For a long time it was said that Warner Bros. and DC Comics were prepping a Justice League movie for release in 2015. Seemingly a reaction to the incredible success of Marvel’s The Avengers, it looked like we were finally going to see heroes like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and The Flash unite on the big screen in live-action for the first time ever.
That’s no longer the case. After months of reports, rumors and speculation, the dream of a 2015 Justice League movie fell apart. But in its place, rising from the ashes like a phoenix, is an entirely different project for comic book fans to be excited for: a Superman/Batman movie in 2016.
The film has been officially titled Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and, collecting all of the news that has come out since the new movie – and sequel to Man of Steel – was announced, we’ve broken down absolutely everything we know about the project thus far. When is the movie coming out in theaters? Who is directing? Who will star? What’s the story going to be about? Find all of the answers to those questions and more below!
Zack Snyder & David Goyer
Given that Man of Steel made more than $660 million worldwide, there was very little chance that director Zack Snyder and screenwriter David Goyer wouldn’t return for the sequel, and that assumption was proven true when Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was announced at Comic-Con 2013 with Snyder directing and working with Goyer to develop the story. While Goyer wrote the original drafts of the screenplay, eventually Academy Award winning Argo screenwriter Chris Terrio picked up the pen. Production has begun, with the finished product scheduled hit theaters on May 6, 2016. What’s more, Snyder is also now officially attached to direct the upcoming Justice League movie, which Batman v Superman will directly lead into.
The Story
When Warner Bros. announced at Comic-Con that they would be moving forward with a Superman/Batman movie, they didn’t include a plot synopsis telling us what the movie is about – but the title does provide us with an interesting hint. While we expect that they will end up fighting for the same side by the end of the story, the title of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice suggests that the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel will be starting the film as enemies. How the story will deal with all of the major supporting characters remains a mystery.
Superman
Following in the footsteps of Marvel Studios and starting to build a larger cinematic universe, Warner Bros. is making Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice both to introduce a new take on the Caped Crusader and to build on what has already been established with the Man of Tomorrow. As was expected, Henry Cavill will be returning to play Clark Kent/Superman and will continue to learn how to live up to his destiny while also trying to find his place on Earth with humanity. Something tells us that the hero will probably also have to deal with the fact that Man of Steel not only had him killing his enemy, General Zod, but also leveling half of Metropolis in the battle beforehand.
Batman
It only took about a month after Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was announced for Zack Snyder and Warner Bros. to find the actor they wanted to play the Dark Knight, and the name they officially landed on was Ben Affleck. As had been assumed beforehand, the casting confirmed that the new version of the Caped Crusader would be a veteran hero, and he has since been described as “tired and weary and seasoned.” The look of the new Batsuit looks like it was ripped right off the pages of Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, so don’t be too surprised if the attitude matches the aesthetic.
BY HARSHVARDHAN SINGH.
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