10 Things You Only Notice Rewatching Snyder's DCEU Movies
4. The World Engine Noise
The World Engine plays a key part of General Zod’s plan in Snyder’s Man of Steel, used to terraform Earth in order to create a new Krypton. The engine he met a deep, bassy noise, one which sends ripples through Metropolis as it kicks in.
The sound is both distinctive and familiar. It has a certain rhythm and pulse to it, but otherwise sounds like a fairly standard sci-fi baseline which often coincides with dramatic moments. The sound actually gets recycled and used again, though it is quite hard to spot.
In Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, we learn that Batman has firsthand experience with the World Engine. He was in Metropolis when it was first deployed, though he managed to escape in his helicopter.
Throughout Batman vs Superman, Batman has several nightmares, all the different themes and fears. One thing linking them all together though is his clear PTSD from the world engine. In the background of each nightmare that eerie, bass noise can be heard at going over and over.
Say what you like about Snyder’s talent as a director, but this was a great way to link his heroes together.