History Film / BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice

* VillainProtagonist: Batman gets the bulk of the movie's focus, and he is ''not'' the HopeBringer he was depicted as in ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy''. After twenty years of crimefighting, this Batman has become a jaded cynic who [[ColdBloodedTorture brands bat symbols onto the worst criminals]], is wholly apathetic that said brands are a [[MarkedToDie death sentence in prison]], has broken his [[ThouShaltNotKill one rule]], and was wholly prepared to murder an innocent man over his own prejudices, making him no better than Joe Chill. When Alfred confronts Bruce over his aggressive new tactics at the beginning of the movie, Bruce dismisses his criticisms by pointing out that they're criminals anyway so it doesn't matter what they do to other criminals. Eventually subverted, when Superman helps Batman realize how much of a monster he has become by begging him to save a loved one's life with (what could have been) his last breath.

* EfectiveKnockoff: Lex uses Zod's corpse in order to create Doomsday, effectively making the monster Zod's successor. Worse, Doomsday proves to be an even bigger threat than Zod ever was, coming even closer the destroying the entire planet.

** Later, [[spoiler: after Superman and Doomsday take [[NukeEm a nuclear missile to the face]], Doomsday crashes down on the island and becomes stronger, while Superman lifelessly floats in space with [[BodyHorror half his face burned off.]]]]

** Like in ''Series/{{Arrow}}'', Anatoli Knyazev is not called [=KGBeast=]. {{Justified|Trope}}, considering that [[TheGreatPoliticsMessUp the KGB has long since been disbanded]].

* BarbarianHero: Aquaman, a hero with [[DreadlockWarrior wild dreads]], [[BadassBeard a beard]], [[WalkingShirtlessScene a bare chest]], and [[TattooAsCharacterType extensive tattoos]].

->''"[[CharacterDevelopment Men are still good]]. [[AntiNihilist We fight, we kill, we betray one another, but we can rebuild]]. We can do better. We will. We have to."''

Previews: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwfUnkBfdZ4 Teaser]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WWzgGyAH6Y Comic-Con 2015 Trailer]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6as8ahAr1Uc Sneak Peek]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fis-9Zqu2Ro Trailer 2]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUN0F5wKbGE TV Spot 1]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMoNUB0O5o4 TV Spot 2]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUJH43X_Dw4 TV Spot 3]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_LLj1k16_k?t=33s Sneak Peek 2]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_peXtNpuIJs TV Spot 4]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhWg7AQLI_8 Trailer 3]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AO19XY2rqc Ultimate Edition]].

Previews: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwfUnkBfdZ4 Teaser]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WWzgGyAH6Y Comic-Con 2015 Trailer]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6as8ahAr1Uc Sneak Peek]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fis-9Zqu2Ro Trailer 2]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUN0F5wKbGE TV Spot 1]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMoNUB0O5o4 TV Spot 2]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUJH43X_Dw4 TV Spot 3]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_LLj1k16_k?t=33s Sneak Peek 2]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_peXtNpuIJs TV Spot 4]]. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhWg7AQLI_8 Trailer 3]]. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AO19XY2rqc Ultimate Edition]].

* RealityEnsues:
** Hooray, Superman saved the planet! He also [[DestructiveSavior damaged quite a bit of property in the process]] and was unable to prevent thousands of deaths in spite of his best efforts - and that he is also blamed for much of said death and destruction by those who simply haven't had any experience with a superhero or didn't count much of the destruction actually happening by Zod's fault. This understandably causes divisions on Earth of people who believe he's a protector, and others who believe he's a disaster waiting to happen. It's been noted that [[IntendedAudienceReaction exploring this trope was Zack Snyder's intention from the start]], but he saved it for the sequel in order to keep ''Man of Steel[='=]s'' focus on the SuperHeroOrigin.
** Batman tries to hit a super strong and invulnerable man with the Batmobile, and is thrown like a toy as he bounces off harmlessly. His threats also fall flat when he gets out since Supes just flies away.
** Superman seeks to help and protect people, promising them he won't kill anyone, but even if people die in incidents that he tries to prevent he is blamed all the same.
** Batman's meticulous planning and exploitation of Superman's weakness still only barely allows him to overpower Superman. Had the fight gone on much longer (or if Superman had been truly out for blood) Batman would have been soundly beaten.
** [[spoiler: The fight against Doomsday makes it quite clear that in a fight of this nature Batman is completely outclassed, having to spend much of it simply trying to avoid getting blasted by Doomsday's extreme heat vision streams in an effort to find the right time to fire off his last remaining kryptonite grenade. It even extends to Superman, who still isn't the most refined fighter and gets thrown around like a ragdoll. The only one of the three who actually fights Doomsday on relatively equal footing is ''Wonder Woman'', who's been fighting longer than either Batman or Superman have been alive. Even then all she can do is stall the monster and hack off a hand. As Diana said herself, she's killed monsters from other worlds before.]]
** [[spoiler:Superman uses every last ounce of strength he has to kill Doomsday with the Kryptonite spear. The combination of Kryptonite radiation and physical trauma kills him so quickly he has no time to process what happened. He doesn't get the opportunity to have any last words with Lois or Batman. By the time Superman hits the ground, only his vacant glance remains.]]
** Being a man of enormous intelligence and vast resources, Lex [[spoiler:easily discovers the Trinity's secret identities (and also those of other future Justice League members). The only reason he doesn't go public with this information is because he has been declared mentally insane, so no one is gonna take his word seriously.]]

