This is unexpected news. Warner Bros.’ Comic-Con panel isn’t until later today, but apparently some major news is about to be announced. The L.A. Times’ Hero Complex blog is reporting that the studio has decided what their follow-up film to “Man Of Steel” is going to be, and not it’s not a Superman sequel or a “Justice League” film. According to the newspaper’s blog, WB intends to announce a film that features Superman and Batman together; a team-up movie as it were. A 2015 release is being eyed. Update: A “Flash” movie is being eyed for 2016, and a “Justice League” movie for 2017.
“Man Of Steel” director Zack Snyder is expected to reunite with his writer David S. Goyer, who also co-wrote many of “The Dark Knight” movies with Christopher Nolan (though in some cases he only received a “story by” credit). Henry Cavill, signed on for the franchise, is expected to return as Superman, but don’t expect Christian Bale to return as Batman as he has stated several times over now. Nolan’s involvement is said to be unclear at this time. This is obviously massive news, and perhaps a perfect bit of synergy for DC Comics. At the end of June, they dropped the first issue of “Batman/Superman” penned by Greg Pak and illustrated by Jae Lee, but again, it’s not certain if that new series will play any part of the movie (something tells us, probably not).
2nd Update: The Official press release went out with further details. Snyder will co-write the story with Goyer who will pen the script. They are in pre-production now. Chris Nolan will executive produce, not produce, the Batman & Superman movie. Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane are all returning. “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,” Snyder said in the press release statement.
At Comic-Con itself, actor Henry Lennix read a line from Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns” that Zack Snyder said would influence the story (though he stressed they weren’t adapting that graphic novel). Batman: “I want you to remember, Clark, in all the years to come, in all your most private moments, I want you to remember my hand at your throat. I want you to remember the one man who beat you.” The context of that quote comes from a Batman versus Superman fight set far far into the future, but the cast reading from the film suggests that Superman and Batman will at least be at odds in the beginning. A teaser logo was unveiled a well which you can see below.
But if this does indeed shake out, it looks like Warner Bros. are again changing their approach to building to a “Justice League” movie. Previous reports suggested that they would make “Justice League,” and then spinoff standalone character movies from there. And even last month it looked like Warner Bros. were going toward “Man Of Steel 2” first, but it looks like they are now changing gears. “Man Of Steel” –> “Superman & Batman” –> “Justice League”? That would certainly be a a way to go. And while we’d prefer exploring the new world of “Man Of Steel” a bit more, this approach doesn’t betray the groundwork they’ve laid down.
“In our world, the ‘Man of Steel’ world, Zack has gone on record saying that we’re implying there are other superheroes in this world. But I don’t know that they’ve come forward yet. The idea is that Superman is the first one,” Goyer said last month. “There might be people helping people, but not in costumes, and that Superman comes forward and announces himself to the world. In him announcing himself, he’s the one that changes things.”
It’s a great, fascinating idea and we already know that Bruce Wayne is teased within “Man Of Steel,” so it would be a decent bit of worldbuilding. And it would get two massive superheroes together on the big screen for the first time in history, with the pair arguably as exciting as the entirety of “The Avengers” (which is probably no surprise why WB is aiming to have this out the same year as “The Avengers 2” — they’ve been playing catch-up to Marvel for years).
But what do you think? Is this the right way to go? More news when it arrives, presumably in a few hours, but share your thoughts below. Here’s the official press release below if you want to read it in full.
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.
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.
(photo credit: Eric Vespe)
You can download the full version of man of steel 2013 from the following site
So is this gonna be like Wolfgang Petersen's Superman Vs. Batman all over again? The logo looks the same. If they fuck this up, the Justice League movie is gonna be that more difficult.
We also need a movie about wonder woman and aquaman before the justice league come out.
Utterly stupid. Superman is superhuman – Batman is just a quite strong man, with some very cool gadgets. It's a stupid pairing. Relative to Superman, Batman is about the same strength and speed as Lois Lane.
The beauty of The Avengers is that each film builds to the union… The anticipation is what raked in over a billion dollars. Superman vs Batman is a cash grab, plain and simple. Thrusting the two together is like going for a home run on the first date… People won't like it, and it will be the sole reason that two rejuvenated franchises will crash and burn… AGAIN.
