BvS: I think he did a good job as playing an embittered veteran Batman who has pretty much given up... like when he compares criminals to weeds he is admitting that the last 20 years he's been Batman, he hasn't made a noticeable difference. And I like to think that it's this realization that's driven him to the extremes he is at now, with the gunfire and brandings... and Alfred is just as right in calling him out on this, even like so many other times it seems to fall on deaf ears. Likewise I think it was great to see that Ben, in interviews, was correct that his Batman wasn't quite right in the head and wasn't 'right'... since in so many other stories you can put money on Batman always being right.
JL: This version on the other hand, I felt that it was a little weird to see him like this after BvS, with the sense of humor and all that. But, thinking back, I seem to recall that most of these happen when Bruce is out of costume, so maybe you could interpret that as Bruce having reconnected with him also being Bruce Wayne, a slightly vapid but goodhearted billionare, rather than let the Batman persona poison Bruce. (I am sort of reminded of Batman Begins after Bale's first night out and Alfred advising him on how to be Bruce Wayne: 'drive fast cars, date movie stars, buy things that aren't for sale... who knows Master Wayne, if you pretend to have fun, you might have a little by accident'). I liked however how they underlined how Batman is essentially not a good team-leader, since his only way of doing so is to be an asshole, I also like that he actually knows this and seems ready to hand over the reins as soon as possible. The one thing I didn't like however, was his sudden love of Superman... I get that there was a bigger narrative in the movie about despair and hope, the despair in the world after Superman's death was what called Steppenwolf back, the hope he inspired was also the thing that was going to right the ship. But to my mind, Batman is the kind of person who'd rather leave Superman in the ground and work onwards with the people there are left. And maybe that was the original idea... Batman and his new friends try to stop Steppenwolf on their own, Steppenwolf would be the one bring back Superman as his minion to crush the worlds hope (giving Bruce a flashback to the Knightmare in BvS), the League would bring Superman back around and send Steppenwolf packing. Superman takes over the League and Batman sinks back into the shadows to keep an eye on things from there.
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