5 Things Warner Bros. Can Learn From CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR After BATMAN v SUPERMAN

I loved Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but there's no denying that it's a very flawed movie. Plus, after seeing Captain America: Civil War, it's clear Warner Bros. need to take some cues from Marvel Studios...

By JoshWilding - May 11, 2016 04:05 PM EST

Filed Under: Captain America: Civil War

I gave Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice 4* in my review and even wrote a feature listing all the reasons you should have ignored the critics over opening weekend and still seen it, so I'm by no means anti-DC or a Marvel shill (I will however expect my cheque to arrive on time this month, Mr. Feige). However, I can't deny that it was deeply flawed, especially after seeing Captain America: Civil War.

Despite being two very different movies, the similarities between them are obvious, and when putting Batman v Superman side by side with Civil War, it quickly becomes apparent that there's a lot Warner Bros. can learn from them moving forward. It's obviously too late to fix Dawn of Justice, but Marvel's first Phase 3 movie should be used as an example of how to make a great comic book movie.

So, what you'll find here is an in-depth look at all of the things that Marvel's Distinguished Competition can learn from Civil War as they look to salvage the story which was started by Man of Steel and Batman v Superman and will continue into Justice League next November. In other words, this is what Marvel got right and Warner Bros. most definitely did not, so they need to pay close attention...

5. The Best Way To Introduce New Heroes

While there's no denying that Batman v Superman handled Wonder Woman's introduction fairly well, she still didn't really have a very satisfying story arc, and the movie really could have made do without her. The same could be said for Spider-Man of course, but as an introduction to what we should expect from Marvel's take on the wall-crawler, it worked, whereas Wonder Woman's movie taking place in World War I means her next appearance won't build off what we've already seen.

Despite having a small amount of screentime, Black Panther was taken on a journey in Civil War and left in a very different place to when the movie started, and while the same could be said for Wonder Woman now that she's stepping out of the shadows to be a hero, we never truly get to know her.

Of course, Batman v Superman's biggest problem was the cameo appearances from other members of the soon to be formed Justice League. Shown off via video clips on Lex Luthor's computer (where they had weirdly all been assigned character appropriate logos), the heroes were made to look like the stars of a rather poorly made web series, and Warner Bros. definitely needs to look at Civil War and other Marvel movies for tips on how best to introduce moviegoers to a new character via cameo.

If Chris Terrio's script was long enough for Zack Snyder to go off and shoot a four hour movie, it should have been clear to Warner Bros. that it needed one final going over before the cameras started rolling. The filmmaker simply shot too much, hence why such big chunk of the movie ended up being cut - the fact that something as big as that Steppenwolf reveal ended up on the cutting room floor is baffling -and the first hour feels almost like a clip show as we jump from scene to scene.

While that three hour extended cut could end up being a masterpiece, only a small percentage of those who saw Batman v Superman in theaters will be tracking that down, so the damage has already been done. Compare this to everything we've heard from Civil War directors Joe and Anthony Russo and writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, and it's clear that they worked closely together to ensure that the script was 100% ready to make a cohesive movie before the cameras started rolling.

The writers have said over and over that very little of what they wrote wasn't shot because the Russos like to have a solid idea of what they're going to film, trimming the fat beforehand. With Ben Affleck brought in to executive produce Justice League and fine tune the script, it could be that Warner Bros. are already learning.

Back Next

3. Give Your Villain Clearer Motivations

Before we go any further, let me just say that I actually loved Jesse Eisenberg's take on Lex Luthor. However, the character as he appeared in Batman v Superman was deeply flawed and while I guess I can accept that he somehow figured out the secret identities of the two titular heroes off camera, some context there would have been nice.

So too would a better explanation of his hatred for Superman and why he thought it would be a good idea to create an uncontrollable monster who would make his dream of a dead Man of Steel come true, but end up causing even more destruction that the hero's battle with General Zod ever did. While there are certainly ways to make sense of Lex's plans while rewatching the movie, you pretty much have to force them to, and that's not right.

Civil War on the other hand tells a much more linear story with Zemo, providing him with a more concrete reason for his hatred of The Avengers and even giving him something which realistically explains how and why he can manipulate Captain America and Iron Man into fighting. Yes, it too sometimes relies a little too much on coincidences, but the fact is that his motivations ultimately make much more sense and he comes out of this movie very much on the path to becoming Baron Zemo. Lex just shaves his head.

Back Next

2. Don't Be Afraid To Have Fun

One of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to the criticisms aimed at Batman v Superman is the fact that it's frequently said that the movie isn't "fun." I'm not sure about most of you guys, but I was sitting there with a massive grin on my face for most of it, whether it was because of Batman taking down a bunch of thugs, the fight between the Dark Knight and Man of Steel, or the epic battle against (the horribly CGI'd) Doomsday.

However, it's true that Batman v Superman is a light on levity, and as serious as Civil War gets, it still has some fun. Wisecracks when Batman was trying to murder Superman may have been a little much, but it would have been a smart move to have the Trinity communicate a little more during that fight against Doomsday, and the perfect place to let these guys make some digs at each other. Instead, they all go to work in silence and end up feeling like three separate heroes fighting the villain rather than a cohesive unit.

Batman v Superman is definitely a fun movie in many respects, but there's no denying that Warner Bros. needs to borrow some of the humour which makes Marvel's movies so popular moving forward because their very serious and glum approach to adapting this material clearly isn't working for them, something we've seen on two occasions now.

Back Next

1. Treat Female Characters With A Little More Respect

The way Batman v Superman treats its female characters isn't a major problem, but it's definitely an issue. Lois Lane is a damsel in distress not once, but twice, and even Clark's mother (her name is Martha, in case you somehow missed that) is dragged into a similar role in the final act. Despite the badass fight with Doomsday, up until that point, even Wonder Woman feels like she's just there to look sexy and is portrayed as not being clever enough to decrypt a file...she needs Batman's help instead.

Civil War on the other hand handles the likes of Black Widow and Scarlet Witch in a far more satisfying manner, and even minor supporting players like Sharon Carter and Aunt May fare pretty well here. With Lois Lane set to return in Justice League, her becoming a hostage or needing to be saved by Superman once again absolutely shouldn't happen, and hopefully Wonder Woman is going to be the start of Warner Bros. showing that they can handle female heroes every bit as well as their male ones.

Marvel Studios may be guilty of not giving Black Widow her own movie, but there's no denying that they've still provided her and their other female characters (even the majority of love interests) with well developed story arcs in their movies rather than just leaving them there in need of being saved.

Do you agree with these points? Do you have any of your own you'd like to add? As always, head to the comments section below to let us know!

Back

BATMAN: Ben Affleck's DCEU Appearances Ranked From Worst To Best According To Rotten Tomatoes

Recommended For You:

CIVIL WAR II Fan Poster Imagines What A Sequel To 2016's CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR Could Look Like

DISCLAIMER: ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and... [MORE]

ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Do you have what it takes to write for us?

Want to contribute?

441 Comments

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ...
JoshWilding - 5/11/2016, 4:33 PM This post was brought to you by Disney. Login to report abuse








TheEpicJuicebox - 5/11/2016, 4:35 PM 1 Stick to source material 2 Make a good movie 3 Don't rush things (too late) 4 Listen to fans 5 MAKE A GOOD MOVIE Login to report abuse
TheBlackSaint - 5/11/2016, 4:36 PM @TheEpicJuicebox - I second this! Login to report abuse





























1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ...

