1. Why are Batman and Superman even fighting?

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice takes place two years after Superman’s Man of Steel. In Man of Steel, Superman kills the supervillain General Zod, preventing him from wiping out the entire human race. But in the process of saving everyone, he destroys the city of Metropolis, leaving half of it in ruins. Along with it, he destroys Batman’s Wayne Financial Building, killing hundreds of people inside. Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) is actually seen in Man of Steel watching the destruction of Metropolis. 

Batman’s rage comes from having all those innocent people killed by Superman’s power and recklessness. Let’s not forget that the core of who Batman is comes from that defining moment where the child Bruce Wayne, watches his parents get murdered in an alley, leaving him an orphan. This is why Batman doesn’t kill anyone, and why he’s devoted to stopping people from killing anyone else. It doesn’t matter if you’re the Joker or if you’re Commissioner Gordon. So when Batman sees Superman for the first time killing thousands of lives in Metropolis, he doesn’t excuse Superman either. He sees Superman as an even bigger threat. As an superhuman godlike creature, he can basically do anything he wants if he wanted to.

If thousands died from Superman’s actions, what’s next? Millions? That’s a scenario Batman won’t allow to happen, and why he wants to take on Superman.

2. What chance does Batman actually have against Superman?

Some people say it’s obvious, Superman can just wipe Batman out his super strength or any of his abilities. It’s true that Batman doesn’t have superhuman powers, but the most important weapon he has is being a master of strategy and not jokingly, obsessive planning. He knows the weakness of his opponents, and how to use it against them with exact precision. In the comics, Batman actually has standard operating procedures dedicated to taking down Superman if he ever actually needed to. His ability to intimidate people is so powerful, even those who aren’t afraid of Superman fear Batman. Superman even describes Batman as the “most dangerous man on Earth”. And Batman knows the weakness of Superman, and it’s more than just Kryptonite. (We won’t spoil this for you).

3. Which superhero is better for society?

This might be the question the movie wants to answer. Both Batman and Superman fight crime and want to bring peace to Metropolis and its people. Both superheroes don’t want to kill anyone in the process. Superman’s super strength can stop the strongest of evil men from terrorizing people, but he can’t control what happens around him when he does try to save humanity (like what happened in Man of Steel). Try thinking of what would happen if you picked Batman or Superman for the country. Superman can be super strong, but if he ever gets out of control, he can accidentally kill everyone. Not to mention that in some comics, Superman gets subjected to mind-control (e.g. Poison Ivy), so if Superman gets manipulated, his power can be greatly misused, and can result in everyone’s destruction.

 Meanwhile Batman is feared by criminals everywhere. Crime rate will most likely go down on the streets. Though he doesn’t kill them, he will do everything else to make sure it doesn’t happen again. There’s an element of psychological fear when it comes to Batman the vigilante. He can appear anywhere at any time, and beat them up in unconventional ways that go beyond the law. The question is, can you calmly walk the streets at night knowing that there’s someone out there deciding whether to punish you or not?

Or are we even supposed to choose between just Batman and Superman?

Tell us which side you’re on. We’d love to know what you think! Just tag us on our FB or Twitter with #NowYouCan #TeamBatman #TeamSuperman.

Read next: 6 Things Every Batman and Superman Enthusiast should have.