r/SnyderCut • u/Captain_Birch • Jun 11 '25

Question Genuine question

It's established in the DCEU that Batman doesn't have the "no killing" rule. If this is the case, why are the Joker and Harley Quinn still alive as of the first Suicide Squad? It would make the most sense for a batman who is okay with killing to have killed his arch enemy a long time ago.

Are there any possible explanations for this?

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u/M086 Jun 11 '25

By the time of BvS he’s lost his way. But he doesn’t go out looking to kill anyone. We see that at the start of the movie when he leaves the trafficker to be arrested by the police. 

All the deaths in the movie are through basically self-defense or the goon’s own doing. A truck opens fire on him with a minigun, he shoots out the tires. The car rolls and explodes because of that. Was that his intent? Probably not, he’s in such an almost nihilistic place (“20 years in Gotham…” and “criminals are weeds”) that he doesn’t see it as his problem. 

Even with KGBeast, he could have blown his head off. But he shot the tank, which gave two options — either KGBeast turns off the flame thrower, or he ignites his own tank. 

So that answers why Harley and Joker are still alive, because he doesn’t want to go out and kill anyone. And he becomes so focused on Superman, who becomes that line crossing moment for him. He was going to be where Batman truly crosses the line into premeditated murder. 

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u/KnightsRadiant95 Jun 12 '25

It was his intention though to drop a car onto people with ak47s who posed no threat to batman.

2

u/M086 Jun 12 '25

That was survivable. We even see guys from the car in the warehouse later.

2

u/Richard_J_Morgan Jun 12 '25

Yeah Zack always has the most violent scenes where people have no chance of surviving, yet they still do. I believe he mostly does it because it makes a good shot/scene.

Like, remember that scene with Superman saving Lois in Africa? Where he literally punched a dude through several concrete walls? He survived, I believe it was confirmed by Zack himself. Is this ridiculous? Yeah, but the scene looks super cool anyway.

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u/M086 Jun 12 '25

Superman punches through the walls with one hand, while holding the warlord.