Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (March 25, 2016)

Zack Snyder will direct Henry Cavill as Superman and ??? Ben Affleck as Batman in a script penned by himself and David S. Goyer. Chris Nolan, among others, will produce. Due summer July 17, 2015 March 25, 2016.

Press release:

Quote :

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On the heels of the worldwide success of “Man of Steel,” director Zack Snyder is bringing together the two greatest Super Heroes of all time—Batman and Superman—for the first time on the big screen. The announcement was made today by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, and Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

“Superman and Batman together on the big screen is a dream come true for DC fans everywhere. All of us at DC Entertainment could not be more excited for Zack’s continuing vision for the DC Universe.”
The current hit, “Man of Steel,” has taken in more than $630 million at the worldwide box office to date, and climbing. Along with its star, Henry Cavill, the upcoming film brings back Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane. The new Batman has yet to be cast.

Snyder is co-writing the story with David S. Goyer, who will then pen the screenplay. Production is expected to begin in 2014, with an anticipated release date in Summer 2015.

Silverman stated, “Zack Snyder is an incredibly talented filmmaker, but beyond that, he’s a fan first and he utterly gets this genre. We could not think of anyone better suited to the task of bringing these iconic Super Heroes to the screen in his own way.” Kroll added, “We are thrilled to be back in business with Zack and his team on this next movie. The success of ‘Man of Steel’ is a wonderful testament to the love and support that both fans and new audiences, worldwide, have for these characters. We are very excited to see what Zack has in store for all of us.”

Diane Nelson, President, DC Entertainment, noted, “Superman and Batman together on the big screen is a dream come true for DC fans everywhere. All of us at DC Entertainment could not be more excited for Zack’s continuing vision for the DC Universe.”

Zack Snyder, who made a surprise appearance at Comic-Con today, breaking the news to audiences there, later said, “I’m so excited to begin working again with Henry Cavill in the world we created, and I can’t wait to expand the DC Universe in this next chapter. Let’s face it, it’s beyond mythological to have Superman and our new Batman facing off, since they are the greatest Super Heroes in the world.”

The new film brings back Charles Roven and Deborah Snyder as producers. This time, Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas are serving as executive producers, along with Benjamin Melniker and Michael E. Uslan.

Thomas offered, “Whilst our ‘Dark Knight’ trilogy is complete, we have every confidence that Zack’s fresh interpretation will take the character in a new and exciting direction. His vision for Superman opened the door to a whole new universe and we can’t wait to see what Zack does with these characters.”

The film is based on Superman characters created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster, and Batman characters created by Bob Kane, published by DC Entertainment.

And it looks like it's going to take some notes from The Dark Knight Returns.

I'm intrigued. I like the comic. But I'm fatigued with Chris Nolan's whole spiel. This does sound like more of a sequel/follow up to Man of Steel than anything, and I haven't seen that yet, so what do I know.

I'm hoping for something closer to John Byrne's MAN OF STEEL mini-series reboot where the characters meet for the first time and team up in Part 3, but it's not an easy team up as their personalities and methods clash.

Yeah, I'd heard of this.

For the record, I think it's a stupid idea.

This might have been worthwhile had anyone other than Snyder been at the helm.

I liked MAN OF STEEL.

I'm down for this. I think the march toward JUSTICE LEAGUE will be rushed, but as an immediate next step, this makes a lot of sense (it was also foreshadowed by the remarks made by Goyer and Snyder during MAN OF STEEL's publicity run, where they claimed that the incidents in MAN OF STEEL would be the catalyst for the creation of the entire DC superhero universe).

In trying to create a shared universe, you would want it to be established as a shared universe as soon as possible. It's easier to do that when Batman and Superman are interacting from the get-go, rather than having appeared in strangely isolated worlds before meeting. No-one wants to see another Batman origin story, and a solo Batman movie after Nolan's trilogies would still suffer from some sense of deja vu (particularly since the Snyderverse doesn't look so different from the Nolanverse), so this provides a new context into which to introduce his character.

I suspect Azzarello's LEX LUTHOR miniseries is going to be the key source material for this film. In it, Wayne and Luthor initially find themselves uneasy allies against Superman, both sharing great skepticism and paranoia in regards to Superman's immense power, so the superheroes initially find themselves pitted against one another (which could lead into some version of THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS' Superman/Batman brawl).

Harmsway wrote:

The title, apparently, will be rather unimaginative: BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN.

Not surprised. That's a good title for marketing purposes. Figured it would be something more like "Man of Steel: Batman vs. Superman" or something considering this is supposed to be the successor to Man of Steel.

It is very, very clear for marketing. And I'm sure after the good-but-not-incredible performance of MAN OF STEEL, WB is quite eager to ramp up the Batman aspect. Which gives me the troubling feeling that this is going to be heavier on Batman than it is on Superman, given the citation of DARK KNIGHT RETURNS as the blueprint here.

I would very much prefer this to feel like a Superman film in which Batman features, rather than the other way around.

I'm sure WB is anxious to get Batman back out there but I dunno. I mean, this is still the "sequel" to Man of Steel. I'm not sure what to expect.

Still think this is a stupid idea.  They're risking sinking the two major superheroes.  They may ruin the MOS series and it robs us of another interesting take on Batman.

I don't read the comics, but I just don't see how these two characters could ever exist in the same world.

Jack Wade wrote:

I'm sure WB is anxious to get Batman back out there but I dunno. I mean, this is still the "sequel" to Man of Steel. I'm not sure what to expect.

I'm not sure anyone is. Snyder introduced this film at Comic Con with this Batman quote from THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS: "I want you to remember my hand at your throat. I want you to remember the one man who beat you." That's the only clue that we have right now as to this film's direction.

The White Tuxedo wrote:

They may ruin the MOS series and it robs us of another interesting take on Batman.

The former is quite possible. I don't think the latter is very likely; given the citation of DKR, this is probably going to give us a very different take on Batman than the one we saw in the Burton/Schumacher/Nolan films (if you're thinking Nolan's Batman is coming back, you're mistaken; Goyer and Snyder have been quite clear that Nolan insisted the MAN OF STEEL and DARK KNIGHT universes had no crossover whatsoever, and that this Batman will be a *new* Batman).

Still, I think the movie could be effective. Take a page from Azzarello's LEX LUTHOR: MAN OF STEEL series, you can have a newcomer Batman appear on the scene, start his work, only to be questioned by Superman. Suspicious of Superman's unlimited power, and a bit angry that Superman has been intruding on his Gotham City turf, Wayne sides with Luthor against Superman, and this escalates into a giant, DARK KNIGHT RETURNS-style brawl between Superman and Batman, where Batman humiliates Superman and teaches him some humility. But it becomes clear that Luthor is up to something worse than Wayne originally realized, and so Superman and Batman join forces to take the bigger evil down, and, in the process, gain a begrudging respect for one another.

So what you get is a pick-up from MAN OF STEEL with the growing anti-Superman sentiment, you set-up Batman without rehashing the origin story, and start laying the groundwork for JUSTICE LEAGUE.

The White Tuxedo wrote:

I don't read the comics, but I just don't see how these two characters could ever exist in the same world.

It can work pretty well, given the right writers.

The White Tuxedo wrote:

I don't read the comics, but I just don't see how these two characters could ever exist in the same world.

I don't read comics either, but I thought the way it was handled in the Bruce Timm animated universe made it really work that I was able to embrace the concept very easily.

Gah I see this 'Vs' mularky as an infantile approach to delivering two heroes but I guess Marvel has been milking it for years and a near infinite amount of misrepresentations.

Within the mentality of a comic-book strip its conceivable for these characters to overlap but on screen I'd much rather they didn't. Avengers wasn't the clusterF*** movie I anticipated but I'd still rather see a movie concentrate on one protagonist at a time.

Ben Affleck is Batman.

UUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH.

No. Please, somebody, wake me up.

