BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE

MEN ARE STILL GOOD

“The dead shall live,” says Father Leone, standing at the head of the mourners gathered around Clark’s casket, holding a Bible. We push on him, dramatically emphasising his continuing eulogy: “My slain shall rise again. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust. For thy dew is like the dew of the morning. And the Earth shall give birth to her dead.” He is relating a version of the Bible passage Isaiah 26:19. Of course, this line is very explicit foreshadowing of Superman’s resurrection.

Cut to the mourners leaving the cemetery in a column down the gravel path, including Lana Lang (Emily Peterson), her first adult appearance the bus rescue in Man of Steel. Toward the back of the column is Martha, arm locked with Father Leone to her left. Pete Ross is walking at her right. Behind them, the horse-drawn cart’s driver (Jeff Hanlin) prepares to leave.

Martha explains, “Ah, I need a ride back to the house. I forgot my cheque book to pay the funeral director.”

Pete says, “They said it’s all taken care of.”

Martha finds that strange and stops walking to turn to Pete. “By whom?” she asks.

Pete shrugs. “Anonymous donor.”

We ascend above the trio, removing them from the frame. Lois comes into view out from behind a tall tombstone, staying behind to stand alone by Clark’s open grave. Two grave diggers are standing nearby, waiting for her to be done. Clark is being buried next to the grave of his father. The wind blows, rustling the fields of corn.

Lois stares down silently at Clark’s casket.

Rear wide shot of Lois, scrolling left as the empty cart starts moving, exiting the scene right to reveal a black-clad figure watching from the distance beneath the trees. Another, also black clad, enters from the right to approach his side. Lois turns away from the grave then.

Cut to Bruce, standing solemnly. We pull out as Lois steps away in the distance to crouch beside the tarped pile of soil for the burial. Behind Bruce, Diana approaches.

Lois grabs a fistful of soil from where it spills under the tarp in a shot possibly mirroring the shot of young Bruce clutching the dead leaves in his hand at the bottom of the well during the film’s opening, which would be up for interpretation. Lois cherishes the Earth in her hands.

Diana comes up beside Bruce. He glances at her for a second and says, “All those circuses back east, burying an empty box.” Superman’s death was about him as a person. He was more than just a hero, but a man, and a humble one. He deserved a humble funeral, surrounded by his loved ones, rather than being buried in an extravagant national ceremony. This is why neither Diana nor Bruce took part in the funeral. They had no place there, only watching from afar. Following The Death of Superman, Martha dubbed their son’s public funeral a “circus” in Funeral for a Friend after the ceremony is disrupted.

Diana replies, “They don’t know how to honour him, except as a soldier.”

After a pause, Bruce says remorsefully, “I failed him. In life.” His work the past two years has focused primarily on killing the man who died to save Bruce’s soul and the world, naturally filling him with guilt. Furthermore, while he saved Martha Kent, he could not save her beloved son, the person who still had the innocence Bruce lost as a child. He shakes his head. “I won’t fail him in death.” This is a promise on Clark’s grave. Then he turns to Diana. “Help me find the others like you.”

Diana turns away from Bruce back to the cemetery and responds, “Perhaps they don’t want to be found.”

Bruce responds with certainty, “They will. And they’ll fight.” Diana turns to him again as he goes on, “We have to stand together.” Bruce spent the majority of the film working towards killing Superman, and after changing his ways, only stood beside Superman once. His great wrongdoing was seeing Superman as an enemy over a friend and ally, and now he knows better.

Diana turns away again. After a few seconds, she sighs, turns back to him, and says, “A hundred years ago I walked away from mankind. From a century of horrors.” She turns back to the cemetery. “Men made a world where standing together is impossible.” She too was in a darker place before recently. After standing beside Superman and Batman to save the world, she is in a brighter place.

“This was Diana telling us why we haven’t seen her as part of the world. The horrors of World War I kind of turned her into a bit of a pacifist but, of course, that story’s been changed a little bit.”

Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Director’s Commentary, 2021, 2:48:44

Bruce looks away from Diana and counters hopefully, “Men are still good.” The movie is including including Superman, who earlier meant himself when he claimed, “No one stays good in this world,” which has now been subverted. For Bruce, he is confirming that he sees Superman as a man, and a good one at that, as Superman’s sacrifice inspired this change of heart, subverting his earlier justification for killing Superman, “How many good guys are left? How many stayed that way?”

High-angle establishing shot of Metropolis at sunset, flying over buildings towards Heroes Park, where the monument is surrounded by crowds and lights.

We hear Bruce go on, “We fight. We kill. We betray one another. But we can rebuild.” In Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Bruce literally rebuilds Superman. Clark’s example became the very thing that resurrected him. Recall Bruce’s opening line, “What falls is fallen.” Now he is concluding that idea with, “But we can rebuild.” An essential theme of the movie is that humanity’s soul is never beyond saving.

Overhead rear shot directly above the many mourners, each one raising a candle. We slowly fly forward above their heads towards the subject of their focus.

Bruce continues, “We can do better. We will. We have to.” This subverts his earlier mindset when he said cynically, “We’re criminals, Alfred. We’ve always been criminals. Nothing’s changed.” These lines here, with Bruce no longer on screen, work as narration, tying his words not just to himself, but to all humanity. They also connect with the film’s opening narration, defying the cynicism the film opens with by subverting those ideas. Bruce is concluding his arc, indirectly telling us he’s been inspired by Superman’s sacrifice to renew his faith in humanity. The movie is also speaking through him to tell us that he too has become a better man. He is still good, just as Superman learned. Also, recall that Batman has spent the vast majority of the film trying to commit an indisputably immoral act: murder Superman. These lines are a villain renouncing his evil ways.

Reverse shot, moving backwards to observe the faces of the mourners. A multitude of professions, ethnic groups, and ages are represented here, showing the range of humanity come to honour and mourn the man who saved them all. Some stare solemnly while many weep.

Overhead rear shot again, breaking over the line of heads to pan down into the centre of the monument, where piles of flowers and candles have been placed around Superman’s glyph embedded in the ground beneath the shattered statue. Written in graffiti on the ground before the glyph are the words, “If you seek his monument, look around you.” The handwriting suggests this may have been written by Zack Snyder. This is a reference to the dedication to Sir Christopher Wren, the architect of London’s St Paul’s Cathedral, which describes Superman handily. Translated from Latin, it reads…

“Here in its foundations lies the architect of this church and city, Christopher Wren, who lived beyond ninety years, not for his own profit but for the public good. Reader, if you seek his monument — look around you. Died 25 Feb. 1723, age 91.”

In the comics, a statue was erected to honour Superman after his death. In this film, a statue was both erected and destroyed prior to his death. No, the real monument to Superman is in the world he died for and the people who live because of him, because he believed in the potential of every person to be a force for good. Though Superman is dead, the atmosphere is not dark. Quite the opposite, there is a warmth and hope in the air. The music is heavenly, uplifting, and full of hope. These elements combine to tell us that there is an upside. The hate is gone, replaced by silence and reverence. Superman’s sacrifice was transformative.

“The truth about you is beautiful. We saw that the moment we laid eyes on you. We knew that one day, the whole world would see that.”

Martha Kent, Man of Steel, 2013

“Where we had thought to be alone, we shall be with all the world.”

Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, 1949, p18

Back in Smallville, Diana turns to Bruce fully and asks, “The others like me, why did you say they’ll have to fight?”

Bruce turns to her before turning back to the cemetery. After a few moments, he responds, “Just a feeling.” We hold on Bruce’s stoic face for some time as Diana walks off behind him.

We cut with the sound of sliding prison bars.

