Brow Beat

Christopher Reeve and Adam West Star in the Retro Trailer for Batman v Superman

Christopher Reeve.

Still from YouTube

The first trailer for Batman v Superman was unrelentingly dark, confirming that Zack Snyder’s movie will be a grim and gritty affair despite its comical presumption that a laser-eyed, super-strong alien will have any difficulty disposing with a billionaire clad in a bat suit.

Thankfully, YouTube user Bobby Burns has imbued this superhero showdown with some much-needed levity, recutting the trailer to feature clips from the older, more playful Batman and Superman movies. It’s good fun to see Adam West and Christopher Reeve pitted against each other, but perhaps the funniest takeaway from the video is just how much has changed, tonally, in our depictions of caped crusaders.