Neil deGrasse Tyson, who appears in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, explains why the fight, as well as who he thinks will win.
NewsEven before Cosmos or Star Talk, it seemed like Neil DeGrasse Tyson had assumed the mantle of public spokesman for all things science. And indeed, his visit to the Hell’s Kitchen set of The Daily Show last night covered a range of issues, including what Tyson calls the “geekosphere’ shifting the cultural paradigm in the 21st century….
However, if anyone watched last week’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer, they likely caught that Tyson also is making the rounds in fictional superhero universes as well, warning of the dire threat implemented by an alien superhero menace. So inevitably, the conversation moved from the prospect of colonizing Mars in our universe to why Batman and Superman would even be fighting in Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman one, as well as why Superman just doesn’t easily dominate the very mortal Batman. In explaining the conflict, it would appear Tyson also explains some of the plot of the movie in which he appears.
“Who does Batman report to?” Tyson asked Jon Stewart. “The police commissioner and ultimately the mayor. Who does Superman report to? It’s no one we know, no one we have any insight into. He just behaves in any way he wants. At the end of the day, what might matter is the public perception of this superhero’s conduct. And if Batman executes our wishes, and Superman does whatever the hell he wants—that’s a conflict.”
Of course, Stewart had to point out again though that Batman is a mere mortal with a nice belt. Tyson agreed, “It’s not a cage match, because you’re right: Superman would wipe his ass with Batman! But you could win the battle in the cage but lose the battle of public opinion at the end of the day.”
Besides hearing the wonderfully loquacious Neil deGrasse Tyson sum up the conflict as Superman wiping his ass with Batman (Internet flame wars have begun with such talk!), it gives an interesting insight into the film he has been a part of in some capacity. Could Superman be holding back on poor little rich boy Bruce Wayne, so as to not anger the will of the people? And is Batman really going to be the superhero the U.S. population trusts over the one dressed like an American flag?!
I suppose we’ll find out when Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice opens on March 25, 2016. In the meantime, you can watch the whole wonderful Daily Show interview with Tyson below.
