Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. More than three years since the Warner Bros' DCEU ensemble film hit theaters, the original director's edition has now seen the light of day. The four-hour feature film debuted on HBO Max, giving Snyder's ardent fans the full untampered version of the narrative that the filmmaker has always intended.
Tapped to lay the foundations for Warner Bros. own interconnected superhero franchise, Snyder kicked off the DCEU in 2013 via Henry Cavill as its new version of Superman. Three years later, Batman and Wonder Woman were introduced in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. The movie also teased the inevitable arrival of Aquaman, Flash and Cyborg completing the Justice League. While his first two entries in the budding film series were box office hits, they proved to be divisive. The reception for Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice specifically forced him to slightly alter the narrative for Justice League in accordance with studio notes.
Over the years, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice has been dissected repeatedly by the public, but arguably, nothing from it is as discussed as the Martha scene. During the heroes' brutal fight, Clark Kent pleads for Bruce Wayne to "save Martha," referring to his mother, who was being held hostage by Lex Luthor. This brought back memories of Batman's dead parents, as his mother was also named Martha. Initially, Batman didn't understand the context behind Superman's words until Lois Lane stepped in and explained. This effectively de-escalated the situation, with Bruce deciding not only to spare Clark's life but also work in tandem with him. This scene was recreated with a twist in Zack Snyder's Justice League when a newly-resurrected and disoriented Superman goes after Batman to kill him. For a while, Bruce was able to fend Clark off thanks to his laser-blocking gauntlets - however, Lois showing up at the right time was what ultimately saved Batman, as she was able to convince Superman to just leave with her.
This proves that Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice's Martha scene works and it shouldn't have caused that much of a commotion as Lois was able to effectively break up Clark and Bruce's fight in Zack Snyder's Justice League yet again. What makes this reversed version of the infamous bit work better, however, is that the coincidental fact that both heroes' moms are named Martha is irrelevant. Aside from being a convenient detail, the way it was revealed in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice felt somewhat contrived. This massive plot twist was supposed to be the narrative's turning point, and yet it boiled down to Bruce and Clark's mother both being named Martha. Without this element, Lois simply breaking up the fight worked fine in the Snyder Cut.
Zack Snyder's Justice League's version of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice Martha scene may also be a subtle hint about the scrapped love triangle involving Bruce, Lois, and Clark. Snyder intended this particular plot point to play out in the DCEU ensemble film as Bruce and Lois may have started a relationship during Clark's death. This arc, however, was removed by Warner Bros.
