Every secret revealed in the latest trailer for Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice

Even though Star Wars may be less than two weeks away, my attention is still firmly focused on a different film right now. Like a laser. On a spirit level. I am of course talking about the big-screen team-up of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. DC Comic’s mightiest heroes, squaring off against one another in a brawl so massive, that my pants can barely contain the excitement inside of them.

A brand new trailer for Batman V Superman: This Is A Really Silly Title Dawn of Justice is finally out. And as usual, there’s a ton of details to scrub from it.

Bruce Wayne! Gotham city billionaire, playboy and philanthropist. And with an apparently excellent taste in cars, that don’t require Alfred to chauffeur him around. There’s been a lot said about Ben Affleck ever since he was cast as the latest Batman. I’m still of the opinion that Affleck is going to rock the role however, because of one simple truth:
Affleck was the bomb in Phantoms yo.

And likewise, we’ve got Henry Cavill back as the titular Man of Steel. I thought Cavill made for a great Superman. He had the physicality and plenty of charm when the script allowed him to not be a dour pessimist trying to find his purpose in life. But Superman is only half of the equation, with Clark Kent giving Kal-El the tether to humanity that he required.

Many actors have created many Clark Kent personas over the years. Cavill’s version of the Kansas farmboy isn’t disguising his impressive physique by being a meek reporter who can’t stand up straight, although the larger than necessary clothing creates a nice illusion of a mild-mannered journalist on the beat.

And here we go! Bruce Wayne versus Clark Kent…Wait, wrong movie. Still, it’s the very meeting of the world’s finest heroes. With each hero throwing down the gauntlet already with questions to their personal ideologies.

Man, Bruce Wayne is not some fresh-faced rookie learning the ropes. Affleck’s Batman is a seasoned veteran, a “Bat-vigilante” who has been oeprating out of Gotham for years and has never been seen or caught on film. And that has created a powerful myth, one that cowardly and superstitious criminals rightly fear. Not everyone is a fan of this more brutal Batman however.

“The Daily Planet criticising those who think they’re above the law, is hypocritical, wouldn’t you say? Considering how every time your hero saves a cat out of a tree, you write a puff-piece editorial about an alien who could burn the whole place down. Maybe it’s the Gotham City in me. I have a bad history with freaks…dressed as clowns.”

Oh Superman, you just got Bat-served.

Part boomerang, part shuriken and all parts symbolic of a weapon that you really don’t want to be on the receiving end of. The Batarang for a new generation, and the signature calling card of the Batman.

You mess with the bat? You get freakin’ branded by him, as a message to pass on to all of your criminal pals. Batfleck clearly does not tolerate crime in his city.

Metrpolis was absolutely devastated by the end of Man of Steel. But since that massive battle between Superman and Zod ended, the city has clearly been rebuilding, looking at all the construction in the background. What’s interesting is how Metropolis has come to idolise Superman since that battle, erecting what appears to be a massive statue in his honor.

Although clearly, not everybody is a fan of the last son of Krypton.

Because Superman has been working overtime to earn back that trust as a hero to mankind, saving what appears to be astronauts from a spaceship launch gone horribly wrong.

I know they’re pretty much the same characters, but only Goku needs your energy to power his Spirit Bomb attack.

There’s a lot of speculation as to just what happened to Batman’s Robin. Is this the costume of the Dick Grayson Robin? Jason Todd? Tim Drake? Who knows, but it’s obvious that whoever was wearing that suit, was the grim punchline to a terrible gag from the Joker.

And here we have Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor! Previous incarnations have presented Lex Luthor as a power-mad sociopath who believes that only he can save humanity from the threat of Superman. And they’ve all been jerks. Eisenberg’s Luthor is surprisingly…nice. On the surface at least, and apparently well aware of who Clark Kent is.

“Wow, that is a good grip! You should not pick a fight with this person!”

WE GET IT LEX! Seriously though, Eisenberg is absolutely dwarfed by the ocean of muscles on either side of him. Something that no doubt plays into his brains over brawn philosophy.

Like I said, some people adore Superman. But plenty of them just don’t, as he appears before the US government to address some concerns about having a powerhouse alien in blue tights flying around unsupervised.

I like how the Bat-Cave has evolved in Batman V Superman. Less of a hodge-podge collection of computer terminals and vehicles, more of a battle-bunker beneath Wayne Manor stocked with all kinds of gadgets and Batmobiles. And most likely built on a foundation of concrete and the corpses of the contractors who constructed it.