Related Headlines

Captain America: Civil War

CIVIL WAR II Fan Poster Imagines What A Sequel To 2016's CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR Could Look Like

JoshWilding

Jan 03, 2024 01:01 PM

Captain America: Civil War

Marvel Studios Producer Reveals Original Idea For CAPTAIN AMERICA 3... Which Kevin Feige Shot Down

MarkCassidy

Nov 21, 2022 04:11 PM

Captain America: Civil War

10 Marvel And DC Superhero Fight Scenes That FAILED To Do The Comics Justice

HamiltonParker

Jul 31, 2022 08:07 AM

Related Headlines

Captain America: Civil War

CIVIL WAR II Fan Poster Imagines What A Sequel To 2016's CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR Could Look Like

JoshWilding

Jan 03, 2024 01:01 PM

Captain America: Civil War

Marvel Studios Producer Reveals Original Idea For CAPTAIN AMERICA 3... Which Kevin Feige Shot Down

MarkCassidy

Nov 21, 2022 04:11 PM

Captain America: Civil War

10 Marvel And DC Superhero Fight Scenes That FAILED To Do The Comics Justice

HamiltonParker

Jul 31, 2022 08:07 AM

Fantastic Four

FANTASTIC FOUR Actor Chris Evans Says He "Would Love" To Return As The Human Torch

DanielKlissmman

Jun 17, 2022 08:06 PM

Captain America: Civil War

Marvel's Now Defunct "Creative Committee" Tried To Stop CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR's Epic Final Battle

JoshWilding

Oct 22, 2021 08:10 AM

MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE: 13 Heartbreaking Scenes That Made Fans Cry

Marvel Studios

Spider-Man

Sam Raimi On AVENGERS: SECRET WARS Rumors And Potential SPIDER-MAN 4 Story

MarkCassidy

3 hours ago

Mad Max

FURIOSA Rated R For Strong Violence And Grisly Images; New "One Month" TV Spot Released

MarkCassidy

4 hours ago

Latest Headlines

Westworld

WESTWORLD Star Thandiwe Newton Joins The Cast Of WEDNESDAY Season 2

MarkCassidy

32 mins ago

Spider-Man

Sam Raimi On AVENGERS: SECRET WARS Rumors And Potential SPIDER-MAN 4 Story

MarkCassidy

3 hours ago

Mad Max

FURIOSA Rated R For Strong Violence And Grisly Images; New "One Month" TV Spot Released

MarkCassidy

4 hours ago

X-Men '97

X-MEN '97 Showrunner Addresses Some Of The Biggest Moments And Easter Eggs In Today's Episode

JoshWilding

4 hours ago

Marvel Comics

WOLVERINE #50: Marvel Shares First Look At Benjamin Percy's Final Issue As Logan Celebrates 50th Anniversary

JoshWilding

5 hours ago

Deadpool & Wolverine

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE's Post-Credits Scene Said To Be "Mind-Blowing"

MarkCassidy

6 hours ago

Hot Headlines

166 comments

MAN OF STEEL Director Zack Snyder Says Superman Would Be "Fake" If He Hadn't Killed General Zod

JoshWilding

1 day ago EST

100 comments

Former X-MEN '97 Showrunner Beau DeMayo Says Show Will Address Mr. Sinister's Racism

MarkCassidy

1 day ago EST

86 comments

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE's Post-Credits Scene Said To Be "Mind-Blowing"

MarkCassidy

6 hours ago EST

72 comments

SHE-HULK: ATTORNEY AT LAW Guest-Star Megan Thee Stallion Sued For Workplace Harassment

MarkCassidy

20 hours ago EST

57 comments

More Sci-Fi & Fantasy ►

TWILIGHT OF THE GODS Director Zack Snyder Shares First Look At His Animated Norse Mythology Series

More Cartoons & Animated ►

New DESTINY 2: THE FINAL SHAPE Trailer Takes Us Into The Pale Heart Of The Traveler

More Anime & Manga ►

28 YEARS LATER: Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson & Ralph Fiennes Officially Join Cast

More Horror ►

MONKEY MAN Exclusive Interview With Mask Designer Eddie Yang; Dev Patel Film Now Available On Digital HD

More Action Movies & TV ►

Jinder Mahal Reflects On Social Media Spat With AEW's Tony Khan And His WWE Day 1 Promo Alongside The Rock

More Pro Wrestling ►

THE LITTLE MERMAID: Ariel Gets An R-Rated Makeover In First Trailer For New Live-Action Adaptation

More Sci-Fi & Fantasy ►

More Cartoons & Animated ►

More Anime & Manga ►

More Horror ►

More Action Movies & TV ►

More Pro Wrestling ►

5 Things Warner Bros. Can Learn From CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR After BATMAN v SUPERMAN

I loved Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but there's no denying that it's a very flawed movie. Plus, after seeing Captain America: Civil War, it's clear Warner Bros. need to take some cues from Marvel Studios...

