Batman v Superman, A Decade Later: Has It Aged Well?

It’s been a decade since Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hit theaters. The film is a complicated one – it both started and ultimately hindered the DC Extended Universe. While the storyline feels disjointed, Ben Affleck’s portrayal of Batman is a definite highlight.

I recently rewatched Batman v Superman to mark its 10th anniversary. It made me wonder: does it still hold up? The answer is complicated. While the movie definitely has some serious weaknesses, it also has moments that still shine.

Things That Aged Well

The Jaw-Dropping Opening Scene

Despite its flaws, Batman v Superman starts strong with a truly memorable opening. While it begins by revisiting Batman’s origin story – including the iconic scene with Martha Wayne’s pearls – it quickly moves into a more engaging sequence. This is when Bruce Wayne arrives in Metropolis during the climactic battle from Man of Steel, and the movie really gets going.

The new movie cleverly builds on the events of the last one. The destruction caused by Superman’s battle with Zod immediately establishes Batman’s distrust of him. A particularly striking scene shows Bruce Wayne heading towards the disaster zone as others flee, powerfully illustrating his reaction.

Ben Affleck’s Performance As Bruce Wayne

It’s funny how things turned out with Ben Affleck as Batman. When he was first cast, many fans were upset and critical. However, he actually became one of the best parts of the movie. While Zack Snyder’s take on Batman – a violent, gun-toting character – wasn’t popular with everyone, Affleck perfectly captured the person behind the mask.

Seeing Ben Affleck as Batman in action – fighting bad guys in a warehouse – is exciting, but it’s equally compelling to see the emotional burden he carries. Affleck masterfully shows the complexity of Bruce Wayne through small details, like a distant, intense gaze, which hints at his anger, past pain, and sense of justice.

Zack Snyder’s Incredible Action Sequences

While Zack Snyder’s storytelling can be debated, he’s undeniably skilled at directing action. He creates large-scale, visually impressive action sequences that are comparable to the work of Tony Scott and Michael Bay, and Batman v Superman features some of his best action scenes to date.

The Batmobile chase is straight out of a Batman comic book. The warehouse fight feels as intense and realistic as the battles in the Arkham video games. And the fight between Batman and Superman finally delivers on all the excitement fans expected.

The Actual Batman V Superman Fight

The main draw of this movie is the battle between Batman and Superman, as the title suggests. The film promises an incredible fight between these two famous heroes, and while the story wanders with other plotlines and sets up future movies, it ultimately delivers on that exciting promise.

When Batman and Superman finally fight, the director balances their powers by exposing Superman to Kryptonite and equipping Batman with an advanced, armored suit. This creates a more equal fight between the two heroes, and it’s surprisingly intense—though it does become a bit ridiculous when a specific name is brought up.

Things That Didn’t Age Well

All The Sequel Setups

The biggest problem with looking back at Batman v Superman now is how much time it spent setting up future movies. While some of those sequels, like Wonder Woman and two different versions of Justice League, actually happened, most of those plans never came to fruition.

Back in 2016, fans were thrilled by hints of future storylines – like the Flash visiting from the future to warn about a darker side of Superman, and a glimpse of Batman surviving in a ruined world. However, looking back now, it’s clear those ideas didn’t lead anywhere. There wasn’t a solid plan in place, and ultimately, the direction was abandoned and the story started over.

Jesse Eisenberg’s Portrayal Of Lex Luthor

Jesse Eisenberg is a talented actor and filmmaker, known for roles like his dynamic pairing with Kieran Culkin in A Real Pain, his definitive portrayal of a troubled, divorced child in The Squid and the Whale, and even a memorable guest appearance as a critical environmentalist on Modern Family. While I’m a big fan, I think he was a poor choice and wasn’t well-suited to the role of Lex Luthor.

Jesse Eisenberg’s portrayal of Lex Luthor is a strange mix – think tech obsessives, dangerous criminals, and the unpredictable energy of Heath Ledger’s Joker. He’s unstable, quirky, and often laughs for no apparent reason. While the comic book version of Lex is a brilliant but resentful mastermind who feels overshadowed by Superman (a performance Nicholas Hoult captured well in the recent Superman movie), in Batman v Superman, Lex is more of a chaotic and unsettling force, constantly hinting at madness.

The Overreliance On Dream Sequences

Dream sequences are often an easy way for screenwriters to move the plot forward, and while they can be powerfully artistic – think of David Lynch’s films – they’re frequently used as a shortcut to reveal a character’s thoughts. For example, if a story needs Batman to realize he must stop Superman, a common approach is to have him dream about a bleak future where Superman has become a tyrant.

Throughout much of the film, Bruce Wayne is asleep, experiencing dreams that explore different storylines and potential future adventures. At one point, he even has a dream within a dream, similar to the movie Inception. He first wakes up from a frightening vision, then again after a conversation with the Flash, who confirms Bruce’s suspicions – it’s a detail that becomes much clearer when you watch the film again.

Granny’s Peach Tea

One memorable scene from the movie Batman v Superman involved a running joke about “Granny’s Peach Tea.” Senator Holly Hunter scolds Lex Luthor, implying he can’t lie to her and try to pass something off as good, using the tea as a metaphor. Lex later escalates this by mischievously placing a jar of urine on the senator’s speaking platform, labeling it “Granny’s Peach Tea” as a direct reference to their earlier exchange.

Lex subtly signals the senator, letting her know he’s behind the impending bombing that will kill her moments later. Even after a decade, it’s still strange that the director included a jar of urine as a key part of this big-budget movie, and that the studio allowed it.

“Save Martha!”

One of the most discussed moments in the film is how the fight between Batman and Superman ends. Just as Batman is about to kill Superman with a Kryptonite spear, Superman shouts, “Save Martha!” Batman, confused and angry, demands to know why he said that name. Superman explains that ‘Martha’ is his mother’s name. Because it’s also Batman’s mother’s name, the two instantly stop fighting and reconcile.

The idea of using a mother’s love to help Batman see Superman as human was promising, and having Superman’s mother, Martha Kent, kidnapped was a logical way to force Batman and Superman to work together. However, the film focuses too much on the coincidence that both their mothers have the same name, which unfortunately turns a potentially touching moment into something unintentionally comical.

The Death Of Superman (In Just The Second Movie)

After his attempt to pit Batman against Superman fails, Lex Luthor decides to take matters into his own hands. He creates a powerful monster named Doomsday and unleashes it, hoping to destroy Superman. This plot point comes straight from the famous “The Death of Superman” comic book, where Superman seemingly died fighting Doomsday, and the rest of the movie follows this same storyline.

As a movie fan, I still can’t wrap my head around the choice of story for Batman v Superman even after all these years. It was supposed to kick off this huge new DC universe, bringing in all these awesome heroes like Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and Aquaman. But then, it went and killed off a main hero! It’s a really weird move, honestly. It’s like if Marvel had jumped straight from the first Iron Man movie to Endgame – totally skipping all the build-up!

2026-03-23 00:30