I Rewatched Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice, And I Think I Owe It An Apology

I think I owe Zack Snyder (and his fans) an apology. Because when the Snyderverse ended, I kind of danced on its grave. That’s because I HATED the Snyderverse. I just thought it was awful, and I was glad to see it gone.

But now…well, I’ll have to get back to you on that one. The only movie from the oft-maligned Snyderverse that I’ve rewatched is 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and I don’t hate it anymore! In fact, I actually really like it. I know! I’m just as shocked as you might be.

Or, might not be, because some of you have been saying all along how Batman v. Superman was a “misunderstood” movie, and how the Snyderverse was far superior to the MCU. And, as somebody who isn’t nearly as enamored with the MCU as I once was, I might agree with you. Here’s why.

I Always Liked The Batman Sections In This Movie, But Now I REALLY Like Them

If there’s one thing I’ve always admitted about Batman v. Superman, it’s that I think Ben Affleck makes for a tremendous Batman. It’s why when I ranked all of the live-action Batman movies, I made a point to say that while I didn’t like Batman v Superman itself, I still really liked the Batman sections, as I just loved the concept of an aged and seasoned Batman, who almost looked…tired. Or rather, over it.

Pulling strongly from Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, the Batman we get here is older and almost pessimistic. Yes, Batman has always been more of a pragmatist than the vision of hope that is Superman, but in Batman v. Superman, Batman seems like the kind of person who thinks criminals DESERVE to get beaten up, rather than just being a means to an end. This Batman is a total bruiser, and maybe as close to Moon Knight (because, I’m sorry, but that show kind of missed the mark) that I’ll probably ever get.

However, after a rewatch, I REALLY like this version of Batman now. It could be because I haven’t rewatched the other Snyderverse movies like The Justice League, where Batman plays a smaller role, but I really enjoy the focus on him this time around. Yes, they once again go over his tragic backstory of losing his parents, but the result this time around is a much harder Batman than the ones we got in the other Batman movies.

He’s almost misanthropic, which I think Robert Pattinson in The Batman tried to do, but he just ended up seeming emo instead (I still liked it, all the same). I especially love how much Batman hates Superman in this movie, though, which I’ll get into next.

After Seeing The More Recent Superman, I Actually Now Think I Prefer Henry Cavill

Now, I know a lot of people loved the 2025 Superman movie (We even gave it a high review), but I wasn’t impressed. I found this version of Superman to be bland, and I didn’t like the story centered around him. In fact, aside from Nathan Fillion’s smug Guy Gardner and Edi Gathegi’s excellent Mr. Terrific, I thought the movie was pretty mid overall. JUST MY OPINION.

However, I definitely preferred it to 2013’s Man of Steel, which I thought was absolutely abysmal upon its release (I guess I have to rewatch that movie now, too, huh?). Well, here’s the thing about Henry Cavill. I have always (ALWAYS) thought that he was the perfect Superman, but that he was in terrible Superman movies. I actively disliked the overly blue (and overly violent) Man of Steel, and up until my recent rewatch of Batman v Superman, I disliked that as well. But now, I’ve had a change of heart.

For example, I love the contrast between Batman and Superman in this movie. At times, Superman is almost seen as a messianic figure, like in that scene where Superman saves a girl, and people actually take off their hats in his presence.

In this movie, he’s displayed as a god, which is why he pisses Batman off so much. Batman growls later, once he has Superman where he wants him, “You were never a god. You were never even a man!” That contrast between man and god is what makes this version of Superman…I’m going to say great. Yeah, this version of Superman is great, and I like him way better than the one we got in the 2025 film. Sorry, but I do.

I Also Can’t Believe I’m Saying This, But I Even Like Jesse Eisenberg As Lex Luthor Now

Now, here’s a big one, because I actually don’t despise Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor anymore. This is really shocking to me, because besides the whole “Save Martha” thing (Which believe me, I’ll get to), I think the thing I disliked the most about this movie was Eisenberg as Lex Luthor.

Let me back up a bit. Similar to Henry Cavill, I actually like Eisenberg as an actor (and, as a director, as A Real Pain is a true masterpiece). That said, Eisenberg as Lex Luthor? Are you kidding me? The fidgety/nerdy approach worked well in The Social Network, but that’s not at all the way I envision Lex Luthor.

However - and this is the whole theme of this article - I’ve changed my mind about this. Do I now think that Eisenberg is my new favorite cinematic version of the character? Of course not! That will likely always be Gene Hackman. However, I’ve come to like the approach that Eisenberg takes here. Like most well-written bad guys, this Luthor doesn’t view himself as a villain, but as the hero. He sees somebody like Superman as an existential threat (which, you know, is fair), and he wants to put a stop to him before he becomes a true problem.

This is a contrast from Nicholas Hault’s Lex Luthor in the more recent movie, who just seems to hate Superman because the guy has superpowers, and he doesn’t. So, I think it’s the contrast between the two Luthors that has made me change my mind. But now, onto Martha…

I Also Don’t Hate The Whole “Save Martha” Thing Anymore

Okay, so the NUMBER 1 thing I hated about Batman v Superman is the infamous “Save Martha” scene. You know what I’m talking about. Batman has Superman pinned down, and Superman groans, “Saaaave….Martha.” And then Batman’s all like, “WHY’D YOU SAY THAT NAME?!” It’s hilarious, and it’s been meme’d quite a bit, but when I first saw this in theaters, practically the entire audience groaned.

And, yes. I know. It’s silly. And it also probably wouldn’t have been a problem if not for the fact that the whole plot hinges on this moment, as it’s the catalyst for why Batman and Superman eventually work together. That said, like everything else with this article, I’m not even remotely bothered by this anymore. In fact, I look forward to it, now that I know it’s coming up.

Which might have been the reason why I (and so many others) loathed it when we first saw it in theaters. Because looking back, the movie is honestly pretty good until that groan-inducing moment. But, when you know that THAT’S the key scene that turns this movie from being Batman v. Superman to Batman meets Superman (BFFs), then it’s not so bad.

So, overall, I can admit it. I was wrong about Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. I think it’s actually pretty good! (Or, maybe I’m just nostalgic for 2016). What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts!