BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE

INTO SPACE

Flyby shot on the Batwing, soaring across the bay between the two cities. Pan right to follow it, revealing the orange cloud evaporating over the Metropolis skyline.

Inside the cockpit, Batman blinks in anxiety, and asks, “What’s happening there, Alfred?”

Cut to Alfred in the Batcave, shifting uncomfortably at the Bat-computer. At a total loss for words, he exhales and says, “How best to describe it?” A little humour to add some levity in this brief reprieve from the action, yet also emphasising the scale of the threat. Batman has never faced something like this before.

On the plane, a flight attendant (Abigail Kuklis) preps a trey of drinks for the passengers in the kitchen area.

“Metropolis airspace has been closed briefly,” says the captain over the intercom.

To the attendant’s left, Diana storms off the plane onto the boarding bridge opposite, luggage in both hands.

“Excuse me?” calls the flight attendant.

“We kindly ask that you stay in your seats,” says the captain, a small verbal gag on Diana blatantly evacuating.

The flight attendant follows Diana out of the plane. “Excuse me?” she calls again.

Backwards tracking shot on Diana storming down the boarding bridge in the right foreground. The flight attendant steps onto the bridge in the left background.

Out-of-focus, the attendant calls, “Miss Prince!” This is the first time Diana’s last name is mentioned in the film.

She refuses to respond and continues to leave with determination.

Cut to circling Doomsday as he roars at the city below with unrestrained rage from the flaming top of LexCorp Tower. His position and continued roaring make the monster appear dominant and unstoppable, having annihilated all his enemies like something out of a classic monster movie.

Then, out of nowhere, Superman comes up from below, slamming into the creature’s back and flying him into the sky, disappearing into the clouds. Doomsday’s core is glowing orange yet again, absorbing the energy of Superman’s impact before the glow dissipates. This becomes a running theme as we see Doomsday grow ever stronger as he absorbs all forms of energy.

Superman’s hard and laboured breathing shows that this either takes a great deal of effort on his part or he is terrified in this moment.

Wide shot of the spectacle, tracking Superman breaking the blanket of clouds with Doomsday held above him, roaring with confusion as they approach the upper atmosphere.

Farris looks at a diagram showing the targets gaining altitude. Lowering the phone from her ear, she says, “Sir. Look, they’ve cleared the city.”

Also looking at the screen, Calvin notes hopefully, “Looks like he’s taking it into space.”

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is standing beside the screen. He turns to the speakerphone on the conference table and says authoritatively, “We can go straight to Key Red, Mr President.”

Shocked at the callous suggestion, Calvin snaps, “Not yet! Are you crazy?!”

The Chairman responds firmly, “They’re high enough we can nuke ’em with no casualties, sir.”

Cut to a glimpse of Farris as he says this, eyes darting between the two men.

Calvin leans against the desk and says to POTUS, “One casualty, Mr President — Superman.”

There is a moment of hesitation before the President sighs and says, regretfully, “God have mercy on us all.” Though he makes this order fairly quickly, his words show that killing Superman was not something he wanted to do. This may be a callback to Jack’s line during the Black Zero scene: “And may God, creator of Heaven and Earth, have mercy on my soul.” Of course, this is yet another reference to divinity, and considering Superman is the one they are nuking, it is like an apology to Superman.

Farris lets out a sigh, but of disappointment or relief?

Cut to a concrete hallway. Military personnel rush by, out through a massive closing blast door plastered with the US flag while an alarm blares.

In what we can immediately assume is a nuclear missile silo control room, two soldiers hastily take the two keys presented within a small briefcase.

Seated at their consoles, the two officers insert their keys, keeping their hands on them. “Key is hot,” says one officer (Jesse Nagy).

“Key is hot,” says the other (Jonathan Stanley).

At HQ, Farris blesses herself with the sign of the cross, yet more distinctly religious imagery, as another officer solemnly explains off-screen, “Red birds are armed to deploy, sir.”

As he says this, Calvin looks distressed at what they are about to do.

After a short pause, the President says over the speakerphone, “Fire at will.”

At the silo control room. One of the officers (Nagy) counts down, “Three… two… one…”

They turn their keys in unison.

Facing Calvin, the Chairman then turns to face the screen behind him. We hear the rumbling of a missile launch.

High-angle on the missile in its silo, rocketing upwards and consuming the camera in fire.

