5. The Villains
The villains have been cut and cropped to fit into a realistic world. Bane isnt a venom filled monster, but a visionary mercenary wearing a pain relief mask. Ras Al Ghul isnt a demon warrior who is immortal thanks to his Lazarus pits. Nolan knew how to cut back on some of the extreme elements of the characters, but he was also very good at making sure the audience knew he didnt forget about them. His Ras Al Ghul wasnt immortal, but his scene with Bruce in the makeshift Lazarus Pit in Rises has him asking Bruce whether or not he believes that Ras could be. In Man of Steel, it was a harder concept to grasp, but they made a valiant effort. General Zod is an outer space alien who wants to take over earth, at his core. Though, how he is portrayed, he is nothing more than a military General. What both directors have achieved has been making villains that are not simply one dimensional villains. Zods motivation is to reinvent his lost home planet, and while his actions are antagonistic, his intentions are (in his eyes, and Clarks had the idea been a little less destructive) noble. The Villains are what excites comic book fans the most, essentially. What these film makers did was create a story and bend and twist the villains so that they could fit into the story in a way that wasnt totally outrageous. Nolans villains were perfect for his story and Snyders villain was essential. To give the villains an established criteria, a deeper meaning and purpose (I'll have to disregard the Joker here), it creates villains that could almost just as likely be the protagonist if the story went the other way. Ra's Al Ghul's agenda was to rid the world of corruption and evil, without realising that he was corrupting the world with his own evil. Fans may be divided on how they feel about a realistic approach to their favourite villains but the fact remains that audiences fell in love with Heath Ledger's Joker, and the film didn't rely on a fictional laughing gas for its climax. Bane was a monster, but a realistic one. There was not much to complain about, but will the realistic, grounded villain grow bland? Can they even maintain it for superheroes like the Flash, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman? Zod seemed to be of the same mold as the Dark Knight's enemies, but, looking at Superman's rogues list, there aren't many that can be given the same treatment. Will DC be happy to limit the use of characters who have a lot of potential on the big screen, simply to continue the trend that's been set? It may be worth the risk to continue maintaining a unique look and feel to their franchise.