Cut to prison bars. Beyond are two men approaching down a concrete hallway as more barred doors close behind them: a guard (Duvale Murchison) and a suited man (Alan J. Cronan), presumably Lex’s lawyer.

The guard calls, “Prisoner Number A-C-23-19-40,” referencing Lex’s first comic debut in Action Comics #23 (1940). “The warden wants to speak to you, so stand to your feet.”

The two approach the cell ahead containing the now-bald Lex in his orange jumpsuit, sitting in a foetal position on his bed. He remains still, merely flexing his fingers. Something has him distracted.

The guard warns, “I’m gonna say this one more time. The warden wants to speak to you, so stand to your feet.”

Finally, Lex obeys the order, slowly standing up off the bed and turning to face the visitors. His slow actions indicate he is not quite there, a complete reversal of his typical energy.

The guard barks, “Turn around and face the wall.”

Lex obeys, turns, and moves against the wall.

The guard commands, “Place your forehead against the wall.”

Lex cracks his neck.

“Place your hands behind your back so that I can come in and restrain you.”

Lex puts his forehead on the concrete, eyes closed.

Then the lights begin to flicker. After a few uneasy moments, they go out, plunging us into darkness just as we hear the bars unlock.

Then the lights flicker again, and we hear the bars slide open. With a loud metallic clink, we catch flashes of Batman standing in the now-open cell door, silhouetted as the lights flicker around him for a split second and staring at the vulnerable inmate. The other two men have now vanished. Then the lights go out again.

The backup lights come back on, bathing Lex’s cell in red. The Batman stands menacingly in the cell door. The red light emphasises his anger, face-to-face with the man who manipulated and fermented Bruce’s rage nearly leading him to murder Superman himself. All that rage is now directed towards Lex.

Lex turns, and with the subtlest of expressions, shows concern.

Batman steps forward. His modulated voice shaking with anger, he warns, “Whatever you do, wherever you go, I’ll be watching you.” He holds the glowing hot Bat-brand up to Lex’s shoulder, steaming with cruel intent. These words imply Batman knows Lex is unlikely to stay behind bars forever.

Suddenly not so afraid anymore, Lex whispers smugly, “Oh. Look at us. This is how it all caves in. Civilisation on the wane, manners… out the window. Mmm?” Lex is taunting Bruce with the knowledge of his true identity with the play on words referencing Wayne Manor and the Batcave beneath the estate. Then Lex snorts, holding in laughter at finding himself so funny, and quickly says, “But who would believe me? I… I’m insane. I’m not even fit to stand trial.” He starts to look concerned again as he says this, as if pleading, now that he is done gloating. Of course, this is addressing the threat of Lex revealing this information to the public.

Batman responds, “That’s right. We have hospitals who treat the mentally ill with compassion.”

Lex snickers as he smiles once more, confident that he will be fine. His constant shifting between fear of Batman and glee at his lack of punishment further draws attention to his mental state.

Batman continues, “But that’s not where you’re going. I’ve arranged for you to get a transfer to Arkham Asylum in Gotham.”

Lex’s smile disappears. Clearly, he knows about Arkham Asylum, the mental prison from the comics where the worst of the worst Batman villains are dispatched.

Batman continues, “I still have some friends there.” Medium close-up on him to emphasise the hate in his words. “They’re expecting you.”

After a moment, the twitching Lex takes a breath and replies, slowly, “But the bell’s already been rung. And they’ve heard it. Out in the dark, among the stars.” He quietly laughs. “‘Ding dong, the god is dead.’” However, Lex says this last sentence with the utmost fear. This references the classic line from The Wizard of Oz (1939), “Ding dong, the witch is dead,” and that is the final reference to that story in BvS. This is appropriate, because Superman’s death opens up the wider DC universe, with all its absurdity and fantastical elements. We’re leaving behind the drab, grounded reality to step into a new world. This line is also likely a tragic subversion of Jor-El and Lara’s farewell to their son in Man of Steel. Jor-El believed he would be a god that humanity couldn’t kill, but amongst the stars, humanity killed him. Lara was sad that they would never hear their child say their names, but Darkseid heard his dying scream. Note the similarities to the Man of Steel dialogue below…

Lara Lor-Van: “He’ll be an outcast. A freak. They’ll kill him.”

