, dying for no reason at all. They showed me that the world only makes sense when you force it to.”

Batman, The Dark Knight Returns, 1986

“‘If you force it to,’ which I think sums up, philosophically, [Batman’s] come to this notion that he can only live in a world that he forces into a morality that he can justify, but in the end, he’s about to discover, his actions can easily go too far and he can become what he observes and hates, the very thing he’s fighting against. In this sequence, he’s basically turned into the murderer of his parents in a way because he’s allowing them to kill Martha, so is he responsible for the death of Martha? He’s blinded by his hatred.”

Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Watch Party, 29 March 2020

Then he removes the spear from the ground and approaches the downed Superman. As the length of the spear extends, the mineral is now burning bright, reaffirming that Kryptonite glows brighter in the presence of a Kryptonian. This shot also mirrors the shot from Bruce’s dream where he carried flowers to the tomb of his parents. Where once he carried a representation of his love for his parents in his left hand, now he carries a weapon of death in his right hand — literally a case of the duality of (Bat)man. Or it represents how he carries grief in one hand and hate in the other.

The score once again explodes with percussion on Batman Theme A and choir, appropriately dramatic now that the terrible fate of Superman seems to be inevitable.

SCENE OVERVIEW

Lois arrives at the Daily Planet, frantically asking for a helicopter to Gotham, which Perry obliges, further developing their friendship while re-energising anticipation for the imminent battle between superheroes after the brief pause of the prior scene.

In Gotham, Superman arrives asking for Batman’s help. Enduring the Dark Knight’s bothersome attacks, he gives up on reason and resolves to beat Batman into submission, which proves fruitless as the vigilante employs Kryptonite attacks, using a full range of gadgets and skills to humiliate the weakened superhero while the clock ticks. A fist will not stop the Batman. Emerging the victor, Batman’s cruelty and hate are put on full display.

SCENE ANALYSIS

The scene is exactly 7m40s from the moment we see Batman looking up at Superman to the end of the Kryptonite spear shot, calculated down to the frame. In comparison, this is 2m9s longer than Superman versus Zod in Man of Steel if we go from the moment Zod charges Superman to the moment his neck is snapped (5m31s), or 2s shorter if we go from the moment we see Zod kneeling in the rubble to the frame before the desert scene (7m40s), but that added time is purely Zod’s monologue or aftermath.

Batman decked out in heavy armour and Superman deprived of his powers makes the characters heavy and slow, giving the battle a brutal physical weight that distinguishes it from the movie’s more fast-paced action sequences. It is a ruthless back-and-forth between the two superheroes where Batman’s victory means the death of Superman and Martha Kent, while Superman’s victory increasingly seems to depend on killing Batman in order to save his mother. The scene is given additional tension by the fact that Martha’s life is on the line and the clock is ticking. Below is a step-by-step breakdown of the battle…

1. Batman uses sonic blasters that Superman destroys using a sewer cover. Some dialogue.
2. Batman hits Superman with automated machine gun turrets that he destroys with heat vision.
3. Superman throws Batman once before dragging him through the building onto the roof.
4. Batman distracts Superman with lead gas before hitting him with a Kryptonite gas grenade. Batman taunts.
5. Batman begins beating Superman brutally with a combination of diverse punches, kicks, and blocks.
6. Batman stomps Superman through the skylight before beating him some more, slamming his head into a wall, and knocking him to the ground.
7. The Kryptonite wears off and Superman throws him through a wall.
8. They charge each other and Batman tries punching Superman again in the face, but this time there is no effect.
9. Superman shoves Batman through the floor and tosses him through several bathroom cubicles.
10. Batman hits Superman with another Kryptonite gas grenade before Superman can press the attack.
11. Batman knocks Superman out with a sink before tossing him down to the ground floor.
12. Batman swings Superman through several large pillars before preparing the Kryptonite spear for the final blow.

All Superman has done here is throw unthinking punches and toss Batman around. A brawler without any skill, exposure to Kryptonite leaves him completely helpless against Batman, a trained martial arts master who easily deflects every attack and counters with devastating strikes of his own. It really shows off the difference between their sense of combat.

Batman’s brutality reaches a peak here, making every effort to prolong Superman’s suffering — a display of man’s superiority over the alien. His dialogue has further expanded his character by allowing us to see his mindset leading up to the following revelation, taunting Superman by dehumanising him. The moment of the kill can only be savoured with a weapon as appropriate as a spear. At the same time, Superman’s mistakes have reached a head. Assuming Batman can only understand violence, he gives up on reason at his peril, only to find that a fist cannot stop men like this.

The scene relishes in its dramatic absurdity. With the ominous flashes of lightning, pouring rain, and the accompanying angry soundtrack, the scene fully embraces a fantastical, even campy tone. It is utterly over-the-top, and the movie knows it.

This step-by-step analysis video by The Film Exiles points out many possible visual references to The Dark Knight Returns (and its animated adaptation) layered throughout the scene, along with the older Batman and Superman films, other comics, and even games. It also branches out to cover the Martha scene as well.

The battle also has clear parallels to Excalibur. In one scene, Arthur, dressed in black, jousts with the shining Lancelot on horseback. Arthur is knocked from his horse and demands that Lancelot face him sword-to-sword. Lancelot, from a position of advantage, steps down from his horse and fights Arthur on equal terms, appealing to Arthur that he is not his enemy, but Arthur is full of rage and refuses to see reason. Later in their fight, Arthur uses the power of Excalibur (glowing green) to win the fight when it appears that Lancelot has won.

