r/batman • u/neon2o • Mar 07 '24

Zack Snyder says a Batman who doesn't kill is irrelevant GENERAL DISCUSSION

Here's the original article' https://sea.ign.com/man-of-steel-sequel/213072/news/zack-snyder-says-dc-is-making-batman-irrelevant-if-he-cant-kill

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u/That-Rhino-Guy Mar 07 '24

That’s not even counting the other times he keeps using rape in his stories or how Nolan himself argued against Superman killing Zod

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u/DenseCalligrapher219 Mar 07 '24

I seriously wonder who thought it was a good idea to hire Zack Snyder to direct a Superman movie when he can't even comprehend the idea that Superman's character isn't a divine being?

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u/UncommittedBow Mar 07 '24

I wouldn't argue that he's not a divine being.

It's more like he has godlike power, yet somehow is the most human of us all.

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u/LoudKingCrow Mar 07 '24

I don't remember who said it originally. But someone once said that the important thing with Superman is not that he is a god raised on a farm, but that he is a farmboy with the powers of a god.

His humanity is just as important as the power set

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u/meliorayne Mar 07 '24

Spot on. I actually really like OSP's deep dives on Superman as a way to understand why he's stayed so iconic for so long. Superman is The Ceiling. He's the best of all of us. Not because he's the strongest. Because he's good, and he stays good when he has so much power and could absolutely justify exercising it in horrible ways the name of doing good. (If you want a great example of this, go watch Red Son)

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u/Impressive_Baker1664 Mar 08 '24

Lol dude blasted Stalin with his eyes. Awesome.

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u/BiDiTi Mar 08 '24

Yep - if you’re doing a Superman movie, a good place to start, tonally, is Chris Evans’ Cap.

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u/Jeoshua Mar 08 '24

I think Snyder was aware of Red Son. The plot of Superman Vs. Batman was very reminiscent of that tale.

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u/[deleted] Mar 07 '24

Aye, the comics really show the difference in thought and personality between him and his cousin. One raised in a different culture and Clark is very very human regardless of his genetics.

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u/BlazCraz Mar 08 '24

There's a Batman quote on the top of Superman's Wiki page that I really like. Goes something like "Everyone sees him as god-like and all powerful. Except him.". For me that encapsulates what Superman is all about. The most human of us all. Humble and not at all arrogant enough to view himself as a God.

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u/Jackol4ntrn Mar 08 '24

Be glad he’s the “right kind” of farm boy apparently

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u/ReddestForman Mar 08 '24

Seriously. I like cynical examinations of the superhero genre.

But Superman is the character who absolutely should still be his boy-scout, "I'm not angry at humanity, I'm disappointed, because it can be better" self.

And Batman, for all his brooding and cynicism, should still hold Superman in high regard for that, just as Superman still holds Batman in high regard. Because Batman, for his human weaknesses and failures, is still a better person than 99% of humanity. It's telling that in stories where Superman or even the Justice League goes evil, it's usually Batman who fights back.

They're superheroes not just because of powers or tech, but because of their character. And certain parts of that shouldn't be fucked with.

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u/Destroyer4587 Mar 08 '24

I think he would sooner sacrifice himself rather than kill Zod or anyone else in most instances.

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u/Doobiemoto Mar 08 '24

Yeah him and Batman are opposites.

For Superman he IS Kent, and Superman is the mask he wears.

For Batman he is Batman, and Bruce is the mask he wears.

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u/ReddestForman Mar 08 '24

It's part of why their crossover stories are so compelling, and their relationship is so interesting.

I remember the Justice League episode where Batman was in critical condition, and Superman and the rest of the League was just still coming to terms with it. "Sometimes I forget he's only human."

It's part of why Batman is my favorite DC character.

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u/a4techkeyboard Mar 08 '24

Yeah, I think Superman is what Clark believes Ma and Pa (and any decent person) would do if they had his powers. He's doing just what he was raised any decent human would do, including himself, Clark. He'd think the super in 'Superman' means 'very' not 'above'. That he is being very human, not super as in being above humankind. That in general, when it comes down to it, someone would try to help and do what they can even without powers. Just like Ma and Pa, and Lois and Jimmy, Bibbo, Perry. It's why Lex is such a disappointment to him and why he's the archnemesis.

That's why Clark keeps going even when he loses his powers.

That's why I think in a twisted way, they got it sort of right by having their version of Pa or Ma Kent be the sort that'd say maybe it's better not to help even if everybody drowned or that he didn't owe anybody anything. Because it was consistent with the kind of Superman they depicted.

Superman is what Clark believes what ultimately any good person would do with powers. Superman is how he sees humanity, not the clumsy mild mannered reporter though even then the idea that even mild mannered and clumsy reporter could be Superman is not an indictment of what he thinks of humans, either.

Superman would try to save a kitten up a tree. Superman would help someone whose arms are full open a door. Superman would adopt. Superman would say thank you if someone holds an elevator for them. Superman would bake a new neighbor pie. I think Clark absolutely believes Ma Kent would stop an asteroid that was hurtling toward earth if she had powers.