Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice story
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a 2016 American superhero film featuring the DC Comics characters Batman and Superman. Directed by Zack Snyder, the film is the second installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), following 2013's Man of Steel. It was written by Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer, and features an ensemble cast that includes Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter, and Gal Gadot. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is the first live-action film to feature Batman and Superman together, as well as the first live-action cinematic portrayal of Wonder Woman. In the film, criminal mastermind Lex Luthor (Eisenberg) manipulates Batman (Affleck) into a preemptive battle with Superman (Cavill), whom Luthor is obsessed with to defeat him.
12 total · 7 major · 5 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| facing a genius adversary | major | Batman and Superman were pitted against Duperman's old nemesis, the criminal genius Lex Luthor. |
| messiah | major | Superman was depicted, and described explicitly as a messiah figure. This was in contrast with Batman the vigilante figure. Lex Luthor made several references to Superman being a god and wished to destroy him. |
| powered exoskeleton | major | Bruce Wayne invented a powered exoskeleton in preparation to battle Superman. |
| rivalry | major | There wasn't room enough in for Metropolis/Gotham both Superman and Batman. |
| super strength | major | Superman was more powerful than a locomotive. |
| terrorism | major | It was suspected that the cargo of the White Portuguese was a dirty bomb but it turned out to be Kryptonite. Lex Luthor bombed the Senate when Superman was about to testify. Also there were some Russian terrorists about. |
| vigilante justice | major | Superman took exception to Batman's vigilante style of justice and tried to expose his secret identity. |
| compromising one's ethical principles vs. great need | minor | Lex Luthor put Superman in a predicament whereby he had to kill Batman or else his mother would die. |
| female-only society | minor | Wonder Woman was crown princess of the all female city-state Themyscira. |
| flying ability | minor | Superman was essentially flying around under his own power. |