Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

[Dasquian Belargic]

Yup.

Here's an interesting article on the casting of Ben Affleck as Batman: http://screenrant.com/why-ben-affleck-agreed-to-batman-vs-superman/

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I heard that Ben Affleck is a huge Batman fan, to the point that he had a batcave-esque entrance built for the panic room in his house (behind a bookcase). Not that Batman would have a panic room, but I guess it's for the wife and kids. ;) Heck, if we had his money we'd all have secret doors behind bookcases. *I* would.

I think he'll be good, but it'll come down to the script and the director as to what's done with this version of Batman. I thought Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern would be good too, but the script was just awful.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Josh Brolin has confirmed he was also up for the role of Batman. I can imagine him being great, especially in an adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I can imagine him being great in an adaption where Batman is a rancher. :D

Batman...on the Plains...in the 1800s...

[Dasquian Belargic]

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/09/12/ben-afflecks-batman-tired-weary-and-seasoned

So we're get a "tired, weary and seasoned" Batman, as every news site is reporting this week.

I wonder if this means that he's actually a retired Batman... and that we're going to get something like The Dark Knight Returns on screen. Not fully of course, the plot of that book probably doesn't lead on naturally from The Man of Steel (which I still haven't seen :uhoh) but at least in terms of the conflict between Bats and Supes.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Kevin Smith has seen the new batsuit:


"I saw the Batman costume. More than that I saw a picture of him (Affleck) in the costume. Now, I don't want to give anything away 'cause that is up to them and stuff, but I am going to say this, I instantly bear hugged him (Snyder). You have not seen this costume in a movie on film before, and for a comic book fan it was mind bending. I was like 'Get out of here, only you have enough power to pull this off.' Because everyone always like does this Matrix/X-Men black armor...It was fantastic. I'm already a flag waver for this movie, but the costume, it blew my mind. I think everyone is just gonna be like 'Holy ****!' It's its own thing, man. It's like we haven't been down this path at all. I was so elated....Even the hardest core “**** all this” person will be like 'alright, I'm ready.'"

[Amos Iakona]

I am guessing... Batsuit that is actually grey for a change? The Arkham games proved that you could pull off those sorts of things in a way that looks pretty realistic. :ohno

[Crusader]

You mean Batman could actually look like Batman? That would be great.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Wonder Woman has been cast for this film: http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2013/12/04/batman-vs-superman-casts-its-wonder-woman

I am in shock.

[Captain Untouchable]

...is this a good choice?

I have not seen anything she's in. :uhoh

[Dasquian Belargic]

Me neither.

First impressions: she is a shade too short for my liking. Build-wise, she has a lot of work to do, obviously. She's pretty skinny, so hopefully they will encourage/allow her to bulk up. She apparently likes to do her own stunts though, so hopefully that means she will really get into the physical side of the character. She needs to be able to stand next to Supes and Bats and look physically impressive.

It's hard to pass too much judgment without knowing more about how the character will feature in the film, how old she is supposed to be, etc.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I think Jamie Alexander would have been a perfect choice, personally.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Yeah.. if she wasn't already in a Marvel movie.

Same goes for Cobie Smulders.

[Droo]

The more I hear about this film, the less I want to see it. Any other new characters they just want to toss into the mix in their let's-catch-up-to-Marvel movie? I'm still reeling from the fact that they're actually serious about calling it Batman vs. Superman.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Are they? I feel like that might be a lie, now. Until recently they were saying that Wonder Woman in a movie just wasn't going to happen, and then all of a sudden she's cast (..and in the same week that the Flash makes his debut on Arrow).

I wish WW was getting her own movie, but I think being part of 'team up' movie is about as much as they're willing to try for now :grumble

[Droo]

I imagine, depending on the success of this film, she will get her own film. I'm just disappointed they didn't go the Marvel route and introduce these characters separately first, so that when they all come together we're familiar with them. I didn't mind them doing it with Batman, it's understandable, what with another Batman movie franchise having just drawn to a close. Ultimately, what pisses me off is that this alleged Man of Steel sequel is starting to seem like anything but, and the more big characters added, the less Superman time we get. I read on a website just now that the film is "not yet officially titled," so fingers crossed they do change the name, because the current one is woeful.

