The DC live-action universe has had a fascinating life in theaters, and is constantly keeping moviegoers on their toes. Director Zack Snyder was responsible for its inception, kickstarting the DCEU with Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The latter movie had one particularly infamous scene, in which the two title characters make amends thanks to their mothers' mutual first name. And now the director has helped explain his thought process behind this sequence.
The scene in question comes in the third act of Batman v Superman. The two iconic DC heroes finally come to blows, and it looks like Ben Affleck's Caped Crusader is gearing up to deliver the final blow. Superman begs him to "save Martha", as Diane Keaton's Martha Kent was previously kidnapped by Lex Luthor. This triggers an emotional response from Batman since his mother shared the same name, and the scene has since become the subject of countless memes. Zack Snyder recently explained his idea behind this scene as a storyteller, saying:
He's basically turned into the murderer of his parents. He's allowing them to kill Martha. He's blinded by his hatred. He's become the thing he hates.
He's got a point. Batman was born because his parents were killed in front of him, which usually results in the Dark Knight's hatred of guns and murder. But Ben Affleck's version in Batman v Superman didn't have that same moral code, nearly killing Superman as a result.
Zack Snyder shared more tidbits of information regarding the DC Extended Universe over on Vero. There were a variety of revelations from his Q&A with fans, and eventually the conversation turned to that infamous Martha scene from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. While the sequence is often the butt of jokes, the filmmaker had a very emotional story in mind when crafting the end of the heroes' battle.
As a reminder, you can watch the scene in question below.
It's a scene that divided audiences, but you can certainly see Zack Snyder's comments reflected in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. As Batman lifts his kryptonite spear to destroy Superman, he calls out for Martha. The Dark Knight sees vision of his own mother's death in that moment, revealing himself to be the killer in this scenario. It's exactly the wake up call Batman needed, and allows for the two heroes to eventually team up alongside Wonder Woman.
Unfortunately Zack Snyder's five-film vision for the DCEU didn't come to fruition, and Ben Affleck ultimately hung up the cap and cowl following the poor performance of Justice League. But Warner Bros. seems to have found its footing with its DC properties, as movies like Aquaman, Shazam!, and Birds of Prey have been critically acclaimed.
The next installment in the DCEU is Wonder Woman 1984 on its new release date August 14th. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release to plan your next trip to the movies.