* SelfDeprecation: During a montage of public figures talking about how Superman is viewed by the people, film producer Vikram Gandhi suggests that people project a messiah image onto Superman, [[Film/ManOfSteel something the previous film was guilty of]]. In fact, the only characters who liken Superman to a godly figure either have a low opinion of him (Lex and Wallace) or are deeply religious (the Día de Muertos crowd). It's the characters who know him best that understand even Superman can have moments of doubt.

** [[spoiler: The scene of Diana looking through the files on the known metahumans teases the upcoming ''Aquaman'', ''The Flash'', and ''Cyborg'' movies. As Variety put it, in a meta sense, it's basically Diana watching trailers for three upcoming films.]]

* AdaptationalWimp: Not a character, but [[KryptoniteFactor kryptonite's effect on Superman]]. In this version there's no indication that kryptonite, in and of itself, can kill a Kryptonian. Instead, it only makes them vulnerable to other things that could kill them (traditionally it does both). Small amounts (of which Lex Corp has already recovered) are also useless outside of surgical equipment and its effects are shown to be very short-lived, whereas in other media even a sliver of kryptonite can bring Superman to his knees. This, in addition to the fact it is extremely rare {{Unobtanium}}, makes trying to take on Superman even with kryptonite extremely dangerous.

* HardTruthAesop: Martha Kent gives Superman a rousing speech about being a hero, and a symbol, and then abruptly ends it by saying, "Or be none of it. You don't owe this world a thing. You never did." What she's saying is "having super powers does not mean you are obligated to be a hero, especially to [[UngratefulBastard those who won't appreciate it]]" and "be a hero because that's what you feel is the right thing to do, not because people demand that you should".

* SigilSpam: Much is made of the promotional material showing just the "S" shield and the Bat symbol [[note]]Something of a MythologyGag, the '89 ''Film/{{Batman|1989}}'' movie did the same thing with a poster that had no title but just the Batman symbol. It was revolutionary in that regard. The '78 ''Film/{{Superman}}'' had a similar poster, but still listed the movie name.[[/note]].

** This is not the first time that Creator/JasonMomoa has played a character [[Series/StargateAtlantis who is a fierce warrior and is associated with Atlantis]].

* NotSoDifferent: Twice between Batman and Superman. The first is when Clark Kent condemns Batman's violent vigilantism and Bruce Wayne points out that Superman, too, has been responsible for a great deal of damage. The second is when [[spoiler: Superman, about to be killed by Batman, pleads with him to save his mother, ''[[NamesTheSame Martha]]'', from Lex's goons, which strikes a chord with Bruce, (who is hinted via flashbacks and symbolism to be haunted by Martha Wayne's death even more than Thomas Wayne's). This gets him to snap out of his UnstoppableRage and stop fighting Superman.]]

* PinballProtagonist: Superman rarely does anything active in the movie unless he is manipulated by Luthor and/or provoked by Batman, to the point they actually have more dialogue than him.

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: During the warehouse fight scene, one of Knyazev's mooks pulls the pin out of a grenade. Batman punches the mook he hung up seconds later onto him and he lets the grenade fall on the ground. He just has the time to touch it before it explodes, taking the two of them out.

* {{Hypocrite}}: As Bruce points out it's extremely hypocritical for Clark Kent to be in favor of Metropolis' DestructiveSavior Superman and against Gotham's [[TheCowl vigilante]] Batman.

[[caption-width-right:350:''"There was a time above... a time before. There were perfect things... diamond absolutes. How things fall, things on Earth. And what falls... is fallen. In the dream, they took me to the light. [[ArcWords A beautiful lie]]."'']]