Distant low-angle shot on the projectile, lighting up the night sky as it ascends in the distance. Tree branches partially obscure the sight, rustling in the wind and juxtaposing the imagery of weapons of mass destruction against the serenity of nature. Snyder confirmed this intent…

“I always liked that idea of having the leaves in focus in the foreground as the missile launches in the background. Again, the natural world overlapping our own world. It’s a bit of a theme of the movie, I think.”

Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Director’s Commentary, 2021, 2:26:20

In space, Superman is continuing to carry Doomsday up when beast finally turns to throw a punch at the Man of Steel, knocking him back in the direction of Earth.

Superman is stunned momentarily, but then keeps up his attack, flying up to punch Doomsday in the stomach, sending him further out into space with a new orange glow from the impact, and Superman pursues further still.

Mounted shot from the rocket’s chassis facing downward to observe the lower section of the missile separate from the primary thrusters as it escapes the atmosphere. Then the warhead fires its secondary thruster, half-way to its target and rocketing out into the void.

We track Superman up into another punch that sends Doomsday flying into space. Then he turns down to look at the approaching missile heading in his direction from below. He flies up out of frame before the rocket flies by, and we turn to see it follow him.

Doomsday is spinning through space when Superman collides with the brute, closely followed by the nuclear warhead. He grapples with the monster’s head. Doomsday seems confused for a moment before reaching back to grab his assailant, vainly trying to tear him off, but the superhero maintains his firm grip on the roaring beast.

Long shot of the scene. The missile is ascending straight up from below in the centre frame, on course to hit the two Kryptonians above. The sphere of the Earth is half the shot, Superman dragging his enemy into a heavenly battle to spare the world their clash.

Grimacing, Superman turns his head to look down at the approaching missile.

Mounted shot from the warhead facing up, its targets ahead. Superman turns the beast to face the incoming rocket head-on, lighting up both characters before they both disappear in a flash of bright light and a muffled bang.

FALLOUT

Cut to the Batwing flying over the water as it passes under a bridge. A bright light is reflected in the water below.

In the cockpit, the same light reflects in the windshield. Looking up, he says only, “Oh, God.”

The Batwing soars over the Metropolis skyline. We turn to follow its pass and stop to see the spectacle in the sky. Through the clouds, beyond the atmosphere, is an enormous explosion. Batman’s words can also subliminally put God in the viewer’s mind in association with this heavenly, terrible spectacle.

At the Daily Planet, Perry and his staff looks up at the blast reflected in the window of his office. One of the employees in the background begins recording with her phone.

In Gotham, Lois exits the abandoned Wayne Station, stepping out into the open air to look up at the burning sky from which a fireball descends to Earth over the bay.

Lois watches in a mix of concern and awe.

The fireball sings before crashing into an empty field, the subsequent explosion spreading out across the landscape before dissipating into a cloud of smoke. Doomsday’s descent here is possibly symbolic of Lucifer’s fall from Heaven, further representing Doomsday as the Devil figure. It also parallels Lex’s reference to Icarus earlier, flying too close to the sun/Son and falling back to Earth.

Cut to Farris looking at the screen showing a satellite map over Gotham, Metropolis, and the island in between, where a red ring emerges to indicate the impact point. A phone to her ear, Farris says, “Projectile one. Impact. Stryker’s Island, east of Metropolis.”

“That’s uninhabited,” says the Air Force Signals Officer (Steve Jasgur) over her shoulder, also on the phone. This is yet another reminder that civilians are not in immediate danger. I get the impression these excessive reassurances may have been a deliberate tactic to lampshade and satirise the criticisms of collateral damage in Man of Steel by deliberately contriving the safety of the populace.

“Projectile two…” begins Farris.

On the orbital map, the second indicator, still in orbit, soon disappears.

Calvin looks up in concern.

Everyone is focused on the screen in an fearful silence.

Farris turns to Calvin and timidly says, “No apparent re-entry.”

“Projectile two?” asks the President from the speakerphone.

Looking remorseful, Calvin leans against the table and responds regretfully, “Superman, Mr President. Projectile two was… Superman.”

After a beat, the Signals Officer interrupts, “Sir.” He is pointing at the screen. Looking concerned, he says, “It’s moving.”

On the screen, seismic waves seem to be emanating out from Stryker’s Island.

