SilverStar17
Super Freak
Yeah, I can see what you mean regarding CW. And as you mentioned, I think the fact that it already had multiple films leading up to the conflict aided in it being able to be an easier story to follow superficially. However, at the same time, both conflicts were set in motion by the same catalyst, which was catastrophic damage on some level. Obviously in BvS, it was Superman's and Zod's battle in Metropolis. In CW, it was pretty much every film from the first Avengers and beyond. Then Scarlet Witch's mishap was the straw that broke the camel's back. It's not really different in the way of which you say Luthor was pulling the strings for Superman and Batman, because in CW, Zemo was pretty much the Luthor of CW and the one that was stoking the flames between the two characters at odds, while at the same time, having their own reasons to be at odds. Then, to add to the mix, throw in Winter Soldier. So when you think about it, BvS really only had two plots: the growing animosity between Batman and Superman and Luthor behind the scenes fueling it, while in Civil War, you had three: the animosity between Iron Man and Captain America, Zemo behind the scenes fueling it, and then Winter Soldier.
The difference is though that in the MCU, both Captain America and Iron Man are already established characters within the universe. In BvS, Superman is just coming off of his debut outing and is optimistic that he's going to help and that everyone is going to embrace him with open arms after him saving the planet, but realizes that not everything in the world is black and white. That good and bad aren't always easily discernible and that sometimes, you have to simply do the thing that simply has less negative ramifications than more. If right and wrong was always clear cut, then there wouldn't be such a thing as ethics because everything right and wrong is easily discernible, so the choice would always be easy. I like to think BvS is more less for Superman the equivalent of what Captain America was going through in TWS. Or, you could think of Superman as being the equivalent of Luke in ESB and RotJ, in the sense where he was full of hope but was learning on how exactly to discern the good from the bad, and in the face of adversity, refused to give in/up, whereas Batman was the Darth Vader who did give in, but the good within him was rekindled.
I personally preferred BvS though because I'm biased to DC's characters for one, but I just felt the way the same themes that were explored in CW, were deeper in BvS. In other words, I prefer my films to be more complex than straight forward, for my taste. Where the answers are indeed there, but it requires you to go beneath the surface and look for the clues, rather than have them spelled out for you. For instance, the Day of the Dead scene in BvS I thought was awesome because Snyder himself even confirmed that after Superman saved the young girl and all of the festival participants reached out to touch him in reverence, as if he was a tangible God, Snyder confirmed that actually the imagery in that scene with all of the participants wearing skull masks and reaching up towards Superman to touch him, as if almost pulling him down, was meant to represent the guilt that still haunted Superman and weighted him down regarding all the lives lost in his battle with Zod in Metropolis; that he couldn't save everybody.
And I would agree that BP at the end of CW was really the one who "won", as he was able to overcome his demons and find peace at the end. Whereas at the end of BvS, it was sort of all three characters (Superman, Batman and WW) who did. At least to me. The ending of BvS to me was more hopeful than the ending of CW, as other than BP finding peace and now being hopeful again, Captain America and Iron Man was basically just an "uh, sorry, bro."
DCEU and MCU sort of did it in reverse: Superman and Batman distrusted each other because they really didn't know one another, and only judged one another by what they saw on the surface and read in the media (similar to today with a lot of things). However, they eventually realized that they do indeed fight for the same cause. Whereas Iron Man and Captain America distrusted each other because they do know each other, and didn't like the other's style.
I think I'm just rambling now.
as it took like FOREVER. maybe it will came with a 2 headsculpts