Edit: Also, in the wake of the success of films like the Hunger Games and Twilight, why in the world aren't studio executives signing off numerous Wonder Woman films already? There's clearly a huge market out there for big action films with female leads.

[Crusader]

I liked her in Fast Five...

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She was good in six, too.

[Darth Turbogeek]

The more I hear about this film, the less I want to see it. Any other new characters they just want to toss into the mix in their let's-catch-up-to-Marvel movie? I'm still reeling from the fact that they're actually serious about calling it Batman vs. Superman.

I'm with Droo. And WW actress most notible part is from the Fast/Furious movies and is skinny? Holy shit, that can not end well, those movies are truly mindblowing BAD. Plus yeah, she really needs to eat a hamburger or two and get Holly as her personal trainer STAT. This is really going in the wrong direction in a big hurry

Jamie Alexander would have been perfect because she makes it credible she could hand your ass back to you on a plate. Or.... come on, why not Jennifer Lawerence? That would have been spectaclarly awesome

[Captain Untouchable]

While I would have loved to see Jaimie Alexander play this role, I'm actually happier with Gal Gadot. She's not really any shorter or skinnier than Jaimie (or Jennifer Lawrence, or Cobie Smulders); but on the flipside she's actually from roughly the right part of the world. Rather than fall back on the Hollywood "white girl badass" list, they've actually injected a little bit of ethnic diversity where it wasn't expected. Surely that's something we can be optimistic about: it potentially bodes well for what could otherwise be a pretty whitewashed Justice League movie.

Also, lets not lose sight of the fact that they're taking was is essentially a spandex-clad sausage-fest and are adding an extra female character to it: a female character who potentially has more to contribute to the story than just being a love interest. There is also a danger that without Wonder Woman in this movie, the Justice League could end up becoming Batman/Superman & Friends: while generally pretty great, the Justice League Unlimited cartoons had that problem. Introducing Wonder Woman at this stage is an opportunity to get Diana in on the ground floor and establish the Trinity from the get go.

I'm also very happy about the idea that someone other than Batman seems to give a shit about aliens. I like the concept that General Zod might be the reason that Diana has left Paradise Island. If they then make a Wonder Woman solo movie after Batman/Superman (the way they are planning to make a Batfleck movie, and in the time window where they also have a Flash movie slated) that follows on from those events... that sounds awfully like cohesive storytelling. Zod's attack is the trigger point, Batman/Superman is a direct response to that, and then more and more villains start popping up all over the world, inspiring the heroes to team up.


As far as DC having a "let's-catch-up-to-Marvel" strategy; it's worth taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture. Corporate ramble shizzle wizzle follows:

[When we talk about Marvel, what we're really talking about is Marvel Studios: the entity that makes Agents of SHIELD and the Avengers movies. When we talk about DC though, there isn't that distinction. The same chief creative officer - Geoff Johns - is responsible for movies, animation, television, video games, and the comics. DC does not have the disconnected bubbles of production that Marvel does. That's why DC Animation is currently working on a movie set in the Arkham Asylum universe; it's why The Dark Knight Returns (a Batman vs Superman movie) came out the same summer they announced plans for Batman/Superman. Geoff Johns wrote episodes for Smallville, and is actively part of the writing/production of Arrow (including being the main reason they're allowed to use characters like Flash and Nightwing to expand beyond Green Arrow lore), which airs on the CW: a network co-owned, by WB, who owns DC.

DC/WB is equivalent to Disney, not to Marvel. DC isn't nearly "losing" as badly as people think. They're also not really "stealing" ideas, either... they're doing the same thing that they did with the DC Animated Universe (Justice League Unlimited, et al) fifteen years ago; the same thing that they're doing over on the CW with Arrow; the same thing they're doing with converting DC Animation over to the New 52... etc. It's corporate synergy within the DC/WB family, not stealing ideas from Marvel. Avengers may have been a kick in the pants, but it hasn't encouraged DC to do anything that they haven't done before.]

