Many thought the absence of Marvel movies at San Diego Comic-Con 2015 was setting the stage for DC and Warner Bros. to own the convention, but Star Wars: The Force Awakens and 20th Century Fox both had massive presences. Still, the studio that’s finally bringing the Justice League to life did have an exciting day on Saturday.
There was the controversial reveal of the Suicide Squad trailer and a new Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer.
For the latter, we finally get a sense of why Batman and Superman are at odds in the film, which essentially boils down to: Superman (Henry Cavill) is on trial for the events of Man of Steel, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) was in Metropolis for said events and holds Superman accountable for the destruction of Wayne Enterprises (and possibly more).
There are also some great shots of Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman (who director Zack Snyder calls “the gateway drug to the rest of the Justice League” which is vague and he probably should have chosen better words) and Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor.
However, one of the most exciting elements of this trailer is the reference to Jason Todd, the second Robin in the Batman mythos. In the comics, he was killed by the Joker and brought back to life by Talia al Ghul (via the Lazarus Pit) to become Red Hood. At the 2-minute mark we see his costume with the words “Ha ha ha joke’s on you Batman” spray-painted on the chest.
This is the first time we’re getting an exploration of the Batkids in a real-life DC movie (sorry, Chris O’Donnell, Alicia Silverstone, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt don’t count) which excites me more than anything because I love the Batkids.
Another possible reference to Todd is at the 55-second mark when Wayne opens a newspaper to find the words “you let your family die” written on it in red. Some fans are theorizing Todd himself sends this to Wayne, which would definitely be in-character for him.
After being brought back to life in the comics, Jason Todd was angry at Batman for not avenging his death and killing the Joker. He’s one of the most interesting characters in Gotham because he holds a lot of resentment but is still a hero at his core. He understands the harsh reality of Gotham and isn’t idealistic but he ultimately believes in doing the right thing and trying to better his city.
Think about the way Daredevil isn’t above a lot of things in order to save Hell’s Kitchen.
There are also theories about him playing into Suicide Squad with the Joker and possibly seeing him as Red Hood.
I have my concerns (I was not a huge fan of Man of Steel) but the fact that they’re touching on this mythos at all (and Jason Todd to boot!) has me intrigued and potentially excited.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, directed by Zack Snyder and starring Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Diane Lane, Jeremy Irons, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, and Laurence Fishburne, is set to hit theaters on March 25, 2016.
What do you think of this new trailer? Are you excited about more comic mythos being explored? Share your thoughts in the comments!
