In the Summer of 2013 Warner Bros. pushed all their chips towards the middle of table. It was at Comic Con in San Diego when Zack Snyder and Harry Lennix blew the roof off of Hall H and announced that Batman would be included in the follow up film to Man of Steel. I think the moderator that day Chris Hardwick said it best when after the announcement and logo reveal he screamed in excitement “What the shit was that?!”. It was a frenzy of emotion from everyone in love with the genre but after the initial adrenaline of the moment wore off their was a collective nervousness from DC fans. It was now real! The inclusion of Batman into a Man of Steel follow up film meant that Warners was going to go for it and there was no going back. They were finally going to utilize the DC Universe. Suddenly that Wayne Enterprises Satellite that Superman and Zod crashed into took on a whole new meaning. No one ever thought Warners would or quite frankly wanted to go through with it but they were. Much like how there was no going back for Warners it was the same case for a guy like myself. A die hard Batman fan and lover of all things DC I knew the potential boom or bust scenario that would come with this film. The weight of a possible DC Cinematic Universe would now rest on the broad shoulders of our Caped Crusader and the Son of Jor-El.
I have taken emotional investments in movies before. Following non spoiler filming updates, waiting for trailers to drop, listening to podcasts, and everything in between. Whatever I could do to wet my appetite and reassure me that a film would be as good as I hoped without being spoiled I’d do it. With that being said I have never in my life felt as emotionally invested in a film as I am with Batman v Superman. Like a lot of you I have gone through multiple emotions from the day of that announcement till the credits roll on March 25th. The emotions over this film came in waves. Taking a stroll down memory it was at first feeling elated over the initial announcement to anxiousness about who would be playing Batman. It was also trying to think of scenario that Batman can realistically withstand a battle the likes of what we saw towards the end of Man of Steel. Then you had for most people the sheer terror and anger over Ben Affleck being cast as Batman. I’ll just go on the record now and say that I supported that casting decision since day one. Remember the baffled look on most fans faces when Jessie Eisenberg was cast as Lex Luthor? Although I’m a fan of his work even I was a little confused by that casting initially. There was also the nitpicking over Gal Gadot being cast and then the worrying if Warners was biting off more than they could chew with Aquaman, Cyborg, and The Flash. It was a legitimate concern as this is uncharted territory for Warners and DC. Some of us had a panic attack or maybe a sigh of relief when it was learned that Chris Terrio (Argo) was doing some rewrites for the film. Then you had the release date chess match between Warners and Marvel which ended with the news of the film being pushed back a year. Having to wonder about the validity of a “reports” that suggests Warners was nervous about the film and that Snyder would be out of a job. Good trailers, So so trailers, Great trailers, and lets not forget through all of this you're more then likely fending off Marvel Fan Boys who want to cut down your excitement at every turn. We now round turn four and are headed for the finish line as the marketing for Batman v Superman. Its been quite the anxious ride thus far and you deserve to take a breather and relax.
Why am I telling you all of this when you've been on the same emotional rollercoaster as I have? The answer is that I’m really just trying to illustrate my point of how you owe it to yourself to walk into the theaters on March 25th in good spirits. If you're somebody like me then you know you have been threw the emotional ringer so to speak since the original announcement. It is very important to remember that you will never have this moment again. This month you will see a Live Action Film with Batman and Superman on the same screen. They are arguably the two most iconic characters the comic book world has ever seen and soon they’ll be available for your viewing pleasure as much as you like or as much as your wallet/significant other can endure. I’m not going to lie and tell you that there isn't a lot riding on this movie because their is. Warners is doubling down at the tables and they're hoping to walk away with a healthy return on their investment. Obviously you don't want a train wreck of a film but the time to worry about that is after the credits roll and you can confirm that is in fact a train wreck. The Actors have some of us feeling a little bit loose with some of the Omaze videos and Jimmy Kimmel skits. Its almost as if they’re sending a reminder to people that its Ok to be loose right about now and to enjoy it rather than worry. Enjoy the marketing, the moments, and the movie. This all has the potential to be a lengthy joyride that the DC fanbase has been clamoring for and quite frankly deserves it. So in closing, The State of Union is its stronger than its ever been and come March its future opportunities may be endless.
-Cheers
Mike
2 More Fricken Weeks!!
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