itt: consternation and wailing about Zach Snyder's upcoming SUPERMAN/BATMAN film/sequel to MAN OF STEEL -- official title: BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE

Oh how I wish I had the ear of a WB exec. 'Our studies show that 18-24 year olds are just crazy about Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man. I'm thinking four movies, all released within the first quarter of 2020.'

if you get the chance pls put in a good word for my proposed matter-eater lad quadrilogy, i've already storyboarded the first movie on hospital scrubs i got out of a dumpster a while back

Now if all four were Lego movies.

I need to see these matter-eater lad roughs, please fax asap

i don't have a fax sorry but i'm gonna go outside and hold them in the air so the google earth satellites can see 'em okay?

lego eater lad on the way in2020

is there some kind of Godwin's Law equivalent re: how long it takes a superhero movie thread until Matter Eater Lad is invoked

pls read my academic paper on this topic, matter-eater lad: more popular than hitler?

i think you'll find it quite stimulating

whoa who knew zack snyder was a genius at "layered imagery"

There were plenty who criticized Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel for letting thousands of innocent people die without a second thought – but as it turns out, Superman was haunted by the lives he couldn’t save… most audience members just never understood how Snyder expressed it. In terms of actual plot, Batman V Superman spins directly out of the tragedy and carnage unleashed by General Zod in Man of Steel‘s third act. But when one DCEU fan took to social media to dig a bit deeper and see how Snyder may have used imagery both universal and film-specific to drive home the toll it took on Henry Cavill’s Superman, the director reached out to confirm that it’s a beat most audience members may miss.

It’s the kind of fan-director interaction most comic book enthusiasts will only dream of, spotted thanks to a post on Reddit. The scene in question comes from Batman V Superman‘s first act, when Superman flees Lex Luthor’s party to rescue a girl trapped in a burning Mexican factory. As he returns to the ground with the girl held safely in his arms, the crowd of onlookers surrounds him. Since the tragedy has struck in the midst of the Day of the Dead celebration, those onlookers are dressed in skull facepaint, carrying or wearing skeletons.

When the crowd reaches out to place their hands on Superman, the narration shifts to the way in which the world now views Superman as a savior, or Christ-like figure – this crowd of faithful obviously included. An image of the scene was posted on the VERO social network by user ‘The Kingslayer’, along with their analysis of the callbacks and significance of the repeated skull imagery in both Man of Steel and BvS.

Specifically, that Zod showed Clark a dream in which he was swallowed up by the skulls of the dead he would never save if Zod’s plan to take over Earth became real. Soon after, the devastation of their battle cost thousands of lives. And finally, he finds himself surrounded by skulls and skeletons in the next film, unable to let go of the dead or be the ‘savior’ they want him to be.

There’s no better person to confirm a reading of repeated imagery and symbolism than the man behind the camera, and you have to give Zack Snyder points for brevity. Simply stating that the reading – that the Day of the Dead scene is meant to call on the dead attached to Superman – is “right,” Snyder sends a clear message to those taking a close reading to Batman V Superman that they’re not looking for meaning where none resides. It’s just one more piece of evidence for those who claim BvS is Hollywood’s most expensive indie film, and another sign that Snyder is truly crafting one cohesive story of Superman from Man of Steel, through Dawn of Justice, and culminating in the return of Superman in Justice League (we hope).

That return of Superman has been teased by Geoff Johns in recent days, as quite clearly the one unofficial, secret twist that nobody knows anything about… but are all certain is coming. The question is simply when, how, and in what way Snyder will present the hero’s resurrection. We’ve got high hopes given the echos of the dead, and with Superman being consumed by the dead, and then embraced by the dead who sense his coming… what will he conquering of death look like through Zack Snyder’s surreal visual style? The actual cinematic moment of his resurrection may only be beaten by the fact that once he leaves the grave behind him. the DCEU’s true Superman will finally be born.

It’s only fitting, we suppose, that the villains coming to terrorize Earth and the League in their first big screen team-up should be seen as a force of death itself. Sure, Steppenwolf and his commander, Darkseid may not be ‘New Gods’ in a divine sense. But they do possess powers never before seen by any of Earth’s heroes at that point (which would make Wonder Woman’s aunt Antiope even more valuable). If their level of destruction is as terrible as we expect, Superman may finally have the chance to put an end to the death of innocents – for good.

No more skulls, and no more tears. With Snyder, though, further layered imagery is guaranteed.

no more skulls... no more tears...

its true heavy handed crowd shot of the Day of the Death = you made an indie movie, bra

skeletons symbolize death but n00bs will never understand such complexity

Not sure the poster has a grasp on what 'imagery' means.

he would have a point that the movie is subtly hinting towards Superman being responsible for people's death if.... you know... that wasn't the main and only plot of the movie

That return of Superman has been teased by Geoff Johns in recent days, as quite clearly the one unofficial, secret twist that nobody knows anything about… but are all certain is coming.

