The last few decades of Superman on the big screen created an unfortunate myth about the character: Superman was “boring,” “too powerful,” “uninteresting” and then, bizarrely, “grumpy and brooding” in the Zack Snyder Universe.

Seeing him comfort a scared child while knee-deep in water is substantial growth. That’s what makes him heroic. Future Batman stories must show not only his physical prowess but his moral evolution. The DCU Batman should be a guardian, not just a warrior.