Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice was received by fans who were split evenly between supporters and haters. One of the complaints was lack of plot points that are significant to the respective worlds of The Man of Steel and The Dark Knight. Now, two years after it was in theaters, director Zack Snyder dropped character plot points designed to shock and awe.
During a chat session on Vero, when answering questions, Zack revealed information that alludes to inquiries made by every fan that watched BvS, in particular Superman’s arch-nemesis, and a surprising revelation as to the murdered Robin.
In Dawn of Justice, the impression conveyed by Lex Luthor is that Luthor Sr. had passed away and Lex inherited his vast global empire. However, Snyder clarified this by stating on Vero, in response to a fan theory that Lex had murdered his father, that “we feel the same about Lex taking out his dad.” It’s not that surprising; in the comics, and in particular on the classic series Smallville, Lex had traditionally killed his abusive father in a clandestine fashion – rigging the brakes on his truck to fail in one version, pushing him out a window and deleting security footage in another – so that none would suspect foul play and inherited his fortune and his company.
In the film, Lex even cited Luthor Sr. had beaten on him no matter how badly he had prayed to God for deliverance. This both provided a motive for that murder, as well as his atheism and blind hatred of the public’s near-religious worship of Superman.
Then there is Robin. From the moment audiences set eyes upon the graffiti adorning the Boy Wonder’s costume displayed in The Batcave, the first name to come to mind was Jason Todd. As the result of a phone-in fan vote back in the 80s, Jason Todd was first beaten to near death by The Joker with a crowbar, then finished off by a bomb also rigged by the Clown Prince of Crime. He was brought back later in 2005 after having been resurrected by Ra’s Al Ghul’s daughter and gone rogue as the murderous antihero, The Red Hood. However, Snyder again set fans straight with a startling revelation on Vero: “[What] makes you think that’s Jason Todd?” Has Snyder rewritten history and delivered the guillotine to another of Batman’s Robins? Could it be that, in spite of a current Nightwing film project in the works, the Joker murdered the original Robin, Dick Grayson? That would cut his adult identity and career of Nightwing away from the DCEU, with no chance of seeing interaction with Ben Affleck’s Batman. Or it might even be the third Robin, Tim Drake.
Bruce Wayne is a man with gray temples, so it’s possible Tim’s death was the last straw in Bruce’s career. Or we may never know; Snyder is the kind of filmmaker that surprises people. Hell, in the “Ultimate Edition” of BvS, the photographer that was killed turned out to be Jimmy Olsen, Superman’s traditional “pal” from comic lore. Regardless, these statements may prompt fans to take another look at the film for confirmation or possibly more easter eggs that were overlooked.
Who knows? Only Zack Snyder does.