[Dasquian Belargic]

I don't think stuff like putting the Flash and Nightwing into Arrow is on the same scale as putting, for instance, Hawkeye and Black Widow into the Avengers. Arrow is popular, and I'm sure Smallville was before it (..am I right in remembering that the Green Arrow was in that too?), but they're both TV series so have the benefit of being able to test a characters appeal, adjust them over time and scrap them if they don't get the response they want. It feels like a much bigger and braver gamble on Marvel's part to introduce characters like Hawkeye and Black Widow - relative unknowns to your average movie-goer- in the Avengers, without any preamble.

DC might have a great animated universe - where Gina Torres makes an excellent Wonder Woman, I might add - but outside of that, they don't seem keen on trying anything that isn't Batman or Superman (.. if you forget about that awful Green Lantern film that Geoff Johns also had a hand in.) Marvel - and latterly, Disney - seem to have been more willing from the start to include more diverse casts of characters. Avengers, X-Men, First Class, Guardians.. diverse characters, and no sense of a character being included just so that there actually is a strong, positive female character on screen at some point.

[Mu Satach]

hope she bulks up and kicks ass is all I can say

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Isn't Wonder Woman an Amazon? Isn't that Brazil?

I'm not sure how Israel is even sort of close to that part of the world. :p

edit: of course, I don't care if she's Brazillian or white or Israeli, or Chinese (Ok if she was Asian that would really mess with things but you know what I mean), but yes, Gal is "ethnic" and WW is not technically white (? maybe?)

[Dasquian Belargic]

WW is Amazonian, as in the Amazons of Greek mythology fame... who apparently were knocking about somewhere in Asia Minor. In current continuity, she is the daughter of Zeus. Technically she's from Themyscira, which is actually a real, ancient Greek town, located in what is now Turkey. So anywhere around there would make sense, as far as her ethnicity goes.

The Amazon in South America was named after the Greek mythological ladies ;)

[Lilaena De'Ville]

WELL then, fine.

:lol

[Captain Untouchable]

According to comics lore, the island of Themyscira is in the Aegean Sea (between Italy and Greece), but yeah: Mediterranean is where Wonder Woman is meant to be from. Trivia fact: the Amazon river / rainforest is so called because early explorers were reportedly attacked by female tribal warriors, who reminded them of the Amazons from Greek mythology.


I don't think stuff like putting the Flash and Nightwing into Arrow is on the same scale as putting, for instance, Hawkeye and Black Widow into the Avengers. Arrow is popular, and I'm sure Smallville was before it (..am I right in remembering that the Green Arrow was in that too?), but they're both TV series so have the benefit of being able to test a characters appeal, adjust them over time and scrap them if they don't get the response they want. It feels like a much bigger and braver gamble on Marvel's part to introduce characters like Hawkeye and Black Widow - relative unknowns to your average movie-goer- in the Avengers, without any preamble.

Was Iron Man 2 not Black Widow's preamble? Natasha spent that whole movie getting introduced to audiences before she showed up in the Avengers: initially as a civilian/spy identity who was familiar only to comic book audiences, before a brief bit of action in costume towards the end. That seems exactly the same as the idea of introducing Wonder Woman as Diana Prince in Batman/Superman, so I'm a little lost as to how the Marvel approach is different. One could even argue that a big part of the reason that Hawkeye didn't work out so great in the Avengers is because he didn't have that kind of introduction to the audience in a different movie.

As for Marvel and Disney including more diverse characters: the X-Men/First Class franchise has nothing to do with them. They sold the rights to Fox, and have very little input on the productions. The only female characters that they are directly responsible for are Black Widow, Pepper Potts, Jane Foster, Sif, and Peggy Carter. Three of those are the love interest for the movie that they're involved in... and isn't "just so there is actually a strong, positive female character" exactly the reason that Black Widow was written into the Avengers? She doesn't fit into the Avengers origin story in the comics, and her movie origin story is very different to her comics counterpart... and while Joss Whedon certainly did a good job with her, her reason for being in the Avengers was because Marvel didn't want to use Ant-Man and Wasp and needed an alternative female character for the team. Natasha is a well-executed token female character, but I don't think that necessarily stops that being the reason she's there.

