Comic book movies have become big business, and as such, pitting arguably the two biggest comic book heroes of all time has the potential to make Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice one of the highest grossing films in history. However, part of that means ensuring that mainstream audiences can get onboard with some of the more inherently absurd elements of the film – which Lex Luthor himself (Jesse Eisenberg) claims will happen.
In a recent interview with We Got This Covered, Eisenberg explained that Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice tells a mature story that mainstream audiences can get behind:
The man wrote the movie, Chris Terrio, is absolutely phenomenal. He also wrote Argo. He’s such a brilliant guy, so well read. He’s interested in very sophisticated topics and discussions. So in Batman V Superman, even though it’s a superhero movie, people who don’t necessarily see movies in that genre, like this crowd, will probably enjoy it. It discusses sophisticated and important themes.
Based on this, it appears that Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice aims to elevate its material to a more cerebral level than some comic book properties have achieved in recent years. Argo screenwriter Chris Terrio’s involvement in the project particularly has numerous people excited. David Goyer’s work on Man of Steel left some sects of the audience a little underwhelmed, so Warner Bros. has seemingly endeavored to recruit fresh blood to take the franchise in a different, more mature direction. It's one of the major reasons films like The Dark Knight or Captain America: The Winter Soldier succeeded where others have failed: they play like genre films that happen to involve superheroes, rather than films that solely appeal to comic book fans.
Thus far, the marketing efforts for Batman V Superman have done an amazing job of conveying the type of sophistication Eisenberg is talking about. While the trailers most certainly exhibit bombastic action and visceral thrills, they also have shown that Batman V Superman will involve a war of ideologies. These range from an allegorical representation of immigration, disputes over the nature of "justice," and even what the presence of a nigh-omnipotent alien on our planet means for the ways in which we perceive the universe. While competitor Marvel Studios has most certainly begun to delve into these sorts of concepts as well, many of their Phase 1 and Phase 2 films focused on a relatively binary, black-and-white concept of good and evil.
With exactly six months until The Caped Crusader and The Man of Steel do battle in theaters, only time will tell if Jesse Eisenberg’s assessment of the material is as sophisticated as he claims. Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice will hit theaters on March 25, 2016.
