Last year, I saw Zack Snyder and Henry Cavill talk about Man of Steel. This year Zack Snyder made a return to Hall H (the place where all the majority of movie panels take place). I think a lot of people were wondering if we would see him or any of the Man of Steel cast during the Warner Bros. panel. There was an announcement not too long ago that we would be seeing a sequel and a team movie within the next two years. I, along with others, questioned whether it was really possible.
While we are not seeing a Justice League movie in 2015, we are going to see both a Superman sequel and a "team" movie. On Saturday, Zack Snyder made the biggest announcement of Comic Con 2013 weekend. The other panels were loaded with movie stars and made some interesting announcements, but Snyder's announcement trumped them all. In 2015, we will see a Superman/Batman movie. My hope is that they title it World's Finest in honor of the comic book that hosted the pairing of these two characters for years.
The announcement (see it at the bottom of this article) was made by quoting a panel of Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns where Batman defeats Superman. Harry Lennix, who played General Swanwick in Man of Steel, read this line to the crowd:
I want you to remember, Clark, in all the years to come, in your most private moments. I want you to remember my hand at your throat. I want you to remember the man who beat you.
The official press release announces that it will be a Batman vs. Superman movie (not sure which character is taking the top billing). This is a very difficult proposition. You can debate who would win a match for days on end. Batman would carry Kryptonite. Superman could use his heat vision. Blah, blah, blah. The truth is that the general movie-going audience is going to have a hard time believing that Superman couldn't take down a human being, even one of extraordinary skills, in seconds. Kryptonite hasn't even been announced to this movie world yet. You have to create a Batman that can perform superhuman feats while still being only human. Is this possible? I believe so, but it's still shaky ground.
The other question that arises with a "versus" movie is what brings this two icons to be at odds. Does the government manipulate Superman to take down a relatively unknown "menace" in Gotham City? I doubt it. Does Lex Luthor manipulate Batman into taking down Superman? Again, doubtful. However, I do believe that this is likely closer to the path they'll take. Lex Luthor and Bruce Wayne team to rebuild Metropolis. Bruce Wayne, having already operated quietly as Batman in Gotham for years, believes Superman to be a threat to the whole world. While investigating ways to take Superman, the two have to face one another.
Will there be villains? Maybe. I think Lex Luthor is introduced in this movie; however, like I originally thought when it was just a Superman movie, he's mainly behind the scenes. I still think there will be a Metallo or some other threat. It is entirely likely though that Superman and Batman are their own adversaries and nobody else is there to interfere.
The biggest question is "Who will play Batman?" As I stated before, I think Callum Blue would be a good choice. I've only seen him in The Tudors and as Zod in Smallville; however, I think he may be a good choice. I also like Matt Bomer. If you've ever seen the pilot episode of Chuck, he can definitely do the physical aspect of Batman. He still may need to add some bulk. I'm sure they'll find some relative newcomer that is perfect for the part.
No matter the choice of actors, villains or even storyline, I'm expecting this to be the biggest box office hit of 2015. That's pretty big considering the movies coming out in 2015. This is also the most risky movie for Warner Bros. If they don't succeed with this movie, the success of Man of Steel doesn't matter. They won't be continue their major comic properties for years. High risk, high reward.
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