The Batman v. Superman Scene Zack Snyder Wants You To Forget
In the DCEU fandom, there are many who believe Zack Snyder is a brilliant auteur who could have guided this cinematic universe to greatness if only Warner Bros. had let him do so. We’re willing to concede that Snyder’s version of Justice League was infinitely better than Joss Whedon’s, but the blunt truth is that Snyder’s plans for the DCEU were clearly going off the rails as early as Batman v. Superman.
Then and now, this scene is enough to leave even the most fervent fans of the DCEU mystified.
In the scene where Bruce Wayne receives a warning from a time-traveling Flash, the sloppy editing makes it seem like this important foreshadowing scene is nothing more than a dream.
In retrospect, it’s clear what this Batman v. Superman scene was trying to establish. In the brief “Knightmare” sequence of this film, we see a world where Superman has become a fascist tyrant who even has his own army to help him quell dissent from all over the world.
Unfortunately, Snyder’s amateur editing of that scene completely undercut its actual purpose.
When Flash comes from the future to give Bruce Wayne a warning that “It’s Lois Lane, she’s the key” and “you’re right about him,” the implication is that Lois Lane dies and Superman subsequently becomes the monster that Bruce has always feared he would become.
In Zack Snyder’s cut of Justice League, we get a follow-up to this Batman v. Superman scene that confirms that Lois died: in Cyborg’s glimpse of the future, we see her charred body in Superman’s arms, and the Joker later jeers “Poor Lois, how she suffered so” in the film’s confusing final scene.
On paper, this cements the idea that Snyder had a clear idea of what he wanted to do with future films and that Flash’s warning to Bruce Wayne was a bit of clever foreshadowing. Unfortunately, Snyder’s amateur editing of that scene completely undercut its actual purpose.
If we have to watch multiple future movies (that will never get made, no less) to understand the confusing scenes in Batman v. Superman, then it’s the equivalent of the director giving fans a bunch of homework and hoping they eventually figure everything out.
If you look back on that pivotal Batman v. Superman scene, directly after Flash’s warning, we see Bruce Wayne suddenly startle himself awake in the Batcave. Then and now, this scene is enough to leave even the most fervent fans of the DCEU mystified.
If Flash really did come from the future to give Bruce a crucial warning, then why does it look like this was all a dream? Or if Bruce is simply dreaming, why does he have prophetic dreams about the future in the first place?
Zack Synder’s biggest defenders are quick to point out various theories that might answer this. For example, maybe the time-traveling Flash has caused memories from a future version of Bruce Wayne to leak into the mind of the current one, or maybe the telepathic powers of Darkseid have something to do with it. Here’s another blunt truth, though: no matter how many theories fans throw at this stupid scene, it’s just bad storytelling.
If we have to watch multiple future movies (that will never get made, no less) to understand the confusing scenes in Batman v. Superman, then it’s the equivalent of the director giving fans a bunch of homework and hoping they eventually figure everything out.
This is one of the primary drivers behind the superhero fatigue that is currently bringing the MCU to its knees and that kept the DCEU from ever getting off its knees. Our advice to Zack Synder moving forward is quite simple: try making one good film instead of making an awful film worse by setting up multiple confusing plot threads that will never pay off.