5. The Best Way To Introduce New Heroes

4. Keep Your Director (And Writer) In Check

3. Give Your Villain Clearer Motivations

2. Don't Be Afraid To Have Fun

1. Treat Female Characters With A Little More Respect

BATMAN: Ben Affleck's DCEU Appearances Ranked From Worst To Best According To Rotten Tomatoes

CIVIL WAR II Fan Poster Imagines What A Sequel To 2016's CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR Could Look Like

CIVIL WAR II Fan Poster Imagines What A Sequel To 2016's CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR Could Look Like

Marvel Studios Producer Reveals Original Idea For CAPTAIN AMERICA 3... Which Kevin Feige Shot Down

10 Marvel And DC Superhero Fight Scenes That FAILED To Do The Comics Justice

CIVIL WAR II Fan Poster Imagines What A Sequel To 2016's CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR Could Look Like

Marvel Studios Producer Reveals Original Idea For CAPTAIN AMERICA 3... Which Kevin Feige Shot Down

10 Marvel And DC Superhero Fight Scenes That FAILED To Do The Comics Justice

FANTASTIC FOUR Actor Chris Evans Says He "Would Love" To Return As The Human Torch

Marvel's Now Defunct "Creative Committee" Tried To Stop CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR's Epic Final Battle

MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE: 13 Heartbreaking Scenes That Made Fans Cry

Popular Headlines

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: Rumored New Details About [SPOILER], [SPOILER], And [SPOILER]'s Roles Revealed

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: Rob Liefeld Responds To Trailer's Shot At His Apparent Inability To Draw Feet

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE's Post-Credits Scene Said To Be "Mind-Blowing"

X-MEN '97 "Bright Eyes" Recap: An Unexpected New Villain Revealed As [SPOILER] Makes Shock Return

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE Rumored To Feature An Appearance From [SPOILER] As [SPOILER]

WESTWORLD Star Thandiwe Newton Joins The Cast Of WEDNESDAY Season 2

Sam Raimi On AVENGERS: SECRET WARS Rumors And Potential SPIDER-MAN 4 Story

FURIOSA Rated R For Strong Violence And Grisly Images; New "One Month" TV Spot Released

WESTWORLD Star Thandiwe Newton Joins The Cast Of WEDNESDAY Season 2

Sam Raimi On AVENGERS: SECRET WARS Rumors And Potential SPIDER-MAN 4 Story

FURIOSA Rated R For Strong Violence And Grisly Images; New "One Month" TV Spot Released

X-MEN '97 Showrunner Addresses Some Of The Biggest Moments And Easter Eggs In Today's Episode

WOLVERINE #50: Marvel Shares First Look At Benjamin Percy's Final Issue As Logan Celebrates 50th Anniversary

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE's Post-Credits Scene Said To Be "Mind-Blowing"

Hot Headlines

MAN OF STEEL Director Zack Snyder Says Superman Would Be "Fake" If He Hadn't Killed General Zod

Former X-MEN '97 Showrunner Beau DeMayo Says Show Will Address Mr. Sinister's Racism

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE's Post-Credits Scene Said To Be "Mind-Blowing"

SHE-HULK: ATTORNEY AT LAW Guest-Star Megan Thee Stallion Sued For Workplace Harassment

ATLAS: Jennifer Lopez Learns To "Trust A.I." In Full Trailer For Netflix's Sci-Fi Thriller

