Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has been the subject of plenty of criticism from fans and critics alike, but it's not just the characterizations of Superman and Batman that are under fire.
More than a few websites, like IGN, for example, have pointed out various plotholes in the film. The site recently asked director Zack Snyder about one, and in the process, something astonishing happened: while trying to clear up confusion about a perceived plothole, Snyder created an entirely new one altogether.
Spoilers for Batman v Superman below!
The plothole in question comes toward the end of the film. When Martha Kent is kidnapped by Lex Luthor as a way of forcing Superman to fight Batman, more than a few fans wondered why Superman didn't hear his mother being violently ripped away from her home in Smallville and stashed in a Gotham warehouse. According to Snyder, Superman's superhearing isn't quite as super as some believe.
"I think all the way — to me, from Metropolis to Smallville is probably just on the edge of his range of hearing," Snyder says. "Also the clutter of the city makes it difficult as well."
He goes on to say that a scene in which Superman searches for Martha was actually cut from the film, saying it showed a "dark side" of Clark. While trying to use his hearing to find his mother, he hears all the various cries and screams of people in need all around the city, but is unable to help them. The sheer amount of noise makes it impossible for Clark to exactly pinpoint Martha's location.
That cut scene goes a little ways toward helping explain why Superman couldn't save his mom from being kidnapped, but Snyder's comments open up a whole other plothole earlier in the film. When Lois is held hostage by terrorists in Africa (which is actually a plot by Lex to frame Superman), Superman arrives mere seconds after Lois is put in danger. There are only two explanations for this: 1. Superman's superhearing works incredibly well and he can hear things across the entire Atlantic ocean or 2. Superman is a creepy stalker who follows Lois around at all times.
The film makes it seem like scenario one is how Superman was able to save Lois so quickly, but that directly contradicts what Snyder tells IGN about the distance between Metropolis and Smallville being "on the edge of his range." So, what's the real answer? Can he hear from great distances, or can't he?
It's ultimately pointless to try and explain all the various holes and leaps of logic in Batman v Superman. It's a comic book movie, and at the end of the day, superhero powers can be changed or or modified in order to work for the plot at hand. Still, it seems like Snyder didn't exactly put as much thought into the story of Batman v Superman as he seems to think he did.
