Zack Snyder‘s Man of Steel left a bad taste in the mouth of most Superman comics fans; and despite inciting enthusiasm for his next project, superhero crossover Batman v Superman, predominantly through the invocation of Frank Miller‘s Dark Knight series, the nation does not seem as hyped as one would expect. This has been a dream scenario for many comic followers for years; Francis Lawrence even hid a poster for the potential movie in his adaptation of I Am Legend.
With a talented cast including Ben Affleck, Jesse Isenberg, Amy Adams, Ezra Miller and Gal Gadot, I find my expectations rising, and then I remember Watchmen, and the 300, and Guardians of Ga’hoole (you know, the one with the owls). Snyder has a distinctive visual style that works well with fast paced action, however when it comes to drama, or narrative exposition, or original ideas, well, the American director’s films begin to unravel. But what if Batman v Superman contained something none of us dared to expect?
Now, we all know that Ben Affleck will be playing Bruce Wayne/Batman in the upcoming film, but one comics fan from TotalSpoiler has come up with a theory that Snyder has been pranking us all along. This theory, it has to be said, is absolutely crazy and I cannot comment upon its validity. But what if Affleck was not playing Batman?
The theory is based on a few pieces of information picked up from the current trailers and previous franchises. Firstly, we never see Affleck’s character addressed by his name. Secondly, Christopher Nolan set a precedent for deception within the franchise when he cast Ken Watanabe as villain Ra’s al Ghul and Liam Neeson as Henry Ducard, only to reveal in the film’s third act that Neeson had been Ghul the whole time.
The third and final clue is the title of the project. What if the “v” of Batman v Superman was in fact the Roman numeral for four, making Snyder’s the fourth in a series. Yes, you can see where this is going; what if the upcoming crossover is set in the same universe as Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy and Christian Bale is to return as Bruce Wayne?
I told you the theory was crazy, but bear with me as we make a few leaps in logic and delve into the depths of the DC universe. For this idea to carry any weight, TotalSpoiler wants us to get acquainted with a character named Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke. A mercantile villain in DC canon, Wilson has a similar skill-set to Batman, focusing on close-quarters-combat and gadgetry. He even has a butler, Wintergreen, who follows him around; maybe Jeremy Irons will not be Alfred Pennyworth after all.
Deathstroke takes on the role of Batman in DC’s Outsiders.
Tenuous, still? Definitely, but hear this out. In DC’s Outsiders, Deathstroke even takes on the mantle of Batman; cape, cowl and all. TotalSpoiler’s theory runs that after the events of Dark Knight Rises, Bruce Wayne retires, however Gotham is still in need of a hero. With his huge financial recourses, Wayne hires Slade Wilson to save his city. By supplying Wilson with top of the range gadgets, see the huge robot batsuit, Wayne can focus on the big picture and employ others to do the dirty work, as in Grant Morrison‘s Batman Inc. This would also explain why in the trailer we see Affleck stood beside the bat-signal; he’s calling the real deal.
Mind blown or absolute nonsense, we’ll have to wait an see. But even if its only the disprove this insane theory I feel excitement for a Zack Snyder movie, and that means anything is possible. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will be out in the UK on March 26, 2016.
#Peace.Love.Batman
