Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice remains a divisive film and the same goes for Ben Affleck’s portrayal of The Batman, much to Zack Snyder’s dismay. Sure, Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy was always going to be a tough act to follow, but with the highly anticipated Snyder Cut of Justice League edging closer, fans are showing more appreciation for Snyder’s work.
After Joss Whedon’s touch tampered with the released version of Justice League, the Snyder Cut's long three-year journey has not been without its share of casualties. However, it does mean two Batman films are in store for DC fans over the next 2 years. Free of all the baggage the Snyder Cut will have to carry, The Batman is seen as a fresh start that tasks Robert Pattinson with bringing new life to Bruce Wayne.
The Batman has so far managed to live up to that with a fantastic trailer that shows tons of potential for this newly rebooted take on the Caped Crusader, and by doing so it’s inspired many creators to make their own edits based on that preview. Previously, a beautifully recreated LEGO Batman trailer had surfaced among these fan-made videos, but YouTuber Arsenal 02 decided to channel the dark vibes from it and to pair them with Affleck and Snyder’s much-derided version of the Dark Knight.
The video leans heavily on darker scenes featuring Affleck, as well as Henry Cavill’s Superman, in order to deliver a somber toned Batman universe that blends perfectly well with Nirvana’s “Something in the Way” and might make a few reconsider their opinions on Affleck’s Caped Crusader. Of course, the video makes reference to two of Batman v Superman’s most famous scenes, like the warehouse fight and the Dark Knight’s own Knightmare dream, which Snyder just teased as part of his promoting duties for his Justice League.
What makes the fan-made trailer work so well it’s how it channels the spirit Snyder always wanted to carry across with his superhero films, that both Batman and Superman are, at their cores, very human and they each possess a dark side to them. There’s arguably no better reminder of this than the warehouse scene, where Batman pretty much does away with the decades-old tradition of not killing his enemies and lets loose to fully showcase his power, and the same goes for his epic fight against Superman.
There’s still no guessing as to where Matt Reeves plans to take Bruce Wayne's character in The Batman, though it’s highly unlikely it will be anything like what Snyder did when overseeing the DC Extended Universe. However, moody trailers like this will always remind fans that Snyder at least tried to make something different out of Batman and his superhero friends.
Zack Snyder's Justice League will be available on HBO Max starting March 18, 2021.
Source: Arsenal 02|YouTube