Notice the logo. That was the same one used in a billboard in Times Square for "I am Legend"
Using the term "fan boy" to dispute criticisms about the film is asinine. It's a kneejerk reaction to prove superiority where there is none.
I can break down about thirty reasons why Man of Steel was not only a terrible Superman movie, but a terrible movie in general … easily one of the worst movies I've seen in relation to how much I was looking forward to it. From the way it was edited, the way it was shot, the way the characters acted, the way they destroyed the Superman/Pa Kent relationship, the way it destroyed the heart of Superman in general, and the ridiculous script problems, I still can't believe that this film actually got made and if it had more than one draft, I would be shocked.
I mean, seriously … that part where Clark doesn't save his father's life … complete hogwash. It was bad up until that point, but then it just got laughable. Every day, people risk much more than exposure to save the lives of their loved ones. Clark should have reacted emotionally and not logically (though it's really not logical to let your father die in front of your mother and then have to feel guilty about letting your dad die, but I digress). If you can sit there and personally say that, if you had the ability to save your father's life, you would opt to stand there and do nothing, then I feel sorry for you because you are simply not a man. He didn't even have the fear of being hurt or killed and he still just stood there.
Oh … and of course, right before that, we got to hear the obligatory "You're not my father speech." Not only has this been done TO DEATH, Clark is pretty much a GROWN MAN in that scene … yet he's saying this NOW and not when he was 13? Terrible, terrible writing. But I guess this is par for the course, seeing as how while people were dying all around him and very possibly trapped under rubble, he took the time to make out with Lois instead of … oh, I don't know … SAVING PEOPLE, YOU ASSHOLE????? Of course, many people try to explain the father thing … but how about the fact that he neglected to save his father because he might be exposed, but then later saved a REPORTER who he didn't even know by exposing himself? So … father … no … cute girl … yes. Ah, that's commendable. And, while we're at it, why is it that his father was soooooooooo worried about concealing his son's abilities, but then left his SPACESHIP in the barn where anyone could have found it? He didn't even bury it after 20 years? Man … my head hurts from all the stupidity in this movie.
It doesn't take a fan boy to recognize that Superman was no hero at all in this movie … heck, even after his grief over killing Zod and getting on with his life, he then endangered more people by THROWING A DRONE AT THEIR CAR. Hero? I think not. Batman needs to kill this jackass in the MOS sequel. I would pay good money to see that happen.
"David S. Goyer, who also co-wrote many of "The Dark Knight" movies with Christopher Nolan"
So two of the three?
I really love Batman, have done so all my life.
I also love cinema. So therefore I hate the fucking joke ''director'' they call Zack Snyder.
As you can understand, I'm not a big fan of this news.
Lets be honest, the movie will clear a billion. Its a concept people have wanted to see for a long time.
Karl Urban as Batman. He looks perfect for Bruce Wayne, and his Judge Dredd performance was about as close to Batman as you could get.
Seems like a recipe for disaster
I just wish Christian Bale could do another batman movie!
Have the dark knight trilogy set before there was ever a superman, have Bruce Wayne start to hear about him and start to research him after he has faked his death. Thats when you could open his eyes and realise that their is more to the world so it makes him come back as Batman and that's how you could make the universes work.
So basically they're rebooting Batman AGAIN.
If Zack Snyder attempts to recreate the Batman that Christopher Nolan created, he should be ashamed of even trying.
This honestly freaks me out. Christopher Nolan's Batman is meant to be its own world — Gotham is the world in TDK Trilogy, and Metropolis is the world in MOS. They are two separate worlds!
OMG like let's put like Batman and Superman and Spiderman and Iron Man and Darth Vader and like Indiana Jones and Buzz Lightyear and like James Bond and Sam Spade and Tarzan and fuck it why not Ron Burgundy and the guys from the Hangover, all in the same movie! YAY!
That'd be sooooooo cooool!
This movie will only be truly successful if Bale comes back as Batman!!! WB/DC donât insult all your moviegoers who obviously loved Bale in the role by rebooting the character! You want to be on par or fair better than Marvel you better get Bale back! Be smart, you get him back and everybody wins!!! Oh, and chances are you surpass the success of the avengers! Again, be smart! Bale is this generations Batman! Donât rock the boat!!
