Superman/Batman: Apokolips Now!

Superman/Batman: Apokolips Now! is a 2023 superhero film based on the DC Comics characters Superman and Batman. Produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, Legendary Pictures, DC Entertainment, Syncopy and Peters Entertainment, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is an American production and serves as a sequel of the DC Extended Universe film Justice League. Directed by Zack Snyder, filming began in late 2021. The film is primarly based on the Superman/Batman comic book storyline "The Supergirl from Krypton". It was released on October 23, 2023 in 2D, 3D and IMAX, and was also made available for HBO Max subscribers for one month.
==Synopsis==
Weeks after the events that led to Steppenwolf's death and Superman's success in saving the world from the Mother Boxes, a spaceship crash-lands in Gotham City Harbor. While Batman investigates the sunken craft, a young girl emerges from the water and accidentally wrecks Batman's boat. She is naked and has no knowledge of Earth languages or customs. On the shore, she encounters three longshoremen, one of whom tries to advance on her. She attacks two of them out of self-defense, while the third one runs away. As the girl progresses into the city, she inadvertently wreaks havoc with her strong Kryptonian powers (with Batman in pursuit) until Superman arrives to correct the damage, allowing Batman to eventually expose her to a piece of Kryptonite which weakens and injures her mentally.
With Superman's help, they discover the girl is Kara Zor-El, the niece of the late Jor-El and Lara Lor-Vann, making her Superman's biological first cousin. She has been in suspended animation for decades due to her rocket crashing off course, resulting in Kara being physically younger than her younger cousin. While Superman welcomes Kara, teaches her English, and helps her adjust to Earth's society, Batman remains suspicious, even considering the possibility of Kara being an enemy. Kara states that she would never hurt her beloved cousin. Clark takes Kara for a trip over Metropolis (alongside his best friend Jimmy Olsen who immediatly develope a crush with her) where she is easily fascinated by everything about the human world (especially shopping, eating and having fun). Suddenly, during a walk in the park that night, tipped off by Batman, Wonder Woman and her Amazons ambush Kara and Clark, in a park and suggest they train Kara at Themyscira, the only place where she can learn how to control her powers. Superman reluctantly agrees to let them train Kara, but still prefers to watch over her himself; however, Batman and Wonder Woman advise Superman to steer clear of Kara, criticizing his care of her.
On the desolate planet Apokolips, Darkseid learns of Kara's presence on Earth and orders Granny Goodness to have her brought to Apokolips as a possible leader for the Female Furies, as Big Barda is no longer his servant and the warrior Treasure being a failed candidate. Two months later, Batman and Superman are checking on Kara on Themyscira during a sparring match against Artemis. When Kara and Lyla sneak away for a swim, a horde of Doomsday clones arrives from Apokolips. Superman, Wonder Woman and the Amazonian army fight them until Superman vaporizes them all with his heat vision. Batman, however, guesses the reason for the clones' attack and discovers Kara missing and Lyla dead; a last manifestation of her precognition reveals that the culprit is none other than Darkseid, who ordered a diversion to keep them busy allowing time for Granny to kidnap Kara. Once Kara is brought to Apokolips, Darkseid begins the process of brainwashing her. After he is finished, Kara turns cold-hearted and bloodthirsty, begins serving Darkseid and becomes the captain of his honor guard.
Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman ask Big Barda to help them find their way to Apokolips and despite initially refusing, she agrees. There, Superman infiltrates Darkseid's palace while Wonder Woman and Barda go through the sewers directly into the fighting arena, where Granny Goodness and the Female Furies ambush them. After a hard fight, Granny and the Furies are subdued. Separating himself from the others, Batman finds Darkseid's supply of Hell Spores, the source of the fire pits on Apokolips. Superman encounters Darkseid and discovers the brainwashed Kara. When he tries to bring her back to Earth, Kara refuses to go with him and upon attacking him, Darkseid orders her to kill Superman. Darkseid watches them fight until Batman confronts Darkseid and informs him that he has activated the Hell Spores, which will destroy Apokolips. He issues Darkseid an ultimatum: free Kara and promise to leave her alone, and Batman will deactivate the Spores. Superman defeats Kara, and Barda and Wonder Woman present Darkseid with the subdued Granny, whereupon Darkseid finally releases Kara, and the heroes leave Apokolips, bringing Kara back to Themyscira.
