Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is all about who can prove themselves more powerful, the Man of Steel or the Caped Crusader. So who is really the more powerful character, Batman or Superman? How is power within the DCEU measured, is it all just physical prowess or do brains matter just as much as brawn? Who's the more influential, Lex Luthor or Lois Lane?
Here are the main characters from the movie, ranked by their power and influence within the DCEU at that point. Power is measured by physical fighting capabilities and influence by how much of their will they can assert over the people of the DCEU. It makes for an interesting mix of iconic characters, but who's at the top?
Alfred
Alfred may be a genteel aging butler but he's Batman's closest ally, being the hero's main source of in all things from emotional counseling to strategizing and engineering. His protestations ultimately do little to dissuade Bruce Wayne from their more foolish decisions, but this may be down to them knowing that the Dark Knight requires a soft touch. They are, however, still ultimately a follower and show considerably less assertiveness than our next entry on the list.
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a Pulitzer prize-winning reporter who clearly holds quite a bit of sway in the DCEU, getting their way into tough spots that don't seem to want any reporters around. They're also clearly very brave and, of course, hugely influence the decisions of Superman within the movie.
She has no superpowers and demonstrates no training in combat, but their council and help counts for an awful lot in the end and it even saves Superman's life.
General Swanwick
Though it would not be officially revealed until sometime after Batman v Superman was released, General Swanwick is actually the DCEU's version of the beloved shapeshifting hero Martian Manhunter and, as such, has quite a large amount of power and influence. Regardless of this, he's a general within the US military and at the forefront of situations involving Superman. He's not only respected but hugely influential throughout the military infrastructure shown in the movie.
Lex Luthor
Alexander 'Lex' Luthor is shown to be clearly very intelligent and with vast resources at his immediate disposal. He uses these things to successfully orchestrate an elaborate beef between the movie's two titular heroes and does, in the end, succeeded in his plan to kill Superman. Though it's yet to be seen in the DCEU how this is really a smart move overall.
Though his influence can go toe to toe with the machinations of the gods, it would seem, Lex has no actual physical power to speak of and it seems to be the root of his most damning flaws, ultimately leading him to failure.
Wonder Woman
Diana's power level is something that seems to always be evolving within the DCEU, adding new powers as things progress and potentially being something akin to limitless for all intents and purposes. In her debut DCEU appearance, Wonder Woman demonstrates that she's easily one of the most powerful beings in the universe and a fearless fighter. She may struggle against Doomsday, as all the heroes do, but she's never in any real danger personally throughout their fight it seems. She is, nonetheless, still effectively hiding her powers from humanity at this point in time, however, and not as directly influential as many of the other characters appear to be.
Batman
A brilliant mind that's become corrupted by apathy and shortsightedness, Bruce Wayne is a character shown to be smart enough to kill Superman if he wants to, and he's ultimately smart enough to realize that he actually doesn't. Though it does take him a while.
Batman is also still a formidable fighter in his later years, his fight sequence in the warehouse near the end of the movie being one of the most electrifying highlights. While he's nowhere near Wonder Woman in of physical power, Diana is, however, still in the shadows at this point and therefore far less influential than the well-known symbol of The Bat.
Doomsday
As a seemingly unstoppable killing force, Doomsday is second to none in of sheer power really, even when it comes to a fully powered Superman. It's born out of Lex Luthor's ungodly manipulation of Kryptonian technology with General Zod's remains. With Kryptonian powers and a whole host of other ones too, it takes a spear of pure Kryptonite and the ultimate sacrifice from Superman in order to kill it. It's ultimately lacking in any kind of intelligence though, it would seem, and it's ultimately undone by teamwork from the heroes.
Superman
Superman may not be shown to be powerful enough to physically dominate Doomsday as he does with just about everything else in the DCEU, but he is the most influential character in the movie by far and his power can never be discounted. From Bruce Wayne to Lex Luthor, the DCEU is obsessed with their Superman to an unhealthy degree in some instances. Their death sends shockwaves throughout not only the world but, as Zack Snyder's Justice League would ultimately reveal, throughout the Multiverse also.
