We have all pretty much assumed ever since a Justice League movie was announced that the villainous Darkseid would eventually make an appearance. Rumors, whispers, and Easter eggs have all teased his inevitable arrival. Our first big clue came from the first Batman v Superman trailer. In the trailer, we see Batman infiltrating a desert stronghold as winged creatures fly around him. Many have speculated, myself included, that these winged beings are in fact parademons, the minions of Darkseid.
But the question is what are they doing here, and why do they seem to be helping Batman? We now know that this sequence is actually a dream Batman is having, and we assume it’s brought on by his fear of Superman, but could there be something else at play? Why would Batman have a vision of parademons?
Thanks to Empire Magazine, we now have one more clue that DC’s biggest bad is headed to the big screen. In the image below, we see the Dark Knight in a desolate landscape, standing atop some rubble and surveying the landscape with a machine gun strapped across his back. Burned in the sand is the Omega symbol, which most DC fans know is the brand of Darkseid. If you look at the landscape that surrounds Batman, you see giant pillars of fire spewing from the Earth and a demolished city in the background. This scenery is very reminiscent of Apokolips, the home world of Darkseid. I think it’s safe to assume this comes from the same sequence with the parademons, but it raises more questions than provides answers. Is Batman on Apokolips? Is this Earth? Why is he having these visions? Is there another mystical force behind this dream? Who is trying to warn him of Apokolips? And what’s the connection to Superman?
Truthfully, we may not know any answers until Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hits theaters on March 25, 2016. But if you want my two cents, the most interesting stuff we have seen from the Batman v Superman marketing are these glimpses into an apocalyptic future. Everything I have seen from this “vision” I love, from Batman’s awesome desert-themed costume to the high-impact fight scene with parademons flying around and now this awesome tease of the ultimate threat, Darkseid. I think after the dust has settled on Batman v Superman, this is the sequence we will all be talking about.