By Kelly Kauffman | ScreenRant
When it comes to explaining the science behind pop culture, look no further than Neil deGrasse Tyson. From The Martian to Interstellar, fans turn to the astrophysicist for his thorough explanations and dissections of movies with the help of science. And now, Tyson has turned his focus toward the upcoming Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, and places his bets on the winner.
The Batman-Superman rivalry is one that has been portrayed in various comic books, in animated form, and will soon make its way to the big screen. Fans have always debated whether Batman could really defeat Superman and vice versa. Now, the famed astrophysicist has used his powerful mind to weigh in this contentious debate.
In the video from Tech Insider, Tyson lacks faith in Batman to take Superman on in a one-on-one fight, saying that Superman would “wipe his butt with Batman.” Preferring a more equal fight, Tyson suggests that Iron Man and Batman face each other head on, but even then, Tyson declared Tony Stark the winner of that battle.
While Tyson is not taking the title of BvS literally, comic books have shown that Batman has defeated Superman in physical combat. One of the most notable Superman defeats comes from Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns where Batman weakens the superhero with the help of a kryptonite arrow from Green Arrow.
But Tyson’s approach is something far more interesting than fisticuffs between a being with godlike powers and a mere mortal with a trust fund. What Tyson describes is for the Dark Knight to defeat the Man of Steel via the court of public opinion. In other words, Batman needs to use the public’s distrust of Superman — which shouldn’t be hard given the events of Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel — as an emotional weapon against a foe impervious to most physical implements. Given how Snyder’s version of Kal-El reacted to the destruction of Metropolis and the widespread casualties that almost certainly occurred as a result, one has to wonder whether turning the people against the Big Red ‘S’ might also be a task too big for the Caped Crusader.
At any rate, given that Miller’s work on Batman has influenced Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy as well as Snyder’s upcoming BvS (all the way down to Batman’s new suit), it is very likely that Batman will be throwing a few punches. As we have speculated previously, Batman may require a little help if he wants to prove the winner of this battle. Little is known about what side Wonder Woman will be taking in the new movie, if any at all. If Bruce wants to emerge the victor against seemingly insurmountable odds, then Batman might need the Amazonian’s help at some point.
Once BvS declares a winner, fans can move on to bigger issues – like how can Warner Bros. and Marvel Studios be convinced to make an Iron Man vs. Batman movie.
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice opens on March 25th, 2016; Suicide Squad on August 5th, 2016; Wonder Woman on June 23rd, 2017; Justice League on November 17th, 2017; The Flash on March 23rd, 2018; Aquaman on July 27th, 2018; Shazam on April 5th, 2019; Justice League 2 on June 14th, 2019; Cyborg on April 3rd, 2020; Green Lantern Corps on June 19th, 2020. Untitled Batman and Superman solo films will be coming at dates TBD.
Source: Tech Insider