8 Classic Problems With Batman And Superman Movies Warner Bros. Are Repeating With The DCEU

The “too many villains problem" shouldn’t really be a problem; in the hands of a good screenwriter it's possible to make a layered ensemble work.

But DC always ask for trouble, shoving so many characters into the film in a vain attempt to get as many trademarked names in the public eye as possible at the cost of a coherent story: Superman III had alt Lex Luthor, alt Bizarro and alt Braniac; Batman Returns had Catwoman, Penguin and Max Schreck; Batman Forever Two-Face and Riddler (and introduced Robin); Batman And Robin had Mr Freeze, Poison Ivy and Bane (as well as adding Batgirl to the mix); Nolan’s films all had a bad guy working in the shadow of an even more nefarious presence. When this high number of characters works, it's down to the director making sure every element feeds into the others, but more often than not this studio-mandated choice cripples a film.

And they just won't learn; Batman V Superman not only had the titular bout, but the pair were joined by Wonder Woman to take on Lex Luthor and Doomsday, leading to the same tonal inconsistencies and narrative hiccups we saw in the 80s and 90s (sheenier, but still the same).