Firstly I will declare that I didn't like Superman Returns, I didn't see it until early last year and I thought the Grim Dark approach to Supes and repeating the Zod plot was just a bit naff. So yes I was already a little leery about this film but I was hoping that the Batman side of the story might redeem things.
Just a minor correction here, but I assume you mean Man of Steel and not Superman Returns. I thought Superman Returns did a good job of recreating the air of the Richard Donner/Christopher Reeves Superman, but I didn't think it was a very good movie.
of course the team up was going to happen,really the real draw card of the movie for me was the mystery of how they were going to get from the grim dark conflict to compelling the two antagonist to work together. The mystery was exciting and could have got me to the theatre to find out - but the trailer has blown the mystery to shreds and also eliminated any other compulsion that might have existed.
My mention of Aquaman was a reference to Atlantis invading Metropolis in Throne of Atlantis. Not an exact copy of the story but imho an Atlantean invasion could have been used both to create the eminent threat to the heroes and to introduce Aquaman and Wonder Women to the conflict without the big jump from Superman saying "the Bat is dead" and Bats threatening "do you bleed? - you will" to the casualness of Supes asking, "She with you?" and Bats quipping, ".I thought she was with you!"
that quip was too jarring for me especially on top of the presentation of the Bats in Chains Scene, ADHD Lex and the ease with which he is able to frankenstein Zods DNA into Doomsday. Doomsday is a big gun of the DC universe, dropping him into this movie was unnecessary, cheap and a waste of potential, especially as something has to happen to ensure the heroes stop/beat him.
I have to say that the trailers have still left me curious about how the team up comes about. Are they fighting each other right up until Doomsday appears? I don't think that's so. If you look over Lex's right shoulder as he creates Doomsday, you can see Superman standing there. I'm somewhat baffled as to the why of that, but it does appear that Doomsday doesn't simply appear out of nowhere while Bats and Supes are fighting.
There's also the scene from the first trailer where Superman is basically kneeling before Lex, whose hand is bandaged (perhaps with a shard of kryptonite in it). If Superman is somehow powerless in that moment, it might explain why Supes is simply standing by as Lex creates Doomsday. It also might mean that Supes may enlist Batman's help to stop Lex.
Also, what role does Wonder Woman play in getting them to set aside their differences and team up? Does she simply appear out of nowhere and save Batman from Doomsday? Unlikely. She is definitely at the party that we see in the beginning of the second trailer. In the first trailer, where the valet checked out her butt, we can clearly see that's the same party. Does her presence run through the film like a thread? Maybe she somehow gives Bruce the nightmare that we see in the desert scene: that scene is a dream or vision, as confirmed by the Knightmare Batman toy, and neither Batman nor Superman could rationally have a nightmare that includes parademons (if that's what those flying creatures really are in that scene) because neither of them knows about Darkseid and his minions while the Amazons might.
Regarding the "I thought she was with you" quip, I think that's something they threw in as an appeal to the more hardcore fans who know of different storylines where Wonder Woman has alternately been romantically involved with Batman or Superman.
I have to admit that I've never seen Throne of Atlantis. Is that the animated film that takes place in the aftermath of Justice League: War?
and where exactly do you go after Doomsday? who is going to be the next viable villain for the Justice League? (Braniac or Darkseid I suppose)
but yes if they do have Doomsday kill Supes or even just pummel him into a coma I will eat my hat and send you all the pictures as an apology
Well, let's not be hasty. After all, what did that hat ever do to you
As far as where they go for JL villains, I assume that Doomsday will come back even stronger after being killed in this film. They may even do the Death of Superman storyline at some point (though probably not until they feel they need to shake up the DCCU). I agree with you that Brainiac and Darkseid are both good villain options for the JL. They could also go with Bizarro, the Injustice League, or any other villain or group of villains, or villain with macguffin who could stand up to characters on par with Superman.
to be honest for me it is about the lack of bone spikes and significantly the lack of nose. I would have preferred if he had in fact looked more like the Abomination did in The Hulk, this Doomsdays face just lacks character and quite simply looks like a bad rubber suit.
Sure Thanos might like a bit dumb too but I think that Ultron and the Hulk are pretty good in as much as they are identifiable those characters and able to emote. Of course I don't expect Doomsday to do much emoting but I do want to be able to go "whoa thats Doomsday laying some awesome smack down on Supes" without it just being dust clouds and explosions
I agree with you in that I definitely want Doomsday to do more than just dustclouds and explosions. However, based on what I've read about Doomsday he doesn't really have any other motivations and emotions besides kill and destroy, so I'm not really expecting him to be anything more than a giant ball of muscle, bone blades and rage.
I will also admit that I am assuming that he grows some type of bone blades during the fight in the film. I don't think that's a leap however, especially given the Michael Shannon story about being unable to open a door because of some type of prosthetic on his hands (he did come out and say that was a lie, but that could just be the studio forcing him to take it back at the risk of violating some kind of NDA). Those prosthetics could be the start of the bone blades.