We’re a week away from “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and Warner Bros. is in full swing with this one, doing the big final marketing push before next weekend. Though the shared universe angle is fresh for this comic book franchise, DC adaptations have, of course, had a long history on the big screen — some of the most recent of which can be explored, remembered, and celebrated in “DC Comics: The Cinematic Retrospective,” a new supercut from YouTube user Miguel Branco.
Presented here is a well-edited collage of clips featuring “The Dark Knight,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Green Lantern,” and “Superman Returns.” Additionally, “Man of Steel” and “Watchmen,” also directed by Zack Snyder, get some special attention too, and Branco certainly isn’t the only one who’s celebrated Snyder via supercut of late. Footage from this summer’s “Suicide Squad,” likewise, plays a heavy role in this sleek, five-minute celebration. Monologues delivered by Russell Crowe, Jeremy Irons, Jesse Eisenberg, Liam Neeson, Michael Caine, Blake Lively, and more, about destiny, power, control, and rising to the challenge, overlap on top, along with bits-and-pieces from each film’s score — mostly compositions from DC’s trusted composer Hans Zimmer — to give the video a greater sense of gravitas.
It’s all familiar, sure. Nevertheless, it’s a loving tribute to a collection of films that might not always get praised, but constantly challenge — and often innovate — the genre at hand. So, before Snyder’s latest soars into theaters next Friday, look back on where the source material flew before with this new video. Watch below.