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

THE LITTLE MERMAID: Ariel Gets An R-Rated Makeover In First Trailer For New Live-Action Adaptation

STAR WARS: TALES OF THE EMPIRE Clip Sees General Grievous Attack Dathomir's Nightsisters

DUNE: PART TWO Honest Trailer Isn't Afraid To Point Out The Flaws In Denis Villeneuve's Sci-Fi Masterpiece

FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA Has Been Rated R For "Strong Violence And Grisly Images"

APPLE TV+'s NEUROMANCER Casts Callum Turner As Series Lead Case

DUNE: PART TWO Director Denis Villeneuve Breaks Down The Sequel's Ending And Teases MESSIAH Plans - SPOILERS

Cartoons & Animated Features

TWILIGHT OF THE GODS Director Zack Snyder Shares First Look At His Animated Norse Mythology Series

THE LITTLE MERMAID: New Live-Action Movie Rated R For "Violence & Nudity" - Check Out The Trailer

X-MEN '97 Showrunner Breaks Down Cameos, Easter Eggs And More In "Bright Eyes" - SPOILERS

X-MEN '97 Finally Reveals Its True Villain In "Bright Eyes" As We Get A Few Shocking Returns - SPOILERS

X-MEN '97: "Bright Eyes" Unleashes Rogue And Features TWO Huge Marvel Universe Cameos - SPOILERS

X-MEN '97: Rogue Is Out For Revenge In First Clip From Tomorrow's New Episode, "Bright Eyes"

Gaming

New DESTINY 2: THE FINAL SHAPE Trailer Takes Us Into The Pale Heart Of The Traveler

GTA 5 Voice Actor Reveals Plans For "Agent Trevor" DLC Before Rockstar Apparently Scrapped It

TALES OF THE SHIRE: A LORD OF THE RINGS GAME Official Announcement Trailer Released

FALLOUT Series Showrunners Strongly Hint Season 2 Will Take Us To An Iconic Location From The Games

Billie Eilish Headlines FORTNITE FESTIVAL Season 3

LaKeith Stanfield To Star In Film Based On EL PASO, ELSEWHERE Vampire Video Game

Anime & Manga

Netflix's ONE PIECE Season 2 Finally Gets A Release Window

UniVersus Reveals New MY HERO ACADEMIA: GIRL POWER Set

New Trailer For GAROUDEN: THE WAY OF THE LONE WOLF Released Ahead Of Netflix Debut

Netflix's ONE PIECE Finds New Showrunner In PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS' Joe Tracz

DRAGON BALL SUPER Interval Special Announced By Jump While Manga Remains On Indefinite Hiatus

New Teaser And Key Art For Live-Action TRILLION GAME Movie

Horror

28 YEARS LATER: Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson & Ralph Fiennes Officially Join Cast

WEDNESDAY Season 2 Adds WESTWORLD Star Thandiwe Newton In Mysterious Role

BLINK TWICE: Channing Tatum Invites You To "Pussy Island" In First Trailer For Zoë Kravitz's Directorial Debut

THE WATCHERS New Trailer Sees Dakota Fanning Terrorised In Ishana Night Shyamalan's Directorial Debut

EVIL DEAD RISE Director Lee Cronin Shares Gruesome New BTS Photos To Mark Movie's One-Year Anniversary

Happy 4/20! Check Out The Red Band Trailer For New Stoner Horror Movie TRIM SEASON

Action Movies & TV

MONKEY MAN Exclusive Interview With Mask Designer Eddie Yang; Dev Patel Film Now Available On Digital HD

Tom Cruise's MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 8 Adds SEVERANCE Actor Tramell Tillman

A24's CIVIL WAR Was The #1 Movie In America For The Second Week In A Row

JAMES BOND: Henry Cavill Isn't Closing The Door On Playing 007; "Maybe I'm Too Old Now. Maybe I'm Not..."

Alex Garland's CIVIL WAR Is The #1 Movie In North America- Opens To $25.7M