Cut to smoke, emerging to descend on and circle around Doomsday to watch him rip the skin off his shoulders, exposing grey muscle and violently protruding bone shards emerging from his flesh. His body grows, arm muscles expanding and skin falling away as the creature emits a storm of orange electricity once again. He eyes his hand before slamming his fist into the ground as if in pain yet again, then pulling it back to examine it. Now his body is lit up with energy, his face glowing as he growls.

Close-up on Doomsday’s face, turned now to the sky. A deep hum can be heard, like a generator charging up, before we suddenly pull back from another explosive electrical blast.

Distant shot of Doomsday, firing a beam of energy from his body into the sky as yet another orange wave of fiery electricity expands outward from the monster.

Distant shot of the island to see the explosion grow over the waters of the bay.

Top-down shot of the bay from orbit to see the explosion expand, a beam of heat vision passing quietly by the camera before dissipating. The explosion just seems to continue growing as we pan right slowly to reveal the skeletal husk of the being that used to be Superman. His flesh is decayed, his muscle is gone, and the bones of his face are visible.

This haunting image is taken directly from The Dark Knight Returns, where Superman is reduced to a shrivelled skeletal form after tanking a nuclear explosion from the missile he successfully deflected. This shot also bears a striking resemblance to Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam (1508-1512), a painting by Michaelengelo that depicts God and Adam reaching for each other with their fingertips, and Superman here is in the place of God, which would also fit with the idea of Superman’s destiny being to guide humanity. It might also be another visual nod to the ending of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), where the protagonist becomes a foetus-like being floating in orbit above Earth.

“The shockwaves are getting stronger,” we hear Calvin say.

Cut to Calvin, looking hopeless. He continues, “Every time we hit it, we make it more powerful. We can’t attack.”

On the speakerphone, the President cautiously asks, “What are you saying, Calvin?” The lighting is different in this shot, illuminating the device so we can more easily see the display. We can now see that the caller is from “Line 1 – 9375”, a reference to the comic issue in which Superman finally died at Doomsday’s hands, Superman #75 (1993). A very subtle yet ominous piece of foreshadowing.

With a sigh, Calvin responds, “I’m saying it’s unkillable.”

The Batwing flies over the charred remains of Stryker’s Island. Batman approaches the epicentre of the blast. The whole place is charred and burning, like hell brought to Earth.

Inside, Batman looks closer as we hear an accelerating beeping. We see Doomsday standing amid the smoke through the canopy as we pass the creature, his distant face glowing hot — a terrifying image.

The monster growls angrily as his face lights up, turning to follow the movements of the Batwing. Then he fires a tremendous blast of heat vision from his whole face.

Batman grunts as he pulls forcefully on the controls to avoid the beam that lights up the exterior beyond the canopy.

Doomsday tails the flying vehicle with his heat vision before the Batwing ducks behind a burning hill, out of sight, and the beam rips up the ground.

Batman turns sharply on the controls with further groans of effort, and the Batwing swoops down from the hill over the bay, churning up water as it skids by.

Cut to the Bat-computer with Alfred seated. Two screens display a low-angle cockpit view on Batman fizzling to life and a 3D diagram of the two cities with Stryker’s Island between them, depicting the Batwing’s route and altitude with a red line. “Master Wayne, are you receiving me?” asks the Butler.

“Alfred,” responds Batman, and we cut back to him in the cockpit, “it’s Kryptonian. Only Kryptonite weapons can kill it.” He is visibly and audibly shaking, likely due to turbulence, but this creates the sense that, for once, the Batman feels fear, having never faced anything like this before. He knows full well just how massively outgunned he is in this situation, and unlike Superman, Doomsday will not hold back.

In the Batcave, Alfred looks worrisome and disappointed. He responds, “They might… if you had any left.” This is a cutting remark about Batman’s wasteful crusade against Superman.

On the Bat-computer, Batman looks down at the grenade launcher and responds, “I got one round left.” In the cockpit, an epiphany comes to him. Breathing rapidly, he says, “The spear. Alfred, the spear. It’s pure kryptonite. It’s back in Gotham. If I can penetrate the skin, the spear will kill it.”

In the Batcave, Alfred nods. “It would in theory.”

Side extreme close-up on Batman in the cockpit to generate new tension. “I gotta get it to chase me… Back to the city… Back to the Kryptonite.” This is a strategically sound decision, as the port is abandoned and leaving Doomsday unattended risks him leaping back to a dense population area and killing millions.

We hear Batman activate something on the controls.

Cut to the Batwing through a splash of water. It flies ahead and ascends vertically, looping to turn back and fly by.

