The latest Justice League trailer sets a somber mood following the death of Superman (Henry Cavill). The world has descended into chaos but you wouldn’t know it by the look on Batman’s face.
“You get to see Batman smile. For the first time!” Ben Affleck told Empire.
Batman is notorious for staying in character at all times. He always has a scowl on face, though the occasional smirk slips out. One notable exception is in Batman: The Killing Joke. The Joker tells a lame joke about an asylum escapee afraid to walk on a beam light because his accomplice will turn off the flashlight. Batman laughs manically before seemingly killing his archenemy, who has just molested and paralyzed Barbara Gordon AKA Batgirl.
This time it won’t take a mental break down for Batman to show some emotion.
Darkest before the dawn
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was criticized for being too dark but that was all part director Zack Snyder’s master plan.
“Zack always intended for the Justice League to rise out of the darkness, and maybe even bring Batman with them. Maybe an inch,” reveals Ezra Miller, who portrays Flash the fastest fanboy alive.
Flash is in awe of his super friends. The speedster really gets hyper during a visit to the Batcave. “Oh yeah, oh gosh, Yes!” he exclaims. Batman’s butler, Alfred Pennyworth (Jeremy Irons), jokes about not having enough tea cups for the unexpected company in Batman’s fortress of solitude. The sass earns high praise from another unexpected guest, Aquaman (Jason Momoa), who calls Alfred a “badass.”
Justice League of Nations
The Justice League unites to repel an alien invasion by Apokolips, a literal Hell ruled by the New God Darkseid. He dispatches General Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds) with an army Parademons to recover three Mother Boxes, living computers capable of astounding feats including opening wormholes called Boom Tubes. The Mother Boxes were hidden on Earth among three nations: Amazons, Atlanteans and Humanity who use theirs to save the life of Victor Stone by transforming him into the superhero Cyborg (Ray Fisher).
Despite the apocalyptic plot, the heroes treat the threat more like a game than war. Cyborg throws Aquaman into battle in a playful manner reminiscent of the fastball special technique frequently used by the X-Men Colossus and Wolverine. And Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) gives her own smirk after saving Batman. The only one not smiling in the trailer is Batman . . . and Lois Lane (Amy Adams) of course, but even that’ll change when Superman returns from the dead!?
“Zack wanted to make a movie that was more fun, that was a little bit lighter, that wasn’t so encumbered with heavy melodrama.” Affleck explained. “I can understand people saying [Batman v Superman] was too dark, or this was outside the tone of what I’m used to seeing with a Batman story, and I think that’s a fair criticism. But this was all scripted and set up before that movie came out. The approach was changed anyway for the second one. It was a natural progression.”
Justice League premieres November 17, 2017