[Crusader]

Hawkeye took out Thor in Thor so he was introduced earlier as well!

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I really want a movie Wasp. :)

I've never read any WW comics and I guess my memories of the cartoon/TV show are pretty sparse. I always thought she was an mythical Amazonian princess as in the Amazon not the greek ones. The more you know!

I probably remember more about Spider-Woman :lol

[Captain Untouchable]

Wasp is my favourite Avenger. Damn it Joss make it happen. :ohno

[Dasquian Belargic]

This has been delayed to 2016 now:


BURBANK, CA – January 17, 2014 – Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that the release of Zack Snyder’s untitled Superman/Batman film has been moved to May 6, 2016, allowing the filmmakers time to realize fully their vision, given the complex visual nature of the story. The decision was made following the shift of the start of production to second quarter of this year. The Studio has also set a July 17, 2015, worldwide release date for its as-yet-untitled all-new Peter Pan adventure. Joe Wright will direct the epic live-action film about the boy who would nevewouldr grow up, created by J.M. Barrie. The dual date announcement was made by Dan Fellman, President, Domestic Distribution, and Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President, International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

[Captain Untouchable]

I heard that they're planning to immediately follow production of this with a Justice League movie, which would certainly explain all the casting / cameo rumours we keep hearing. Wonder if that has anything to do with the hold-up?

[Dasquian Belargic]

Good grief the guy writing this film is a moron: http://www.themarysue.com/david-goyer-calls-she-hulk-sex-fantasy/

[Droo]

Whatever becomes of this film now, it's title is shit, and will always be shit. I can't remember a time when it was ever considered cool to use "Vs." in a film title. Then again, there was Freddy vs. Jason, and Alien vs. Predator. Those we're really cool- NO THEY WEREN'T! THEY WERE SHIT!

[Kelvin Stark]

Ah, but technically isn't it "v" not "vs."?

Secret plot spoiler, Batman and his army of lawyers sue Superman for the damages caused to Metropolis.

[Darth Turbogeek]

Good grief the guy writing this film is a moron: http://www.themarysue.com/david-goyer-calls-she-hulk-sex-fantasy/

No, hes actually got a lot of it bang on - plus it's called trolling, he's blatantly doing it. If he gets comic book nerds noses out of joint, then frankly good because it's well deserved. Some of the personal investment these people have with a fictional character is just dumb.

And I think the title is quite fine. Actually given that I just saw Man of Steel and enjoyed it a lot, I'm more interested - MoS to me got a hell of a lot of Superman right and even was about as realistic with the powers and what they can do as you could be. I'm now quite curious what they do with Batman.

[Crusader]

Didn't James Gunn have an Interview like this while working on the Guardians of the Galaxy. I guess screenwriters have a certain disposition these days but everybody will forget about it once the first trailer rolls in.

[Atreyu]

Whilst we were all distracted gushing over the new Episode VII trailer, WB has released the new teaser for Batman v. Superman:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/IwfUnkBfdZ4

EDIT: aargghh, haven't figured out how to embed YouTube here - changed to a link.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

[youtube] tags and the string of numbers at the end of the video link in the middle :)

I was thoroughly underwhelmed by the trailer.

[Ben Merasska]

I said it before, but I felt like I watched an inferior Injustice trailer.

[Atreyu]

I'm mixed myself, though the excitement from the Episode VII teaser may have just made this dull by comparison.

I liked Batman's suit though. :)

[Dasquian Belargic]

I really like some of the imagery in the trailer, but I can't say that it excites me yet...

I think you may be right though, Atreyu - there is so much to feel excited about at the minute that what might have normally been a moment of giddiness is just a "eh, it's one of many movies that I'll be seeing."

[Rutabaga]

I didn't like Man of Steel so I can't get excited about this. :(