After Warner Bros. debutedMan of Steelin 2013, most were expecting a sequel of some kind. But no one saw the studio’sBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justiceannouncement coming just a few months later at Comic Con.Man of Steelfared well at the box office, with $668 million worldwide, but it had its fair share of detractors, with many fans calling out the excessive destruction during the climactic Metropolis battle withGeneral Zod(Michael Shannon). While promoting Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice withEntertainment Weekly, Superman himself,Henry Cavill, revealed the “excuse” he gave for theMan of Steel’s destructive ending.
“Let’s say now, [if] Superman has the same threat again, that’s a different story. He would, of course, bring collateral damage to an absolute minimum, but in that, he’s just trying to survive because if he doesn’t, the planet’s gone. That’s the excuse I make forSuperman. He’s fresh and he’s new, and it’s very easy to point out the faults in someone after they’ve done it, but put yourself in their shoes and see what happens.”
It was eventually revealed that, inBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,Metropolisis actually a “twin city” with Gotham, separated by a bay similar to San Francisco and Oakland. During theMan of Steelbattle, the destruction eventually spilled over into Gotham City, destroying Wayne Tower, which many believe is what starts this epic conflict between the two heroes. When asked if Batman’s hatred for Superman was spawned from the Metropolis battle that destroyed Batman’s building, the actor teased that may have been part of the filmmakers' “master plan.”
“I think that may have been part of the master plan all along. When it comes to the major story stuff I can’t really speak on that, because that was above my paygrade. What I can speak of is the idea of Superman, especially when the finger is pointed at collateral damage in the first movie. I mean, we’re talking about a greenhorn.”
We know from the trailers that Superman will have to answer for this destruction during a Senate hearing lead by Senator Finch (Holly Hunter). While many fans thought it was too out of character for Superman to cause such destruction, directorZack Snyderhas always defended the ending, revealing in January that he wanted a “big consequence” for Superman’s arrival on Earth. What do you think aboutHenry Cavill’s reasoning for Superman’s destructive ways inMan of Steel? Chime in with your thoughts, and stay tuned for more onBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, arriving in theaters March 25.
