In Superman vs Batman, Lex Luthor says, "Martha, Martha, Martha" -- was that improvised?
The line (taunting Superman, iirc) is a play on an old Brady Bunch where someone says, "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia" but Lex according to the movie grew up in East Germany and even if he had some access to western TV he sure does not seem like the kind of guy who would have watched insipid sitcoms as a kid.
So I am guessing the writers, who had the character's bio/backstory firmly in mind, would not have had him saying this.
So did the actor come up with the line himself?
Is there any evidence one way or the other?
Best Answer
he sure does not seem like the kind of guy who would have watched insipid sitcoms as a kid
So you are telling me that you are able to divine exactly which shows and movies I have watched in the 31 years of my life by meeting me today? Without fail?
I know quotes from movies I don't like, or movies I never watched. I could quote half of The Princess Bride before I had ever seen the movie. Why would Lex Luthor, a genius with broad knowledge, not be able to do the same?
On top of that, repeating a name in this context (pointing out a mistake someone made) is common. I never watched the Brady Bunch and "Martha, Martha, Martha" still made sense to me even without the context of the scene. Why do you assume it must invariably be in reference to the Brady Bunch?
Even if the above points were somehow wrong, ever heard of out-of-universe easter eggs? (Not that the Marcia line is particularly known by audiences, but suppose it was)
How would you be able to discern the improvised from the scripted, if not by being told that it was improvised/scripted by someone who worked on the movie's production?
Your question is an assumption based on a phrasing that is more common than you are suggesting just because it vaguely sounds like something else you've heard in another movie/show. This is wild conjecture to an extreme degree.
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Why did you say that name Batman Martha?
In Batman v Superman, Lex Luthor kidnaps Martha Kent, Clark's adoptive mother. When Batman is about to kill Superman, Superman says, "Save Martha." Batman's, aka Bruce Wayne's, deceased mother's name is Martha Wayne. This makes Batman hesitate and, instead of killing Superman, he promises to rescue Martha.Why did Batman stop fighting Superman when he said Martha?
Batman doesn't end the fight because their mothers have the same name, but because he recognizes Superman as someone with a mother, and thus a human, despite his alien origins. The battle against Superman is ultimately Bruce's realization that he can be better and reconnect with humanity again.Why does Superman say Martha over mom?
Martha is the name of a human, though. Superman is appealing to Bruce's humanity by asking him to save a woman named Martha. A woman that happens to share Bruce's mother's name.What does the Martha scene mean?
Martha might not mean anything to anyone in the audience, but the movie asks the viewer to stand where the characters do, to feel what they feel. And Batman even if he had to kill a few terrorists in the warehouse because there was no other way he could've saved Martha before the timer on the bomb.Lex Luthor's motivation | Batman v Superman (4k, HDR)
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Images: Brett Sayles, Thirdman, RODNAE Productions, Thirdman