As the countdown continues to release Zack Snyder’s new cut of Justice League, the director is looking back at his past DC movie work.
This includes Snyder now openly defending what’s become the most infamous moment of his 2016 Batman v Superman movie and the reaction it created.
“Martha”
In the film, Batman (Ben Affleck) is about to stab Superman (Henry Cavill) with a Kryptonite spear, when Superman gasps out “save Martha.”
This references how his adoptive mother (Diane Lane) is being held hostage by Lex Luthor to force Superman and Batman to fight.
This causes Batman to pause as Martha just happens to be the name of his own murdered mother. Lois Lane (Amy Adams) arrives to clarify what Superman meant.
This causes Batman to realize Superman is not some alien monster but a son worried about his mother. He stops the fight and goes to rescue Martha himself.
Since the film’s release, the “Martha” moment has been mocked by fans, turned into a popular meme, and used to summarize all the movie’s problems.
Snyder’s defense
Snyder has defended the moment several times as attempting to sell Batman’s obsession with Superman as a threat overwhelming him and needed to be shaken out of it.
Speaking to I Minutemen podcast, Snyder once more stated he thought fans’ reactions to the scene were overblown.
“Clearly I am a fan of, and am very interested in how ‘Martha,’ that concept is central to the film. I mean, it’s 100% the lynchpin that holds the entire movie together. I think it’s indicative of the way that Batman v Superman was received that its central tenant was sort of belittled and made fun of. I personally think it is like this beautiful and incredibly symmetrical idea that it completely finishes it as a concept. It all is 100% with intent and intention to be all the images that you see, as far as their inspiration and stuff like that.”
The new legacy
Nearly five years after Batman v Superman’s release, fans may be willing to let this moment go. While some still mock it, other fans defend the scene as working for the movie.
The Snyder Cut’s release promises to give fans the vision of Justice League Snyder wanted, which builds on Batman v Superman’s events.
It may be that the Snyder Cut redeems this infamous scene and let newer viewers appreciate what Snyder was going for.
Justice League the Snyder Cut debuts on HBO Max on March 19.