In what may come as a surprise to those who’ve seen the movie—in which two of America’s most beloved comic book icons make concerted efforts to beat each other to death—Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice director Zack Snyder was apparently careful not to make things too dark when helming his superhero grudge match. For instance: Snyder recently told IGN that he cut a scene from near the end of the film because it “sort of represented this dark side.” (As opposed to the Darkseid, who probably won’t show up in person for at least another year.)
The scene in question also addresses a perceived plot hole in the movie, from a later sequence when Clark Kent is searching for his kidnapped mother. Fans have pointed out that hiding things from Superman is tricky for anyone without easy access to a whole lot of lead soundproofing equipment, what with all those superpowers he’s always using. And, indeed, Snyder says there was originally a scene of Superman using his powers to search for Martha Kent, but which would have seen him be overwhelmed and distracted by nearby cries for help.
“I kind of like the idea that he’s taught himself not to look, because if he looks it’s just neverending, right?” Snyder said, even though waging a “never ending battle” is pretty much part of the character’s DNA. “You have to know when, as Superman, when to intervene and when not to. Or not when not to, you can’t be everywhere at once, literally you can’t be everywhere at once, so he has to be really selective in a weird way about where he chooses to interfere.” So, there you have it: It’s not that Superman couldn’t use his powers to find his missing mom; it’s that he‘d gotten so good at ignoring other people’s cries for help that he didn’t even bother to try. Darkness successfully avoided! (At least, until the extended director’s cut comes out on DVD.)