Yes, they've done such a good job teasing this unofficial secret twist. They couldn't even finish the last movie without making it completely explicit that Superman is not dead.

well there was a lot of layered imagery that viewers might have missed unless they were watching closely

Everyone else saw a scene where Superman saves a girl and looks like he wants to slit his wrists.

when do comic book movies get to be campy fun again? is that what the new thor is gonna be? can we go back to that now please?

Valerian's coming out, that looks like it might have some good campiness

I dunno, maybe Jake Tapper should run the DC film universe.

I'm glad you asked, Jesse. 1/ https://t.co/zL1mh1X4Pw

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) June 19, 2017

what's the source of that comic where Lois is bitching about the smell of burnt hair every morning, I wanna read that!

The end of the Batfleck?

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/ben-afflecks-batman-future-doubt-as-warner-bros-plots-franchise-future-1023296

Without a solo movie?

Apparently!

So: sign an actor for a two-film contract, film one, he tells you he's out after those two........ decide that doing another with him is a bad idea and let him off.

Not much point in signing him for two in the first place then, is there.

isn't it three? (bvs, jl, the batman) or was he not signed up officially for the batman

oh, i forgot JL was being made. feels like the snyderverse idea is dead in the water.

Come get JUSTICED or something

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_6yBZKj-eo

(Irons is easily the best thing in this trailer.)

And FWIW

https://io9.gizmodo.com/ben-affleck-says-he-loves-playing-batman-but-doesnt-get-1797159138

I am the luckiest guy in the world. Batman is the coolest part in any universe, Marvel DC, anything–I’m so thrilled to do it. Its fucking amazing. I still can’t believe it. Everyone at the studio tells me I’m their Batman and I believe it. And Matt Reeves? I’d be an ape on the ground for Matt Reeves. Im blown away and its an exciting time in the DC Universe. I’m excited to be Batman.

that's not a bad trailer. i'm down

Ezra Miller gives off a little bit of an Owen Wilson vibe in that

folks, it looks like our long international nightmare is over

The DC cinematic universe appears to be losing its Man of Steel.

Henry Cavill, who has played Superman in three films, is parting ways with Warner Bros., sources tell The Hollywood Reporter. Though neither side is confirming, the British actor, who first donned the blue suit for 2013's Man of Steel, and then starred in 2016's Batman v. Superman and last year's Justice League, is said to be hanging up the red cape.

Warners had been trying to enlist Cavill, who most recently co-starred in Mission: Impossible — Fallout, for a Superman cameo in Shazam!, which stars Zachary Levi and will bow April 5. But contract talks between Cavill's WME reps and Warners broke down, and the door is now closing on other potential Superman appearances.

That's because the studio has shifted its focus to a Supergirl movie, which will be an origin story featuring a teen superheroine. This effectively removes an actor of Cavill's age from the storyline's equation given that Superman, aka Kal-El, would be an infant, according to DC lore.

Furthermore, Warners isn't likely to make a solo Superman film for at least several years, according to another source. "Superman is like James Bond, and after a certain run you have to look at new actors," says a studio source. As such, Cavill will join Ben Affleck, who isn't expected to reprise his role for director Matt Reeves' forthcoming Batman stand-alone film, as a hero on the way out.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/henry-cavill-as-superman-warner-bros-dc-universe-shake-up-1142306?utm_source=twitter&utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral

lol wait are they already rebooting this universe to the moments of kal-el's infancy? what?

who fuckin' knows

from the end of the piece

What Warners hasn't done is wiped the slate clean in one fell swoop, something that is nigh impossible to do given the years of planning that goes into these films. When asked about the studio Sept. 6 at an investor conference, new WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey said, "Hats off to Kevin and Toby and their team." But he also took a shot at DC. "Some of our franchises, in particular at DC, we all think we can do better."

lol 'stankey' that's some nominative determinism right there

the scale of creative failure in this whole endeavour is really unprecedented, just bad decisions snowballing endlessly

i've encountered people purporting to be interested in AQUAMAN and i just do not get it. none of them have seen any of the other DC movies and at least one was insistent that aquaman was the same character as abe sapien from hellboy, and that the shape of water was just a soft reboot teeing said character up for a new generation.

lol waht

They're all wet

I was just reading a thing last week where Affleck may not return as Batman either because the insurance costs after his last trip to rehab are apparently astronomical.

Good luck, DC.

thank u

cuddlestein mountain comes to the thread

they should hire Rob Liefeld as creative consultant to get back on track.

not even sure that would make the top 10 bad decisions associated with this franchise tbh

let him direct?

How would they case enough people with bizarrely proportioned torsos and tiny blob-like feet?

*cast

if you can digitally erase a mustache surely it can't be too hard

Liefeld's corner of the X-Men universe is doing alright in fairness

comparatively, when Marvel inevitably recasts its principals I'd expect them to make some kind of event out of it.