I'm definitely interested. I just hate the idea of Superman inspiring all other DC superheroes, especially Batman. He has more than enough of his own motivation.
I called this…. A Worlds Finest Movie…is much easier to do first….this is a EXCELLENT choice by Warners!
What a bunch of yahoos and crying babies. MOS was a great film, you fan boys suck much man ass. Fan boys are the worst film babies, always saying they went away from the comic books. Give me a break!!! Hollywood will never, ever, ever do a comic book movie straight from the books. Simply because the general public is bigger than that of crying fan boys. The market is bigger so it means more money. Zack Snyder is a great visionary director i always thought he was perfect for the job, all of his movies are beautiful way of art. Man of Steel goes with his style. Now I do think they are rushing the Batman/Superman Movie, I think they should do a Man of Steel2 (Man or Tomorrow), before a DC movie Team UP. I'm guessing they want to reboot Batman, so don't be surprised if Batman/Superman is a Batman origin story with some type of flashbacks. This way it sets up the Stand Alone Batman film without an origin, it will go straight into the story. (Then again I could be very wrong)
I like the general idea, but I won't go see any movie made by Zack Snyder. I just won't. He' s a horrible director, and he ruined Superman.
They have to get somebody else to make the film. A lot of people were just disgusted by the way Man of Steel distorted who Superman is–now they do the same to Batman as well? No thanks. Dump Snyder, or forget about it.
Not the first time these two characters have been on the big screen together. Earlier this year, they were both in Movie 43.
Well, how shall we call this? "Epic insult to Batman" would fit right.
Ehh… Don't get me wrong I loved man of steel, and think this idea is awesome but if its not Bale, than idk. Even get Joseph Gordon Levitt to return at least
Batman: Clark…Clark! There must be an easier way to stop that villain. You don't have to blow the whole city, man.
Superman: I'M A MONSTEEEER! MY FATHER WAS RIGHT!
Buster: Mine is a drug addict.
Batman: My parents are dead…
God: I've two daddies.
UNIVERSE: â
Jesus christ when will these awful superhero movies end.
This is absolutely a perfect idea. Marvel is good, but, these are THE 2 biggest icons in the business, and you put them together in a movie and you have dropped a huge bomb on the entertainment world. This movie will draw 2 different audiences, the box office should be monstrous. What could be bigger, how about Justice League, and I read just a bit ago that we are looking at that in 2017 now, with another solo fill coming in 2016. Its not official but is expected to be announced at Comic Con later this evening. Its a good solid plan to take us to the promised land. Oh, that 2016 solo film is alleged to be The Flash!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
Damn. I wanted to see man of steel 2. Then maybe a superman /batman film together. But a superman franchise would b good first! THEN combine them
Considering how good Man of Steel was, this could be great, and I really hope Bale will be Batman. No one else can portray him like he does.
Another thing, DC can't just make this then the JLA movie.
What they need to do: Man of Steel—>Superman & Batman—>Introduce other DC Heroes in movies of their own: Flash, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, etc.—> Man of Steel Sequel—> And finally, The Justice League.
Smart move i think. Justice league maybe too big and unweildy for now. But superman & batman is managable, & can definately go up against the avengers.
I sincerely hope that someone else makes this film. Man of Steel was the most disappointing movie so far this summer.
Joss when sucks ass just disappointed That bale isn't joining the ultimate superhero franchise
This is stupid. Bale isn't returning, and it's way too soon to recast Batman. This isn't like a Spiderman recasting bit. Bale is the ultimate Batman, and Nolan's films are nearly iconic at this point. Cavill is a decent Superman but MOS was pretty terrible with an exception of the luminous Amy Adams and Diane Lane/Kevin Costner bit. Seriously- unless Joss Whedon or some other bomb ass director is going to come aboard, this idea is terrible and such an obvious money grab.
I hope we at least get a new roller coaster at Six Flags out of this
Waaaaaaaacckk
2015 is either going to be one of the best years or one of the worst. Either way its going to be huge.
World's Finest? but please no Luthor/Joker team. give em space aliens or Despero to fight!