Jor-El: “How? He’ll be a god to them.”

Lara Lor-Van: “We’ll never get to see him walk… Never hear him say our names.”

Jor-El: “But out there, amongst the stars, he will live.”

Man of Steel, 2013

Suddenly, Batman pulls back the brand punches it forward with a crunch. Everything goes black.

On the wall beside Lex’s head, the Dark Knight’s smouldering logo has been burned into the concrete, and the lights flicker again. This refusal to brand Lex, despite having committed crimes far greater than Cesar Santos, confirms a huge shift in Batman’s character.

Lex turns to look at the damage. He seems confused by the brand in the wall as the prison’s normal lights come back on. Batman is gone, leaving only the open cell door. We hear a buzz, and the cell door begins to close. Lex runs to it.

“But a bell cannot be unrung!” he yells angrily, and throws his face against the bars, nose dripping. He growls, “He’s hungry. He’s found us. And he’s coming!” Then, having totally lost his marbles, Lex repeats, “Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding…”

We watch Lex through the bars, pulling back as he continues his ominous breakdown.

“Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding…”

Pull out further, visually abandoning Lex to his prison and leaving him to his madness.

“Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding…”

Cut to an FBI forensics officer carrying a box out of frame, revealing Lex’s father’s room at his home. The FBI is searching the place from top to bottom.

“Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding…” continues Lex.

An FBI photographer takes a photo of the painting up on the wall. We ascend and push on the wall to get a better look at the painting.

“Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding…”

The painting is now upside-down, as Lex mentioned it should be, and the monstrous winged demons are now descending from above. The space between the lead demon’s wings resembles the inverted Omega symbol of Darkseid. Indeed, this is a very clear callback to the Parademons in the Knightmare, destined to descend upon the Earth. Meanwhile, the angelic beings are now coming up from below, possibly referencing the Earth-bound Justice League who will soon be defending their world from invasion.

As we push on the lead demon, Lex utters a final chant, “Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding…”

Wide shot of the Smallville Cemetery gates leading into the cornfield. Putting his hands in his pockets, Bruce takes his leave, following the path taken by the funeral procession. Again, he is walking through tall fauna, but this time the path ahead of him is clear. Where he previously trod off the path, through thick grass, now he is back on the right track, metaphorically and literally, yet still depicted as a lonely silhouette.

High-angle shot on Lois, ascending above her and panning down to see the coffin in the open grave. She is cradling the pile of soil in her hands. Beside Clark’s grave is the tombstone of Jonathan Kent, so both are buried side-by-side, once again reuniting them. Recall, this is also the place where Clark first told Lois the importance of keeping the world from finding out who he really was lest it reject him.

Low-angle shot on Lois as she extends her enclosed fist down to us, and you may notice she is now wearing the diamond ring, accepting Clark’s proposal. Recall Bruce’s monologue at the start of the film: “There were perfect things, diamond absolutes.” In a commonly Jewish tradition, she then drops the soil on the coffin, a final act of the falling motif throughout the movie: “But things fall. Things on Earth. And what falls is fallen.” Besides Martha, Lois is the one person in this movie that hasn’t grown and benefited from Superman’s sacrifice. She died when Clark did, hence not having a single line of dialogue from the moment of his death.

Behind the Scene

“The cool thing was, when we were doing BvS, JJ [Abrams] was shooting Star Wars — that’s how long ago we shot BvS, by the way — we had cameras and he had cameras. Now, the problem is Chris [Nolan] had a lens that he had made at one point, and it’s a really good lens, close focus, I don’t know, it does something that the other lenses don’t do, so I was always struggling to get it from JJ, and I’d be like, ‘Chris, get your damn lens! I need it! Tell those Star Wars guys they have to get in line! This is like our lens!’ We used it on the close-up of Lois’ hand with the ring, the low-angle where she has the dirt in her hand. That was shot on that lens.”

