Clark Kent’s first outing as Superman in the DC Extended Universe was Man of Steel, flying into battle to defeat Zod and prevent him from terraforming Earth into a new Krypton. Unfortunately, their battle left massive destruction across Metropolis, and since the Kryptonian general is dead, that leaves Superman left to answer for the events of the 2013 movie’s final battle, and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will finally see him facing official scrutiny.
The latest photo posted on the March blockbuster’s Twitter account shows Superman being hounded by the press outside the United States Capitol Building in Washington D.C. As heard in the movie’s first trailer, the caption comes from Holly Hunter’s Senator Finch, who heads the Senate committee investigating Superman.
Although Superman has spent the years following Man of Steel protecting humanity, many are still wary of him and believe him to be dangerous. As a result, the U.S. government start looking into the Kryptonian’s activities. We don’t know yet how Superman’s testimony in front of the committee will go, but the verdict doesn’t look good, as in that previously mentioned trailer, Finch states that they hold him responsible for what happened to Metropolis.
It’s been three years since Man of Steel was released, and fans are still debating how Superman handled his battle with Zod. Even ignoring the whole neck-snapping thing, some believe he should have done more to save civilians and prevent buildings from toppling, while others argue he did the best he could all things considered. Opinions are split in the DCEU as well, and no doubt Superman’s frustrated at this point that after everything he’s done to help, some still look at him with skepticism or fear. That said, even if the government found him "guilty," it’s not like they could capture and imprison him. Not without a Kryptonite or red sun-powered arsenal, that is.
However Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’s political fallout goes down, Superman will have more pressing matters at hand. Worrying that the Kryptonian poses a threat to humanity, Batman will come after him with everything he has. Meanwhile, mastermind businessman Lex Luthor will also enact his own plan to defeat Superman, and the previews have shown him speaking with Senator Finch, implying that he’s trying to get government support in his endeavors. Ideally, by the end of the movie, more people will look at him as the hero that he is. He’ll need that public image boost for Justice League: Part One.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hits theaters on March 25.
