Introduction:

• The film starts with scene's from both Bruce Waynes and Clark Kents childhood. Throughout this sequence, we will be switching back and forth between Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent. 

• Bruce is at the funeral of his parents . We then see Clark playing with his dog and his family (Martha and Jonathan are both here).

• Bruce begins to walk away from the funeral and then frantically runs through the woods. In contrast to Clark who's also running, playfully, through the fields with his dog (krypto?)

• As he's running, we see a close up of Bruce's face. You can see the tears rolling down as he cries. This is in complete contrast to a close up of Clark's face whilst he's running, smiling and laughing. Generally much happier.

• Bruce abruptly falls into an old well. Clark abruptly stops running as he approaches the top of a a hill.

• Bruce struggles to pick himself up, he is broken, beaten, in complete despair. He gazes into the darkness ahead of him. Clark gazes into the beautiful sunset.

• We see a close up of both their faces once again, as both characters are intently focussing on what is ahead of them. A face of fear on Bruce and a face of awe on Clark.

• Suddenly a colony of bats emerge from the darkness and begin to swarm around Bruce. He's deathly afraid, and is overwhelmed (trying to shake them off). He crouches to the floor but slowly begins to pick himself up...facing his fear.

• Clark stands proudly, arms at his side in the classic superman pose. We see the makeshift cape he's been wearing begin to catch the wind and flows gracefully.

• The camera pans out, Bruce and Clark are in centre frame. They are both standing upright, both representations of what they will become. Superman a force of hope. And Batman a force of fear.

• The music builds louder and louder and then stops as the screen goes abruptly to black/ The title of the film starts to fade in.... Batman V Superman – World's Finest

Setting the scene:

In this world, Superman is celebrated as a hero. After the events of “Ground Zero” Superman helped rebuild the city, and the world knows he saved them from the callous and evil “Zod”. This version of the character is not a vigilante. In fact, he fully supports the law of the land and co operates with both the government and the people in order to keep their support as well as their faith in him. He's a much more public figure, speaking in front of reporters (including Lois Lane) to explain his actions and to inspire those around him.

He wants to be a beacon of hope, and he can't do that if the world is afraid of his immense power. But this unwavering ideology brings us to the big dilemma in the film....


 

Corto Maltese:

A setting like Corto Maltese is so fitting to the story I'm trying to tell, and I'm glad that there is actually a comicbook origin for such a fictionalised country. For those that don't know, Corto Malteese is a country that exists in the “Dark Knight Returns”. It's at civil war, and in that comic Superman is sent in by the US government to end it. The purpose of that conflict is to demonstrate how much of a puppet Superman is to the government, and how he is being used as a force for the United States.

Ironically I will be utilizing that conflict, and the relationship between Superman and the Government, in a similar way. However it will be demonstrate an entirely OPPOSITE point. Also I want to make it clear that Superman will NOT be a puppet to the government, however he does heed their advice (he doesn't want to be a vigilante)

In this world the Corto Matlese crisis is described as “one of the most tragic conflicts in recent history” that has torn the country apart and caused the deaths of thousands of people on both sides. It's divided the world, as various nations seem to support opposing sides...meaning that any intervention to support one side would be extremely controversial. A foreign affairs and diplomatic nightmare.


 

White House Meeting:

To address this conflict, Superman has been invited to the White House and is to meet with the President of the United States. It's publicly announced, and there are plenty of reporters and fans that are outside the gates waiting to get a glimpse of the man of steel. Superman flies overhead and greets the crowd, they all cheer as he smiles and waves to them. Like I said, this Superman is more publicly involved with people, helping to get rid of the notion that he's an overbearing “God” among them.

Superman and the President walk through the halls of the White House, Superman discusses his concerns over the extreme loss of human life. He fears for the safety and freedoms of the civilians that have been caught in the cross fire and tells the president that he wishes to do something about it.

President: "That's why I brought you in here, son. I don't want you to get involved."

Superman: "Excuse me?"

President: "I'm sorry Superman, but this is an incredibly delicate diplomati..."

Superman: "There isn't anything delicate about it! People are dying. By the hundreds, by the thousands, and that number is going to keep getting higher the longer we stand by and do nothing!"

President: "I didn't say we going to do nothing. No. We ARE doing something about it. But we just can't have you there. You understand the implications of you even being in that region? Your very presence could cause us a heap o' trouble. Remember you're representing the United States..."
 

Superman: "I represent the World, Mr President."

President: "Yes yes, but you're an American. I mean you talk like one of us, you helped rebuild our cities, I mean you even tell me that you've spent your life living in Kansas for gods sake! The way the world see's it, you're an American. You go gallivanting into that fight they're gonna think that we sent ya there!"

Superman: "What you're asking me to do....it goes against my conscience. You can't expect me to sit idly when there are so many lives at stake. When there's something that could be done!"

President: "But what could you do? Force them to make peace? You can't just wipe out years and years of prejudice and hate between these two peoples. Stuff like that doesn't just disappear overnight. The North and South have been at war long before this. You take away the tanks and the guns, well...they'll just find another way to persecute one another."

"Look, you can help with the relief effort. There are hundreds of refugee's fleeing everyday from that god forsaken hell hole. It's dangerous waters they're travelling across. You want to satisfy that conscience of yours, go bring those people some place safe."

*the President begins to turn his back to Superman, and turns his head slightly*

President: "Not here, though."

*Superman is clearly taken aback by that last comment. The president turns around and smiles, before seeing the look of disgust on Superman's face. His smile goes, and he averts his gaze for a second...*

President: "I think we're done here"

Superman doesn't shake his hand. It's quite clear that he's left the conversation on bad terms. But despite that last comment, what the president said does make sense. Now Superman is NOT a political figure, at his heart, he's a man out to do good. The POTUS, understandably, is purely concerned with the interests of the US so it stands to reason that the comments he makes are more politically motivated. However, whilst superman detests the Presidents politics (especially when it involves the lives of the refugee's)...he is still left with a “moral dilemma”.

What could superman actually do to end that horrific conflict? It's one thing to save the world from massive extra-terrestrial threats that come to wipe out humanity. But once those threats are gone...how can superman stay relevant in this world? What can he actually do to stop the violence and bloodshed that humans inflict upon each other?

Essentially the question that I'm asking, and the main theme of the film, is “How does Superman save humanity from itself?”


Editors note: I'm quite proud of that last line from the president. It shows that the POTUS isn't concerned so much with morality, more so than he is simply protecting the nation and its “interests”. I'm sure this line would bring in a LOT of controversy, WB execs probably wouldn't let me include it. But f*ck them, this is my re-write. This wasn't me being “political” it was me trying to separate the characterization of Superman and the president. By making Superman the wholesome good man and the president a representation of the “complex” world that Supes is up against.