Zack Snyder, ReelBlend Podcast, 22 March 2021

Cut to the coffin, sitting just above the wood as the soil falls across the surface.

Behind the Scene

In the director’s commentary (2:54:06), Zack Snyder confirmed that this underground shot of the coffin was filmed on a set in Michigan, not on location.

Long shot of the cemetery, Lois standing above the grave. Her final goodbyes done, she slowly retracts her hand, turns, and steps away, finally leaving, exiting the scene right passing behind a leafless tree. This leaves only the two workers in the background with their shovels, ready to perform the burial.

Return to the coffin, gently pushing inward on the dirt before stopping. Hold for a few quiet, sombre moments. Then, for a split second, we catch a minute glimpse of a few grains of soil levitating above the casket, a phenomenon caused by the use of Superman’s flight in the immediate vicinity around his body. Physically subverting the film’s falling motif, the rising dirt foreshadows Superman’s impending return, neatly ending the film on the final message of optimism: Things that fall can rise again.

Sudden cut to black and the credits roll, ending the movie on a subtle indication that hope lives on. The film also begins and ends with a shot on a coffin.

“I went back and forth with it, to be honest. I do feel like it offers a teeny bit of hope for those people who need it. I feel like it’s obvious that we have to figure out a way to get him back, but I don’t know that everyone [knows that]. So I just wanted to give them that little jolt out of the theatre, where they’re like, ‘Oh shit! What’s going to happen?’”

Zack Snyder, BuzzFeed, 26 March 2016

“Yeah, I mean, Kryptonian cells probably would not be decaying. Just saying.”

Zack Snyder, Empire Film Podcast, 30 March 2016, 00:12:45

SCENE OVERVIEW

As the funeral comes to an end, Diana meets with Bruce to watch from afar. Inspired by the sacrifice of Superman, his character has undergone a final shift, and he makes a promise on Clark’s grave to protect the Earth after a meeting with Lex in prison foretells an impending alien attack, setting up the recruiting of the Justice League. Meanwhile, humanity has transformed as well, mourning the world’s saviour they woefully misjudged. With Bruce’s arc concluded and Lois accepting her lover’s proposal by donning the ring Clark sent her, the film ends on a sign of hope.

SCENE ANALYSIS

After Superman’s sacrifice, humanity mourns him for saving them at the cost of his own life. A world of hate is silenced by the weight of the alien’s heroism. Superman isn’t just a superhero — he makes the world better, turning prejudice into reverence and fear into mourning. His sacrifice is an act that heals. We’re not specifically told that this is what changed humanity’s collective minds, but we’re shown through the film’s other protagonist. We know the world has been moved by Superman’s sacrifice because we know Batman has been moved by Superman’s sacrifice. His melancholy monologue about how men are still good is spoken over images of the mourning people, tying the two together. He speaks for the world, not just himself. He’s the voice of humanity in this scene, and he’s the perfect representative. He was cruel, violent, paranoid, and full of hatred, but he overcame that. We can too. We did. Superman’s selflessness saved Batman’s soul and lifted him out of darkness, and he did the same for the world. That’s hope.

“In the early days, we did talk about [Batman] branding [Lex] here, but as we evolved the story, of course, Batman’s learned from the death of Superman as we have in the writing and telling of the story. This idea of him not [branding Lex] is a step in the right direction of Batman’s humanity, even though he’s so filled with rage about what Lex has done.”

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

“And he was going to brand Lex because he knows what happens, but then I feel like the lessons of Superman’s death have changed him already. He can’t do it.”

Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Director’s Commentary, 2021, 2:51:32

Note that the film begins and ends with a funeral, a structure Snyder describes as “cyclical,” just as Man of Steel begins and ends with a birth (one literal and the other metaphorical). The first funeral ruined a young boy’s life, started young Bruce down a path that nearly made him a monster, and set a tone of despair and tragedy. The second funeral healed him, a catharsis of rediscovering lost humanity by discovering the humanity in the man who gave his life to save a world that hates him. On multiple levels, Superman saved Batman from himself.

“No, 100% not an accident. It was meant as a bookend to the movie of this sort of cyclical nature, and also, I think it speaks to the mythological Bruce Wayne who’s been surrounded by death his whole life and having to navigate those waters and have those things make him who he is would be an interesting thing to have this last death be the thing that is propelling him toward a cathartic… He sees a way out of the darkness through this last [death].”

Zack Snyder, Empire Film Podcast, 30 March 2016, 00:03:21

“Of course, the movie begins with a funeral and ends with a funeral. It’s a cyclical film. It was all designed to begin and end in a circle to give this impression that, at first, it’s hopeless. But then, as we learn and grow through the process of discovering our humanity, the funeral becomes something else.”

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

“There’s the cyclical nature of the movie, like I said. Joe Chill firing the gun and the shell casings bouncing with these shell casings bouncing. All of those, if you watch the movie in this kind of cyclical way, you’ll see that all those images are wrapped together, the death of Superman almost being this cathartic thing where the death of the Waynes was the thing that broke something, where this is the thing that can heal, even though it’s a funeral.”

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

“Well, I knew we were going to end with a funeral, so starting with a funeral seemed to make sense to me, and I like that cyclical concept where we have a funeral at the beginning and at the end and in-between. It’s kind of the pantheon of life, I guess, if you want to say it that way.”

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

At this point, due to a combination of his mental instability and the knowledge of a coming alien threat, Lex has completely lost his marbles. Here are the various examples of his mental instability that culminate in this scene…

1. His use of a stress ball.
2. His outburst during the Metropolis Library benefit.
3. Leaving a jar of urine as a final insult to his victim.
4. Killing people he values.
5. His angry, unhinged ranting at Superman.
6. His hateful change in demeanour when not getting what he wants.
7. His total sadism during the helipad scene.
8. His complete and utter lack of fear upon Doomsday’s birth.
9. His visible shaking, whether from fear of Darkseid or excitement.

Musical analysis coming soon.

BEHIND THE SCENE

Smallville cemetery was shot at NaAuSay Cemetery, 8280 Grove Road, Yorkville, Illinois. It is only a short walk from the Kent Farm location. The site was confirmed for filming in December 2013. The sequences were shot on the 3rd and 4th of November 2014. Base camp was set up at the Whitetail Ridge Golf Club during filming. While there, set costumer Kate Abraham posted this photo of the funeral horses on the 3rd. The next day, set photographer Clay Enos photographed this atmospheric tree and director of photography Larry Fong recorded Snyder throwing corn at his camera. Heather Westmoreland took photos of the filming and tents while WaJaWanKenobi and Luis Gomez got video footage. Even Ben Affleck was sighted at the set. At the time, one resident claimed she was unable to reach her local polling place to cast her vote on election day due to road closures for filming. The cinematography of the cemetery makes it seem hilly, but the real cemetery used to film the scene is actually very flat.

Presumably in the Winter of late 2013 or early 2014, the crew conducted a handheld IMAX camera test for viability with Amy Adams in the snow, likely intended to resemble the funeral sequence considering Adams’ attire. Larry Fong has two photos of the test.

Heroes Park was shot at an outdoor green screen set at the late Michigan Motion Picture Studios along Centerpoint Parkway, Pontiac, Michigan. The statue was (partially) real but built from artificial materials and ready around 9 June 2014. It was taken down on the 20th after serving its purpose and replaced with the fake debris. The crowd of mourners at Heroes Park was shot on 25 June 2014. Bananadoc has photos of the mourning extras and the prop department setting the flowers. To maintain the secrecy of Superman’s death, Henry Cavill filmed with the extras as Clark Kent, indicating he was covering the vigil.