Picking up right where Man of Steel left off, Batman V Superman shows off the fight between Zod and Kal-El from a new level. Specifically from Bruce Wayne’s vantage point, as he watched the battle of Metropolis take far too many lives, giving him a massive bone to pick with Superman.

“That son of a bitch brought the war to us”.

I may be the biggest Batman fan on the planet, but there’s just no way that I can see this dark knight manage to beat this Superman in a fight, no matter how much technology or preparedness he brings to the eventual conflict.

The actual mech-suit itself however, is just fantastic. Obviously inspired by the armour worn in the inspiration for this movie, The Dark Knight Returns, it’s a glorious interpretation of old school comic book visuals with movie wizardry. The glowing eyes are just the icing on top of this bat-cake.

I love how Luthor believes himself to be the smartest mind in any room, with an arrogant attitude where he merely brushes off any concerns that Lois Lane may have about pitting Batman up against Superman.

When you look at Superman, you realise that he pretty much is a god attempting to live a normal life. And scenes like this, where Superman constantly hovers and looks down on people, just reinforces this idea even further. A very angry god that is.

I have no idea what kind of a film Batman V Superman will be. But I’m hoping that it manages to find a soul amidst all the technical wizardry on display here. That being said, every shot so far is absolutely gorgeous, and something that I’d happily frame in a 16:9 anamorphic frame for my wall.

Here’s some quick trivia: The latest cowl worn by Batfleck has eyebrows which aren’t in line with each other. One of them is purposefully raised higher than the other, a design decision that I’d just love to know the reasonining behind.

How do you stop Superman? You most likely can’t, but you can at least slow him down by throwing everything you have at him, which includes the heavy artillery on the Batplane.

Superman may be seen as a beacon of hope, but he is downright terrifying when presented as an unstoppable alien menace who can melt your brain with his laser eyes.

Heat vision beats Batplane, any day of the week.

Here’s the biggest mystery so far in Batman V Superman: This sequence. Batman in a desert sequence, taking down Superman-branded stormtroopers and eventually finding himself captured and unmasked. Just what the hell is going on here? Has the war between the two created a domino effect where things take a turn for the worse? And are those Parademons from Apokolips, heralding the arrival of Darkseid?

My money is on this being a dream sequence of sorts, somehow tied to Wonder Woman and her lasso of truth, possibly glimpsing into the future of things to come.

Like I said, Lex Luthor believes himself to be the smartest man in any room. And the thing is, he actually usually is. He’s more than just a billionaire business mogul. In the comics, he’s a Renaissance man who is well versed in the fields of biology, technology and even magic. Lex Luthor can become a genius in any discipline that he applies his mind to. So imagine what he can do, with the Kryptonian corpse of General Zod.

Apparently create a birthing matrix from the salvaged Kryptonian tech, and use Zod to create a Superman-killing menace. Remember, Zod mentioned that he was “bred” for war in Man of Steel. Every gene in his body, dedicated towards him being a military leader and soldier. And Luthor has apparently triggered some of those genes, giving birth to…

The Batplane in more action here, boasting some beautiful angles and a stealthy design.

DOOMSDAY! His look differs somewhat from his comic book appearance, but all the elements are there. The grey skin, the bones, the big jawline. Even though he looks Quasimodo on roids, I like how Doomsday still has actor Michael Shannon’s facial features, especially that intimidating scowl. And I’d wager that Zod’s determination to kill Kal-El has been bred into this abomination.

Also, he has heat vision from his eyes AND mouth.

“Oh shi-” is right Batman. Completely right, when facing down a gigantic and angrier version of Superman that looks like it wants to cosplay the Incredible Hulk.

But wait, who’s that? Is it a certain Amazonian warrior princess?

Yes sir, it’s Wonder Woman, in her first big screen debut ever! ABOUT DAMN TIME! And the costume just sizzles on the big screen. It’s the very best of Xena: Warrior Princess, mixed with some eye-popping primary colours and an attitude that shows that actress Gal Gadot is not to be messed with.

This, I love. Some quick banter between Batman and Superman. Something as simple as a quick line here or there does so much for a movie. No idea what weapon Batman is carrying there, but I’d guess that it happens to use the Kryptonite that was glimpsed in the first trailer as focus for some kind of laser that can give the caped crusader an edge when fighting Kryptonians.

Action shot! In the comics, Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman are regarded as the trinity. A trio of characters who form the foundation of the DC Comics universe. And seeing this money-shot of all three getting ready to face off against Doomsday is the kind of scenario that I could only dream about when I was a kid.

Last Updated: December 3, 2015