I Think Zack Snyder Understood Batman Better Than Any Other Director Has

Zack Snyder’s interpretation of Batman is controversial, to say the least. After all, the first time the character shows up in the DC Extended Universe in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, he’s ready to kill Superman and anyone who gets in his way. It’s a tough pill to swallow early on, but the end of BvS and the events of Justice League prove that there’s so much more to Snyder’s vision than the killing. In fact, with the DCEU in the rearview and another Dark Knight already on the big screen, it’s clear that Snyder understands the character better than any other filmmaker.

That’s not to say Snyder’s movies are the best, as Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy and Matt Reeves’ The Batman lap the DCEU films in terms of quality. However, the arc that Bruce Wayne goes through in Snyder’s franchise isn’t appreciated enough due to the messy situation the DCEU found itself in.

Zack Snyder’s Batman Has a Complete Arc in the DCEU

It’s hard for a lot of fans to get past the disregard for life that Batman shows in BvS. Not only is Batman ready to give up his no-kill rule to take out Superman, but he also guns down plenty of henchmen throughout the events of the film. It’s a far leap from the Caped Crusader in the comics and even in the DC Animated Universe. The only issue with criticizing this aspect of the character is that the choice to have him kill is very intentional. After decades fighting crime in Gotham and losing his sidekick, Robin, Batman isn’t the same hero he once was. He’s in need of a reset, and his conflict with Superman opens his eyes to the good that’s still left in humanity.

Superman has every opportunity to kill Batman, and it would greatly benefit him after Lex Luthor kidnaps his mother and demands the Bat’s head to release her. However, he never gives in and tries to reason with Bruce despite everything that’s at stake. Yeah, they come to blows for a while, and the “Martha” moment is still tough to watch all these years later, but once Batman’s head is on straight, Snyder’s vision of a hero finding redemption becomes clear. And even for those who miss it, Snyder and Co. spell it out during the funeral for Clark, where Bruce tells Diana that he once again believes that men are good. It sets the stage for a more hopeful Dark Knight, one that blossoms during the events of Zack Snyder’s Justice League.

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Batman Is at His Best in Zack Snyder’s Justice League

While the original theatrical cut of Justice League has Batman hit a lot of the same notes, it’s Zack Snyder’s Justice League where he really hits his stride. With the threat of Steppenwolf hanging over him, he starts to bring a team together, recruiting the likes of The Flash and Wonder Woman. His best quality in the movie is that he knows he’s not the hero the world needs, but the one that can give it the ones it does. Batman even goes as far as to help bring Superman back to life, which pays off in a major way when he makes quick work of Steppenwolf.

Unlike a lot of versions of Batman, the one in Zack Snyder’s Justice League is far from a reluctant team player. He’s willing to lay down his life if it means his fellow heroes and the rest of the world get to live on. Nolan’s Batman has a similar mindset in The Dark Knight Rises, but the big difference between the two iterations is that Snyder’s version had to pull himself out of the dark and find his humanity again. Sure, one could argue that Nolan’s Bruce also lost himself, but by painting himself into a corner by breaking the no-kill rule, Snyder gave himself a nearly impossible task. Some still believe he failed to complete it, but that’s just not the truth because there’s never been more character growth in a Batman story than Snyder’s DCEU.

Do you think that Zack Snyder understood the character of Batman? How would you have changed his version of the hero? Let us know in the comments below!