Whether you like it or hate it, there’s no denying that superhero adaptations have been truly dominating the world of both TV and film. Of course, not all comic book adaptations are created equal, and it’s pretty easy to piss off the droves of fans who have been waiting years to see their favorite hero on the big screen. This seems to be exactly what happened with Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which was met with mixed to negative reviews. While this poor response has spawned the infamous sad Affleck gif, it seems that one actor from the film isn’t the least bit surprised by criticism: Jeremy Irons.
Jeremy Irons, who plays the new badass version of Alfred Pennyworth in the DC Extended Universe recently spoke to The Daily Mail, where he gives his opinion on all the harsh criticism that Batman v Superman has received.
Deservedly so. I mean it took $800 million, so the kicking didn’t matter but it was sort of overstuffed. It was very muddled. I think the next one will be simpler. The script is certainly a lot smaller, it’s more linear.
There you go, people. Even Jeremy Irons knew that Batman v Superman’s script left much to be desired. But, as he points out, it didn’t stop the film from making a ton of cash once it was released.
Overstuffed seems like the perfect way to describe Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. While visually stunning, there were so many stories and plot points happening throughout the film that it seemed a bit exhausting. In addition to the eventual conflict between the two heroes, we had to be introduced to Batman, Alfred, Wonder Woman, and Lex Luthor. Plus there were other characters who we met, liked, and were promptly killed off. And all of this is within the first half of the movie.
Additionally, Batman v Superman’s third act proved to be truly tiring. Batman and Superman’s battle should probably have been the final fight, but Zack Snyder threw Doomsday into the mix, and things got out of hand. This pushed the film over the edge in regards to runtime, as well as how much the audience was supposed to digest at once.
Jeremy Irons’ statement does seem hopeful for Justice League, as well as a future Batman spinoff film. Even though Justice League will have many more characters to play with, its script is apparently easier to follow and smaller in size. Hopefully this doesn’t mean that there is somehow less dialogue than Batman v Superman, where Supes got an almost embarrassingly small amount of lines.
Of course, we’ll just have to wait to see how Justice League Part One ends up when it is released November 17th, 2017. We’ll continue to update you on all things DC as details become public to us.
