BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE

SECRETARY SWANWICK

Cut to a man washing his hands in a public restroom sink. Pan up to see the reflection of Calvin Swanwick (Harry Lennix) in the mirror, reprising his role from Man of Steel. Someone enters the room over his shoulder. “Wrong room, miss,” he says to the newcomer.

“Secretary Swanwick, you haven’t been returning my phone calls,” says Lois, and Calvin looks up to reveal her behind him in the mirror. We now know Calvin has been promoted since we last saw him, and is serving as Secretary of State. We can also infer that this is Washington, as Lois mentioned she was leaving for the Capitol.

Looking at her through the mirror, Calvin is quiet for a moment before adjusting his. “Miss Lane, if you’d like an interview, Major Farris is just outside that door,” he says, gesturing at the reflection of the entrance to the restroom.

Lois seems insulted. “You’re treating me like a stranger?”

Calvin turns to face her. “I’m treating you like a reporter,” he says after a moment.

“Alright.” Lois crosses her arms, and bluntly asks, “Is the US providing experimental military arms to rebels in Africa?”

Dodging the question, Calvin begins heading for the exit as he mockingly responds, “You know, with balls like yours, you belong in here. What’s your source on this? A tinfoil hat?” He leaves the bathroom and heads out into the hallway.

As the Secretary of State exits into the hallway, Lois pursues, holding up the bag containing the bullet, “No, not tin. But it’s metal,” she says, causing Calvin to stop and turns to her. “Fired in the Superman incident. Experts at the Pentagon can’t ID it. We haven’t been told the truth.” She speaks confidently and perhaps slightly smug, crossing her arms.

Sounding frustrated, Calvin responds, “Here’s the truth.” He steps closer to her. “A reporter got greedy for a scoop and went where she shouldn’t have. Superman acted like some rogue combatant to rescue her, and people died. Don’t invent a conspiracy theory to put back his halo. Or yours.” With that, Calvin turns and continues away down the hall, where Carol Farris (Christina Wren, reprising her role from Man of Steel) is waiting for him. “Major,” he acknowledges her.

Lois looks almost shaken now. Her smug demeanour is gone, showing Calvin’s words have hit a deep nerve. With hindsight knowledge that he is Martian Manhunter, it is reasonable to speculate that he read Lois’ mind to impart his scathing character analysis. Indeed, Lois does feel responsible for what happened in Nairomi. In addition to the halo fitting the film’s themes of divinity, recall that Lex was earlier portrayed with a symbolic halo above his head in the scene at his house, and we later learn that the military has been working with him.

“So,” we hear Perry White say, transitioning us to the next scene.

SCENE OVERVIEW

In Washington, Calvin Swanwick from Man of Steel is reintroduced, now as Secretary of Defence. Lois asks for information on the military connections to the Nairomi bullet, but Calvin tells her to drop her investigation and leaves her shaken with a painfully accurate analysis of her guilt-driven motives.

SCENE ANALYSIS

“This was a great scene. I really love this scene. And this was one of those Terrio scenes that I read and was like, ‘This is amazing.’ Yeah, ‘With balls like that, you belong in here.’ Exactly! I like their relationship. They weirdly trust each other, but Lois is always pushing it, and I think that that’s a real… Same with Perry, in a way.”

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

Analysis coming soon.

BEHIND THE SCENE

Snyder confirmed in the director’s commentary (1:00:34) that the Washington sequence was shot again in the Masonic Temple, 500 Temple Street, Detroit, Michigan. The scene was evidently shot sometime between the 18th and 24th of August. Base camp was set up in the parking lot behind the Masonic Temple.

DELETED FOOTAGE

In the director’s commentary (1:00:34), Snyder confirmed they had shot additional footage of Calvin shaking hands with the veterans down the hall.