ACT 2B: Bad Guys Close In
Will Clark stop Bruce from creating Brother Eye?
Aftermath of Midpoint: In the battle on the boat, Clarke took a piece of Kryptonite to the chest. Thankfully, the Batwing takes the two of them to the Bat Cave and Bruce calls on the assistance of Alfred to remove the shard.
This second part of Act 2 will have Clarke Kent come into conflict with Bruce’s view of heroism which will begin to be explored as soon Clarke wakes up to join Bruce staring at a display case that holds something special to the caped crusader.
A suit of a previous Robin. This is the ghost that drives Bruce Wayne’s actions. He blames himself for the death of Robin and has sworn to work alone since. This is why he has placed considerable money into the drone program and why he is cautiously backing Lex Luther’s Brother Eye project. Clarke tries to convince Bruce that there is hope to be found in doing what they do and he does not need to resort to such a draconian measure to keep the planet safe. Bruce receives a message from Gotham Police that John Corben had been wired a large sum of money.
That could mean that he wasn’t acting on his own decisions. Corben was extracting Lex Luther for someone else. Do you have Corben in custody?
BRUCE WAYNE
No. Suits took him away. Said he was Government property.
COMMISSIONER
We cut to a secret facility, Metallo lies strapped to a metal table. Mechanical claws dangle above him. Surrounding the walls of the lab are tanks of a nondescript liquid. Within each tank is a body. Lex Luther struts into the room.
Lex reveals that he was the one that paid for his own extraction as he wanted to draw Metallo out of the shadows.
Why? What do you want with me?
METALLO
You wanted to help your country? Now you can.
LEX LUTHOR
Lex uses the remote controlled claws to rip the Kryptonite from Metallo’s body. Illuminated by green, Lex smiles at the huge piece of Kryptonite as John Corben’s metallic body lies lifeless.
The rest of the Act deals with Bruce coming to terms with whether despite their friendship, Clarke is a danger to the planet.
Still thinking about the metahuman abilities of Diana Prince, Bruce meets with Lex (C-Story). After stating that he is planning to pull Wayne Industries involvement from the Brother Eye Project, Bruce convinces Lex to tell him more. Lex reveals the data that he has already collected about Meta Humans. We see Aquaman, old photos of Wonder Woman in WW1, a man that can travel great distances in a flash. Then finally, Lex reveals that the Kryptonian signal to call to arms – the same signal that Lois Lane was investigating (B-Story) – is not a hoax, and he wants to be ready for a Kryptonian war.
Pinch Point 2: In a last ditch effort at Wayne Industries to convince Bruce not to lean towards this new “for the greater good” mentality, the building is attacked by a man that looks strangely familiar to Clarke. The man fires heat vision, destroying part of the building. Before Clarke can put him down, the man turns white, cracks, and falls to the ground dead. Despite the day being saved, Bruce has made up his mind and is putting his full support behind Lex Luther’s Brother Eye. He is fine with never putting on the cape again if it means that metahumans live in fear.
Road to All is Lost: Dr. Silas Stone, who is a scientist working on Luther’s secret projects, tells Lex that the clones in Project Bizarro are not stable and are deteriorating in a manner of hours.
That will be long enough. I only have to show the world that Superman can bleed for them to see that he is a false God.
LEX LUTHOR
All the resources, all this risk. Do you really hate Superman that much?
SILAS STONE
I thought you of all people would understand Stone. Superman is an abomination; he takes away our very purpose as humans. To be human, is to set your sights on a goal and work towards it. To achieve despite struggle is the very essence of human-nature. Superman will never feel that. His death helps all of us.
LEX LUTHOR
- Lois Lane discovers that the day of the “Kryptonian attack” will be at the one year remembrance of the Metropolis attack.
- The Meta Human deterrent Brother Eye is passed through congress and a national call is made for Superman to stand down
- Still driven from guilt, Clarke tells Lois that he cannot stand by if there is an attack
- Lois goes to Bruce Wayne to ask him to stop Clarke.
With Superman and Batman disagreeing on what being a hero means and the B-Story as well as the C-Story interconnecting, the stage is set for the…
All is Lost: As a throwback to when they started working together, Batman shines a makeshift Superman Sign in the sky.
I shone the light; I knew you would come.
BATMAN
You also know what comes next is usually violent?
SUPERMAN
It doesn’t have to be.
BATMAN
Batman, who is decked out in his Dark Knight Returns armor, tries to convince Clarke to stand down. He tells him that if he flies into Metropolis, then the Brother Eye will kill him. Clarke does not care. He believes in doing the right thing in every moment, no matter how naïve that may seem. Batman knows that he has to put him down to save him.
Now the fight is dramatic:
Will Batman stop Superman?
As well as thematic:
Who is right about what it means to be a hero?
Superman eventually gets the upper hand, but Batman always has a plan B.
BATMAN
I have attached a bomb to someone in the city. I am the only one that can stop it. You lose here now or someone dies. I’m telling the truth.
BATMAN
I know.
SUPERMAN
Superman forfeits and Batman weakens him with slow releasing Kryptonite gas.
You’ve lost yourself in the darkness. You’re one rule, don’t kill. You were willing to break it to stop me.
SUPERMAN
You’re too naïve, boy scout.
BATMAN
Batman reaches to the back of his belt and unclips the bomb. He had attached the bomb to himself.
Dark night of the Soul: This is the lowest point in the film for the hero.
Lex takes a clone from a tank and dresses it as Superman. The clone attacks the remembrance parade. We cut between two scenes, Clarke sits bloody and beaten, watching the carnage on TV looking similar to the Zod attack. He hears the cries of the city; he can’t block them out. Meanwhile, Batman looks at the Robin suit as Alfred walks in and gestures to the suit.
There was a time when you fought for the same thing as Clarke. The same thing that he fought for, the same thing your parents fought for.
ALFRED
What’s that?
BRUCE WAYNE
Hope.
ALFRED
ACT 3: Resolution
Will Superman and Batman join forces to save Metropolis?
The Five-Point Finale
- Gather the Team: A severely weakened Superman battles Bizzarro. In an attempt to fight differently to when he fought Zod, he takes the fight out of crowded areas. Clarke has gained a more pragmatic understanding about being a hero.
Batman appears and uses the Bat Drones not to put fear into the hearts of people but to rescue people in the destruction. Batman has found hope.
- Execute the plan: With the Kryptonite ring, Batman and Superman fight in perfect unison against Bizarro. It is beautiful to watch. They defeat him as a team.
- High Tower Surprise: Brother Eye is activated and fires a drone-homing Kryptonite rocket. Even if Superman was not weakened, this would kill him.
- Dig Deep Down: Dragging Superman into the Batmobile, Batman takes off down the streets with the Kryptonite rocket in hot pursuit. Meanwhile, Bizarro looks up at the screen erected to show the feats of Superman saving people in the aftermath of the Zod attack. Pulling people from the rubble, rebuilding, helping emergency responders. The iconic S appears on the screen. People in the crowd wear the same S. Bizarro looks down at his own chest and the S across it.
- New Plan: The Batmobile is taken out by Brother Eye. Superman and Batman crawl from the wreckage. They stand arm in arm staring down the street at the incoming missile willing to accept their fate.
Just before it reaches them, Bizarro flies in between. He stands proudly in front of Superman and Batman.
Me hero.
BIZZARO
The Kryptonite hits him dead on target and the area is enveloped in a green light. When the dust clears, the clone is gone – vaporised.
We cut to a week later: Bruce’s voice plays over the footage that we see.
It is a remarkable dichotomy. In many ways, Clark is more human than I am. Then… he shoots fire from the skies and it is difficult not to think of him as a god. And how fortunate we all are that it does not occur to him. It was never the “super” that made him a hero, it’s the “man.”
BRUCE WAYNE (v.O)
Clarke kisses Lois on the lips before heading into LexCorp for his follow up with Lex. They sit in the room that we started the film within. Full circle!
And any comment on the claims that you were connected to the recent attack in Metropolis.
CLARK KENT
No comment.
LEX LUTHOR
We cut to the Bat Cave. Bruce stands staring at his computer displaying the footage of the Justice League. Alfred asks what he plans to do about them.
Find them.
BRUCE WAYNE
Cut back to Lex Corp. Visibly frustrated, Lex shows Clark the door.
Was there anything else Kent?
LEX LUTHOR
Yeah, I know you were originally promised the front page Mr. Luthor, but Perry got sent a photo that he can’t ignore.
CLARK KENT
Closing image: An answer to our opening shot. The front page of the Daily Globe. A heroic image of Batman and Superman standing arm-in-arm stoically facing down what they thought was their end. Underneath the photo was the headline: The World’s Finest.
CUT TO BLACK.
Thanks for reading! Please comment your own ideas for a Batman v. Superman film as well as any other films that you would like to see get the rewrite treatment.