The latest trailer for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was released this week, and it seems safe to say that it offered up quite a bit more of the 2016 film than anyone was expecting to see at this point.
Not only did the new trailer offer up some context for the Man of Steel's beef with the Dark Knight – including an extended scene from their first in-person meeting out of costume – but it also revealed the villain they'll need to overcome their differences to defeat (with some help from Wonder Woman, apparently).
For better or worse (depending on your opinion of spoilers), there's a lot we know about Batman v Superman now that we didn't know a little while ago – but that doesn't mean the trailer answered all of our questions about the film. Here are some of the big questions that still have us scratching our heads when it comes to the biggest superhero team-up movie since The Avengers.
What happened to Robin and/or Joker?
All of the previews so far have alluded to a tragedy in Batman's past that involved Robin and the Joker, and the latest trailer made the most direct reference yet to the Dark Knight's most infamous enemy when Bruce Wayne tells Clark Kent, “Gotham City and me, we have a bad history with freaks dressed like clowns.”
While it's not too much of a leap to assume Joker killed Robin (and possibly left Batman with the memento seen in the trailer), one has to wonder what happened to the Clown Prince of Crime after that incident. We know Joker plays a key role in the upcoming Suicide Squad movie, but what's the status of Batman and Joker's never-ending battle during the events of Dawn of Justice?
Parademons, I presume?
Around the 2:05 mark in the trailer, Batman can be seen battling soldiers in a desert base while a swarm of winged, insectlike creatures appear to be staging their own assault on the compound. Fan theories suggest that this insectlike army is the “Parademons,” the name given to the alien armies of Darkseid, a cosmic conqueror of worlds who's widely regarded as one of the most powerful villains in the DC Comics universe.
Given everything (and everyone) else who appears in the trailer, it seems a little far-fetched that Darkseid and his minions will be added to the already crowded list of characters appearing in the film, but some have suggested that the scene might just be a dream sequence – one linked to the underground encounter between Batman and Superman that was released earlier this week.
What's up with Lex Luthor's hair?
It might seem like a minor detail to stick on, but having seen promotional photos of a bald Jesse Eisenberg leading up to the film's release, one can't help wondering why his character – Lex Luthor – doesn't appear to be follicle-ly challenged in the trailer. Luthor's hair (or lack thereof) is one of the character's defining physical characteristics, so it's a little strange to see him with a flowing mane. We already know that the world of DC Comics' cinematic universe differs significantly from that of the comics, but here's hoping we don't lose Lex Luthor's bald dome.
Why so angry, Superman?
It's no secret that Man of Steel gave us a very different version of Superman than most fans are accustomed to seeing, but the trailer for Dawn of Justice appears to turn up the angst exponentially, as Superman is seen scowling or otherwise growling in nearly every shot. Whether he's ripping off Batman's mask or screaming “If I wanted it, you'd be dead already,” there are clearly some supersized anger issues at play in the trailer, begging the question: What made the Man of Steel so mad?
Where's Aquaman?
We know Jason Momoa is making his debut as DC Comics' oceanic hero Aquaman in Dawn of Justice, so where is he in the trailer? Nearly every other major character has appeared in the previews at this point, including some – like Doomsday, for example – that might have been better left a surprise. This makes Aquaman's absence a little conspicuous, given that we've already seen how he'll look in the film.
Could Aquaman's presence be little more than a cameo? It's hard to believe that one of the Justice League's most prominent members would be relegated to a blink-and-you-miss-it moment or some sort of postcredits debut, but so far we have yet to see any evidence of the Atlantean hero's presence in Dawn of Justice.
What questions are you still asking after seeing the new Batman v Superman trailer?