Batman pulls the trigger on the joystick, firing the Batwing’s forward Gatling cannon once again, furiously blasting away. Inside, Batman is illuminated by the muzzle flashes, shaking from the recoil.

Doomsday is unaffected by the hail of bullets until an explosion knocks him slightly, glowing a little as he absorbs the energy. He roars before swiping with his arm to prematurely detonate another approaching missile, and the vehicle flies right over him. He roars.

Enraged, Doomsday crouches before taking a mighty leap.

High-angle shot on Stryker’s Island, pulling back into the clouds as the Batwing flies by. Close behind is Doomsday, launched through the air in hot pursuit, face glowing hot before firing off another blast of heat vision that consumes the frame.

SCENE OVERVIEW

As Doomsday wreaks havoc upon Metropolis, Superman whisks the monster into space, away from the endangered people of Earth. Under the protests of Calvin Swanwick, the Pentagon fires a nuke at the struggling Kryptonians, seeking to spare humanity at the expense of Superman, putting him out of action to set the stage for Wonder Woman’s timely intervention. This act of cowardice is proven fruitless as Doomsday grows ever stronger by absorbing the energy of the blast. Alone, Batman resolves to lead Doomsday back to the abandoned port towards the Kryptonite spear, directing the battle towards the movie’s final battleground.

SCENE ANALYSIS

This scene combines elements from two stories. Superman trying to fly Doomsday into space is taken straight from the original The Death of Superman (1993), and Superman being caught in a nuclear blast and shrivelling up into a husk comes straight out of The Dark Knight Returns (1986), so both have been perfectly combined here. It may also have taken inspiration from Superman: Earth One Volume Two (2012), where the Parasite becomes a hulking monster after absorbing Superman’s power and the military fires a nuke at him to no effect.

Zack Snyder is an outspoken proponent of the power of images to elicit emotion, and this scene is a perfect example. Narratively and thematically, it is nothing particularly special in comparison to many other things in the film, yet it still moves me, all because of the execution of the scene in itself. It is a downright Biblical event occurring in the present-day. A hero with god-like powers carries a demonic beast into the heavens, but humanity strikes out in fear at both of them, desperately trying to destroy a monster even if it means killing the world’s saviour in the process. The music is imperative, building dramatically with its heavenly choir alongside the melancholy version of Superman’s theme song heard throughout the film at lower intensities before now, aiming for the moment of impact. Against the black backdrop of space, the weapon of man ascends above the Earth’s horizon to meet the two “divine” beings like a renaissance painting in the modern age. A combination of sights and sounds all combines together into a perfect sequence that gives me chills.

Superman: Look, I’m here to help, but it has to be on my terms, and you have to convince Washington of that.

General Swanwick: Even if I were willing to try, what makes you think they’d listen?

Superman: I don’t know, General. Guess I’ll just have to trust you.

Man of Steel, 2013

This scene represents humanity making the cowardly choice to kill Superman for their own sake. Carrying on from his relationship with Superman after Man of Steel, Calvin Swanwick (Martian Manhunter) tries to convince Washington not to nuke him, but the powers that be quickly decide that slaying this beast is worth Superman’s life. The scene also shows what Superman can come back from, in turn assuring us that he is dead for real after Doomsday pierces his heart and the morning sun rays cannot revive him.

“He comes very close to death in space and the reason why we did that is because I wanted to show — and keep the idea in the viewer’s mind — that he can come pretty close to death and the sun can revive him, or he can be revived. I think something more is gonna need to be done.”

Zack Snyder, Entertainment Weekly, 26 March 2016

Musical analysis coming soon.

BEHIND THE SCENE

The missile silo was shot at an unknown location. On 31 October 2014, Jonathan Stanley, who played one of the silo officers, posted this photo (now deleted) of himself with his fellow officer Jesse Nagy and director Zack Snyder to his Instagram, suggesting the sequence may have been filmed around that time.

Diana’s plane was shot at the Turkish Airlines wing of O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois. Shooting occurred on 14 November 2014, and was the last thing filmed in the state before the crew relocated to New Mexico. According to their source, TheWrap reported it cost millions of dollars to organise the shoot, but they also mistakenly wrote that the airport was in Detroit, so take this with a huge grain of salt.

The Pentagon conference room was filmed in the Wayne County Building, 600 Randolph Street, Detroit, Michigan. It is the same location used for the Capitol interiors. Filming most likely occurred around late August 2014 when the crew were filming at the location.