You can watch the full battle in HD with the full IMAX aspect ratio of 1.43:1 on the official Warner Bros Entertainment YouTube channel. Check here for an official technical breakdown of the in-universe physics of the (theatrical cut) scene.

The first track in this scene is “Dawn of Justice,” and it carries over from Dawn of Justice. After the film moves to Batman, the score serves to create tension and anticipation for the climactic battle between the two titular superheroes with its use of dissonant strings to amplify the Dark Knight’s angry scare factor and a soft thudding to amplify urgency during the Daily Planet sequence as Lois pleads for a helicopter. This track does not exist on any commercially-available version of the score.

The second track in this scene is “Hero Fight.” It represents each step of the battle between Batman and Superman, usually playing some variation of the theme of whoever has the upper hand at any given point. The slow and painful rendition of the Bruce Wayne Motif on low brass accompanies Batman Theme A on percussion as Batman takes control of the fight, evoking a clear sense of malice and rage. Then Angelic choral components represent Superman overcoming the Kryptonite poisoning and regaining his strength, interspersed with General Zod’s theme when he pushes the fight onward. The use of Zod’s theme possibly represents how both Batman and Zod battle Superman on equal footing. This track and the next together make up “Black and Blue” in all commercially-available versions of the score.

BEHIND THE SCENE

Based on physical evidence and quotes, the Daily Planet was shot in a retrofitted office space at 2000 Centerpoint Parkway, Pontiac, Michigan, in the late Michigan Motion Picture Studios, a former General Motors building just across the street from the location used for LexCorp. Those with a keen eye for set design may notice a significant number of changes since Man of Steel, implying the building has been heavily remodelled. Updates were inspired by old photographs of the Chicago Tribune. A row of televisions across the walls makes current news updates a constant presence in the scenes here. Lois and Clark can see each other from the placement of their desks. Electrician Erica Kim got a photo from inside. The location was sold to Williams International in 2017, when the studio held a garage sale for props.

The exterior and lobby of Wayne Station was filmed at Michigan Central Station, 2198 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, Michigan. Key second assistant director Misha Bukowski visited the location in December 2013, and key specialty costumer Douglas J Stewart was there in April 2014. Construction and filming started in September around the 17th, Lois’ arrival via helicopter was shot on the 20th, and filming continued until the 26th. The shoot was covered by MLive (with photos) and WXYZ-TV Detroit (with video). A local visited the set in the day. During their time shooting, innumerable stunning photos of the location were taken and posted by Zack Snyder [1/2], set photographer Clay Enos [1/2], key specialty costumer Douglas Stewart [1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8], additional second assistant directors Maggie Callis [1] and Ryan J Pezdirc [1/2/3], and set costumer Kate Abraham [1/2]. British Cinematographer’s interview with the film’s director of photography Larry Fong has a photo of Fong on the set.

The roof of Wayne Station was a two-storey set built on a soundstage at the late Michigan Motion Picture Studios along Centerpoint Parkway, Pontiac, Michigan. The lower level was used for the interior fight sequences. The atrium through the building was likely shot at The Farwell, 1249 Griswold Street, Detroit, Michigan, on an unknown date, abandoned at the time but now a luxury apartment complex. According to Set Decorator Carolyn Loucks, the Bat-signal is a repurposed military spotlight. Clay Enos has a number of behind-the-scenes photos of the Bat-signal on his website and his social media [1/2].

“You know what? It took a long time [to film this scene]. Non-consecutive days, spread over about five months, and it was great to begin with. It was awesome, because it was… Midwest in the Summer, it was hot, wearing a suit in the studio, they switch all the rain on, awesome, nice and chilled. However, by the time we got to shooting the last day of that, it was Midwest in the Winter, outside, in Detroit, with a rain machine. Not so good.”

Henry Cavill, BackstageOL, 18 March 2016

Albert Valladares and Richard Cetrone were Henry Cavill’s and Ben Affleck’s stunt doubles. At times, either the armoured Batsuit’s eyes blinded Affleck or Cetrone, or the eyes were left open with LEDs arranged around the socket to have the full brightness digitally inserted in post-production. Check here for an official snippet at the filming process for the fight scene, courtesy of Loaded Online. Innumerable technologies were used to convert Ben Affleck in the armoured Batsuit and Henry Cavill in the Superman costume into digital doubles, and “EnviroCam” technology initially created for Man of Steel was used to capture the sets as fully digital environments giving the VFX artists great freedom. The scene jumps seamlessly between both fully computer-generated and live-action visuals on a whim without the notice of the audience. You can find exact details from VFX supervisor Guillaume Rocheron of MPC in his interviews with Art of VFX, fxguide, and 3dtotal. Zack Snyder [1/2/3], Henry Cavill [1], Valladares [1/2/3/4], set photographer Clay Enos [1/2/3/4/5], and first assistant director Bruce Moriarty [1] shared videos and photos of the shoot.

“Looks amazing. When we were there it was extremely dangerous; we had to wear hard hats while shooting. Occasionally ceiling tiles/plaster would fall.”

Larry Fong, Twitter, 10 December 2025

According to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – Official Trailer 2, Batman has a deleted line of dialogue where he says “It’s time you learned what it means to be a man.” Presumably, it was somewhere in this scene.

“It’s way past time you learned what it means to be a man.”

Batman, The Dark Knight Returns, 1986