| Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice | |
| General Information | |
| Directed by: | Zack Snyder |
| Produced by: | Deborah Snyder Charles Roven Geoff Johns Jon Berg Jim Rowe (Executive producer) Wesley Coller (Executive producer) Curt Kanemoto (Executive producer) Chris Terrio (Executive producer) Ben Affleck (Executive producer) |
| Written by: | Chris Terrio |
| Music by: | Hans Zimmer Junkie XL |
| Duration: | 151 minutes (Theatrical Cut) 182 minutes (Ultimate Cut) |
| Budget: | $250,000,000 |
| Gross Revenue: | $872,208,388 |
| Previous Film: | Man of Steel |
| Next Film: | Justice League |
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a DC Comics movie featuring Superman, Batman, and the live-action theatrical debut of Aquaman along with Wonder Woman, Cyborg and The Flash.
Plot[]
Eighteen months after a destructive battle with General Zod in Metropolis, Superman has become a controversial figure. Billionaire Bruce Wayne, who has operated in Gotham City as the vigilante Batman for nearly two decades, sees Superman as a potential threat to humanity. After learning of Batman's form of punishment, Clark Kent, Superman's alter-ego, seeks to expose Batman via Daily Planet articles. Wayne learns that Russian weapon trafficker Anatoli Knyazev has been contacting LexCorp mogul Lex Luthor. Meanwhile, Luthor tries to persuade Senator June Finch to allow him to import kryptonite retrieved from the Indian Ocean following Zod's terraforming attempt, claiming he wants to maintain it as a "deterrent" against Kryptonians, but she denies the request. He also makes side dealings with Finch's subordinate and demands access to Zod's body and the Kryptonian scout ship. Wayne attends Luthor's party at LexCorp, where he meets an antiquities dealer named Diana Prince, and retrieves encrypted data from the company's mainframe. While decrypting the drive at the Batcave, Wayne has a dream of a post-apocalyptic world, where he leads a group of rebels against a fascist Superman. He is snapped out of the dream by an unidentified being who warns him of Lois Lane's crucial role in the future, and urges him to find "the others" before vanishing. Wayne later discovers that Luthor is not only experimenting with kryptonite, but also investigating metahumans. One of them is Prince herself, who is an immortal warrior. Wayne admits to Alfred Pennyworth that he plans to steal the kryptonite to weaponize it, should it become necessary to fight Superman.
At a congressional hearing, as Finch questions Superman on the validity of his actions, a bomb planted by Luthor explodes, killing everyone present but Superman. Believing he should have detected the bomb, and frustrated by his failure to save the people, Superman goes into self-imposed exile. Batman breaks into LexCorp and steals the kryptonite, planning to use it to battle Superman by building a powered exoskeleton, and creating a kryptonite grenade launcher and a kryptonite-tipped spear. Meanwhile, Luthor enters the Kryptonian ship and learns details of its alien technology.
Luthor kidnaps Martha Kent, Clark's adoptive mother. He reveals that he has manipulated Superman and Batman by fueling their distrust for each other. He demands Superman kill Batman in exchange for Martha's life. Superman tries to reason with Batman, but Batman instead fights Superman and eventually subdues him. Before Batman can kill him with the spear, Superman urges Batman to "save Martha", whose name is also shared with Wayne's late mother. Lane arrives and explains the situation, convincing Batman that Superman is not a threat. Unwilling to let someone else's mother die, Batman leaves to rescue Martha, while Superman confronts Luthor on the scout ship.
Luthor executes his backup plan, unleashing a genetically-engineered monster with DNA from both Zod's body and his own. However, Prince arrives unexpectedly. Revealing her metahuman nature, she joins forces with Batman and Superman to fight the creature. They are soon outmatched by its power, as it can absorb and redirect energy. Realizing that it is vulnerable to kryptonite, Superman retrieves the kryptonite spear. With Batman and Prince's help containing it, Superman impales the monster, killing it. In its last moments however, the creature fatally stabs a weakened Superman with one of its bone protrusions.
Luthor is arrested, and Batman confronts him in prison, warning Luthor that he will always be watching him. Luthor gloats that Superman's death has made the world vulnerable to powerful alien threats, and that something bigger is coming to Earth. A memorial is held for Superman in Metropolis. Clark is also declared dead, and Wayne, Lane, Martha, and Prince attend a private funeral for him in Smallville. Martha gives an envelope to Lane which contains an engagement ring from Clark. After the funeral, Wayne reveals to Prince that he plans to form a team of metahumans, starting with those from Luthor's files, to help protect the world in Superman's absence. After they leave, the dirt atop Clark's coffin begins to levitate.
Cast[]
- Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry/Aquaman
- Ben Affleck as Batman
- Henry Cavill as Superman
- Amy Adams as Lois Lane
- Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor
- Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth
- Diane Lane as Martha Kent
- Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman
- Ezra Miller as the Flash
- Ray Fisher as Cyborg
- Tao Okamoto as Mercy Graves
- Holly Hunter as June Finch
- Callan Mulvey as Anatoli Knyazev
- Scoot McNairy as Wallace Keefe
- Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Thomas Wayne
- Lauren Cohan as Martha Wayne
- Robin Atkin Downes as the voice of Doomsday
- Harry Lennix as Secretary Calvin Swanwick
- Christina Wren as Major Carrie Farris
- Carla Gugino as Ship's voice
- Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent
- Chris Pine as Steve Trevor (archive footage)
- Jena Malone as Jenet Klyburn (Ultimate Edition)