Despite Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice having long since been released in theaters and arrived on home media, it remains a hot topic of conversation, primarily because its polarizing reception among critics and hardcore fans. Even other comic book movie talent have publicly provided their thoughts on the second DC Extended Universe entry. Four months ago, Sebastian Stan, a.k.a. Bucky Barnes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, said he checked out Batman v Superman and enjoyed it. However, his Captain America: Civil War costar Chadwick Boseman, a.k.a. Black Panther, didn't feel the same way.
Speaking with Radio Times, Boseman said how he went to see Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice on opening night, but walked out feeling unsatisfied because he perceived that the movie felt disjointed. He explained:
I was there the first night to see Batman v Superman, got my popcorn and everything, and I'm not exactly sure what they did wrong, but I feel like sometimes you see a movie -- and I could be wrong, or saying this because I'm in the industry -- you can see that there's at times [too] many people deciding something. That there's not a clear voice from the director. Sometimes when you watch movies you see that the producers are saying something, someone else is saying something, the directors are saying something. And sometimes, it doesn't work. I just feel like, what I have experienced at Marvel is that the directors are very much making the movie. So maybe that's it.
It sounds like Boseman is saying that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice lacked focus, at least when it came down to the story director Zack Snyder was trying to tell and what the DC and Warner Bros brass wanted to see included. It is true that the movie had a lot of balls to juggle, as it was laying groundwork for a lot of future DCEU projects. Aside from featuring the main conflict between Batman and Superman, it also had to deal with the aftermath of Man of Steel, introduce Wonder Woman, show other metahumans to tease Justice League and more. There was so much material that the "Ultimate Edition" was released on home media, giving fans 30 extra minutes of story they didn't see in theaters. Maybe if Boseman checked out that cut, he might have a different opinion.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Captain America: Civil War inevitably drew comparisons long before either was released due to both revolving around superheroes fighting one another. While the latter movie received overall better reviews from the public, debate will rage on over whether Batman v Superman is one of DC's bests films or one of its worst. Either way, Chadwick Boseman didn't particularly care for the flick, but fortunately for him, he's involved with a superhero franchise which he believes doesn't suffer from that lack of "clear voice."
You can see Chadwick Boseman reprise Wakandan king T'Challa when Black Panther is released on February 16, 2018, while the DCEU will continue on June 2, 2017 with Wonder Woman.