Confirmed today:

http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2013/08/22/ben-affleck-revealed-as-batman-in-warner-bros-pictures-new-super-hero-feature-film

Quote :

BURBANK, CA, August 22, 2013 – Ending weeks of speculation, Ben Affleck has been set to star as Batman, a.k.a. Bruce Wayne. Affleck and filmmaker Zack Snyder will create an entirely new incarnation of the character in Snyder’s as-yet-untitled project—bringing Batman and Superman together for the first time on the big screen and continuing the director’s vision of their universe, which he established in “Man of Steel.” The announcement was made today by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, and Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

The studio has slated the film to open worldwide on July 17, 2015.

Last month’s surprise announcement of the new movie featuring both Superman and Batman created a wave of excitement and immediately fueled discussion and debate—among fans as well as in the media—about who would put on the cape and cowl of Bruce Wayne’s alter ego.

Snyder successfully re-imagined the origin of Clark Kent/Superman in the worldwide blockbuster “Man of Steel,” which has earned more than $650 million worldwide to date, and climbing. The director will now create an original vision of Batman and his world for the film that brings the two DC Comics icons together.

Affleck will star opposite Henry Cavill, who will reprise the role of Superman/Clark Kent. The film will also reunite “Man of Steel” stars Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane.

In the announcement, Silverman stated, “We knew we needed an extraordinary actor to take on one of DC Comics’ most enduringly popular Super Heroes, and Ben Affleck certainly fits that bill, and then some. His outstanding career is a testament to his talent and we know he and Zack will bring new dimension to the duality of this character.”

Snyder also expressed his excitement about the casting of Affleck, noting, “Ben provides an interesting counter-balance to Henry’s Superman. He has the acting chops to create a layered portrayal of a man who is older and wiser than Clark Kent and bears the scars of a seasoned crime fighter, but retain the charm that the world sees in billionaire Bruce Wayne. I can’t wait to work with him.”

Kroll added, “We are so thrilled that Ben is continuing Warner Bros.’ remarkable legacy with the character of Batman. He is a tremendously gifted actor who will make this role his own in this already much-anticipated pairing of these two beloved heroes.”

Affleck recently starred in the Academy Award®-winning Best Picture “Argo,” which he also directed and produced, earning acclaim and a BAFTA Award nomination for his performance in the film, as well as a number of directing honors. In 2010, he starred in and directed the hit crime thriller “The Town.” His recent acting work also includes “The Company Men,” “State of Play,” and “Hollywoodland,” for which he received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor. Earlier in his career, Affleck starred in and co-wrote (with Matt Damon) “Good Will Hunting,” for which he won an Oscar® for Best Original Screenplay.

The new Super Hero film is being scripted by David S. Goyer from a story he co-created with Zack Snyder. Charles Roven and Deborah Snyder are producing, with Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan and Wesley Coller serving as executive producers.

Production is expected to begin in 2014.

The film is based on Superman characters created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster, and Batman characters created by Bob Kane, published by DC Entertainment.

I saw Affleck's name in the running, but I figured it was one of those usual things. Big roles (like Bond) will often see at least one big name get thrown into the ring, no matter how ridiculous. I didn't expect him to actually be a serious contender.

I can't really see him pulling it off. Even in a more comical, light-hearted version of Batman that differs from Bale. But it should be interesting to watch at any rate.

Everyone thought Heath Ledger was an awful choice to play Joker ...

He was. Worst Joker ever.

Just kidding. But it will certainly be interesting to see what Affleck will do with the role. Should be fun to watch at least and see how he tackles it.

-Give him a more Captain America looking suit, less armor more mobility.

-Have a series of incredibly talented martial artist stuntmen do the fights and stunts.

-Make him Batman the detective.

-Just have Ben speak with a deeper voice, no growling please.



And I'm happy.

Had to check if it was the 1st of April.

Paul Dini on the Affleck news:

Quote :

Happy to see Ben Affleck get the Batman gig. He was top of my list ten years ago when Alan Burnett and myself briefly worked on a Batman/Superman feature pitch that ultimately never happened. I know Ben has a great knowledge of and affinity for the character. I'm looking forward to seeing him don the cowl.

CJB wrote:

Had to check if it was the 1st of April.

If only it were.