“I would tell [the extras] that there was a huge tragedy, and Superman saved the day. But there was a lot of emotion around what happened, and it’s a sad day. Everyone worked it out in their own heads. There was one fireman who was really crying. I was like, ‘Wow, that’s great.’”

Zack Snyder, BuzzFeed, 26 March 2016

Lex’s Belle Reve prison was a set constructed at an unknown location in Illinois, attached to the set where Jesse Eisenberg’s head was shaved. The shooting date is unknown.

“This was a set we built in Illinois. Where we shaved Jesse’s head was right around the corner, so you would come down the hall and then down here, so we built it like they were related geographically.”

Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Director’s Commentary, 2021, 2:51:03

In an early draft of Batman v Superman written by David S Goyer, Warner Bros wanted Batman to end the film branding Lex as a final punishment. This was something Chris Terrio had to argue with the studio over, ultimately winning out.

“The studio seemed to take this position after BvS that my writing was too dark and that this was their problem. But what they didn’t mention was that, for example, in the draft of the Batman/Superman script that WB had developed — [which was] the draft I was handed when I joined the project — Batman was not only branding criminals with a bat brand, he also ended the movie by branding Lex Luthor.

That ending was a point over which I explicitly went to the mat with the studio again and again. I argued that Batman cannot end the movie continuing this behaviour, which amounted to torture, because then the movie was endorsing what he did.

It’s one thing if Batman begins the movie as a dark version of himself whom we don’t recognize, but he has to see the error of his ways and remember his better self in the course of the movie. By the end of the movie, he needs to be the Batman we know, and he has to be ready to go and create the Justice League. Otherwise, I said, what was the point?”

Chris Terrio, Vanity Fair, 8 April 2021

Wonder Woman (2017) was intended to explore Diana’s return to heroism in more detail with a scene wherein she and Bruce would meet in a Paris café. The idea was that Bruce would ask why she stopped being Wonder Woman, which would lead us into a flashback to her past, and then come around at the end of the film where he would successfully convince her to honour Superman’s sacrifice and put the armour back on. This would lead to the final sequence of Wonder Woman leaping off a Paris rooftop to be a hero again. Unfortunately, possibly due to Ben Affleck’s schedule, this scene was never filmed. According to Wonder Woman writer Allan Heinberg, the joke Snyder removed from Zack Snyder’s Justice League where Aquaman says, “Dressed like a bat. I dig it,” was originally from that scene.

“I ended up actually writing a big scene that I loved. It was like a four page conversation between Ben Affleck and Gal [Gadot]. Because the story we were telling, in this movie at least, at that time, was after Steve [Trevor] dies, she puts the uniform away for a hundred years, and she helps out in plain clothes, but she’s not going to be the Amazons’ champion. She can’t do it. She can’t put the uniform back on. That’s why, in BvS, Bruce goes to her and says, ‘Come on, we need you, it’s time.’ She puts the uniform back on. So Wonder Woman was to tell that moment in BvS, ‘What happened to you that made you stop being Wonder Woman?’ So I wrote this scene in a Paris café. She’s working at the Louvre in the beginning of the movie, and there’s another bookend that goes into Justice League where Bruce basically says, you know, they kind of talk about her putting the uniform back on. So we never ended up getting that shot, I think because of Ben’s schedule, and in a lot of ways I’m glad we didn’t, because it’s so much more her movie with referencing the other DC movies. But that was next to the last moment and then she leaps off the building in response to Bruce’s prodding. I just really liked their dynamic in BvS and I really wanted to write a scene for the two of them… A couple of the jokes moved in to Justice League. I think Aquaman gives Bruce a hard time about his outfit and Diana was doing that in that scene.”

Allan Heinberg, New York Film Academy, 10 October 2018