Back on Earth, with their lives apparently normal again, Clark takes Kara to meet his adoptive parents in Smallville. However, Darkseid, who was waiting to kill Superman, ambushes them; he had promised to leave Kara alone, but not Superman or Earth. Darkseid almost kills Superman with his Omega Beams before Kara takes the blast for her cousin. Superman attempts to fight Darkseid, but is quickly overwhelmed and punched into space. Kara engages Darkseid in a lengthy battle and manages to hold her own, having received Amazonian and Apokoliptan training, but he eventually gains the upper hand and turns her into dust using his Omega Beams. Before Darkseid can leave, Superman returns to Earth and finds out what happened to his sibling.
As Superman stands over Kara's ashes, Darkseid prepares to leave. As he moves toward the boom tube, he mocks Superman by reminding him that he is once again the last son of Krypton, and saying that Kara's death is his fault. Unable to bear it anymore, Superman attacks Darkseid, punching him clear across the Kent farm and into the barn. As Superman attacks Darkseid, he decries him for talking about Kara like he knew her. As Superman carries Darkseid out of the atmosphere while fighting him, he talks about the simple things in life that Kara will never experience, things Darkseid does not care for, why he only knows death. Darkseid believes it's made him a god, but Superman retorts it's made him vulnerable. While they fight, they begin orbiting the sun, and a powered-up and berserker Superman manages to injure Darkseid enough to break his arm and make him bleed while beating him all the way to the moon. Bruised and badly defeated, Darkseid is willing to accept his death and encourages Superman to kills him. Superman, instead, asks Darkseid to bring his cousin back to life, remembering that New Gods magic once resurrected him. Darkseid is shocked at Superman's request, insisting that he could become the ruler of the Apokolips empire, but Superman keep asking for his cousin's life. Darkseid uses his Omega Beams to resurrect Kara. Embracing his cousin, Superman agrees to let the tyrant go and activates a boom tube that allow Darkseid's minions from Apokolips to rescue him. Darkseid swears revenge but Superman threatens him that if he ever come back he won't be going back next time.
Heading back to the farm, they find the Justice League helping repair the damage. Martian Manhunter, repairing the house, reassures Superman that his parents were in town, while Flash, repairing the barn, tells Superman they owe him this much. Everyone is pleased to see Kara back to life and hugs her in comfort. Wonder Woman asks about Darkseid, but Superman tells her that he'll never bother them again. Superman reassures Kara that no matter what she decides, he will be there for her.
At the Fortress of Solitude, Superman and Batman talk about what happened. Superman admits that he had become so overprotective of Kara that he was denying her a chance to live her life, and Batman remarks that he understand him and admits that this situation is very much like what happened with him and Dick Grayson after he became Nightwing. As they speak, Kara shows up, saying that she has made a decision. At Paradise Island, Superman introduces the superhero community to Kara, who is now Supergirl. She admits that she isn't sure she earned the right to wear the costume, but that with their help, she'll grow into it and she is met with applause by Wonder Woman, the Amazons, and finally Batman. Superman and Supergirl fly to Metropolis together.
==Cast==
* Ben Affleck as Batman/Bruce Wayne
* Henry Cavill as Superman/Kal-El/Clark Kent
* Freya Allan as Supergirl/Kara-Zor El
* Ray Porter as Darkseid
* Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince
* Dakota Johnson as Lois Lane
* Gina Carano as Big Barda
* Skyler Samuels as as Harbinger/Lyla Michaels
* Rose Leslie as Artemis
* K.J. Apa as Jimmy Olsen
* Peter Guinness as Deesad
* Roseanne Barr as Granny Goodness
* Tatiana Neva, Tess Kielhamer and Amy Johnston as Gilotina, Mad Harriet and Stompa, the Female Furies
* Liz Katz as Lashina
* Eli Snyder as Dick Grayson/Nightwing (flashback)