The title “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” conveys a number of important points about what audiences could expect from the DC Extended Universe film, but writer of the film Chris Terrio recently confirmed that not only did he not pick that title, but also that he didn’t like it. The writer didn’t, however, reveal what he would have preferred the film be called, instead noting that the title of it sounds more like a WWE showdown than a film. Of course, it’s hard to argue with the final decision, as the adventure did feature the two superheroes going head to head, while also teasing that it was an important step towards the creation of the Justice League.
“I wrote drafts of the Batman/Superman movie, which wasn’t called Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice by me. I did not name the script,” Terrio confirmed to Vanity Fair. “In fact, I found out what the movie was called along with the rest of the world on the internet. I was not consulted on the title of the film, and I was as surprised as anyone. I would not have named it Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.”
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He added, “I don’t know exactly who named it, but I suspect it was the studio and I suspect it was marketing, to be honest with you. It might have been the first step toward creating ill will for the film. I suspect that putting the words ‘Batman’ and ‘Superman’ into the title had some marketing component to it.”
Throughout not only the DCEU but also across almost all superhero stories, the titles themselves directly present the characters who will be explored, with a subtitle then hinting at the kind of adventure in store for audiences. While Terrio didn’t argue that the characters weren’t actually at odds with one another, he implied that he had wished there was more nuance in the title.
“I heard it and I thought, ‘It just sounds self-important and clueless in a way. Tone-deaf,’” the filmmaker confessed. “The intention of the film was to do something interesting and dark and complex, not quite as Las Vegas, bust ’em up, WWE match as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.”
Following the debut of Zack Snyder’s Justice League on HBO Max, there’s no update as to when the characters could meet again for another big-screen adventure.
What do you think of the title? Let us know in the comments below!
