For as long as we live, it's possible that no comic book movie moment will ever become quite as polarizing as the "Martha" scene in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. The fact that Batman (Ben Affleck) and Superman's (Henry Cavill) mothers share a first name (and that this revelation would somehow lead the Caped Crusader to show mercy on the Man of Steel) proved incredibly poignant for some members of the audiences and downright ridiculous for others. We may never get a clear cut answer as to which take on the scene is the correct opinion, but we can at least confirm that the real Martha appreciated what it was trying to do. Diane Lane recently opened up regarding the infamous scene and explained:
It's the compassion for a man who's lost his mother. When you understand the wound, you can work better with people.
There you have it, folks; straight from the Martha's mouth. While Batman V Superman's Martha scene has drawn a line right down the middle of the comic book fandom, Diana Lane's recent comments to THR during a discussion about Justice League confirm that she enjoyed the moment and saw its merits. Batman and Superman are diametrically opposed characters in terms of ideology and methodology. For them to come together over a shared loss and a mutual understanding of family makes their ultimate reconciliation work for Lane on a raw, emotional level.
With all of that said, the underlying issues with the "Martha" scene from Dawn of Justice lie more in its execution than its core thesis. The dialogue in the sequence feels pretty rough, and the way the movie chooses to get Superman to say his mother's name doesn't seem natural at all. Beyond that, only a minute or two earlier in the scene, Batman directly acknowledges that he knows Superman has parents on Earth, which makes the reveal that their mothers share a name seem less than revelatory. With that in mind, those who criticize the scene often don't seem to have an issue with that the sequence tried to do; the criticism takes much more aim at the sheer awkwardness of the moment. In that light, even the most ardent DC fan would have to admit that the scene doesn't necessarily hit all of the right emotional beats.
If you haven't watched the Martha sequence recently, then you can check it out below for a reminder of how it plays out.
With Batman and Superman now (presumably) on the same side, we will have to wait and see how the DCEU addresses the Martha issue when Zack Snyder's Justice League debuts later this year on November 17, 2017. If you need to get yourself up to speed on the highly-anticipated DC project, here's everything we currently know about the DC team-up film.
