‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’: Top 10 Facts You Need to Know

The hardcore audiences within the world of cinema and comic books have a lot to look forward to. Marvel and DC Comics have made their current and future cinematic plans clear for fans of their superhero movies.

On March 25, 2016, an epic event will transpire on the big screen. “The Man of Steel” and “The Dark Knight” will do battle in one of the most anticipated films of the year – Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Two of DC Comics’ most celebrated heroes will not only have to contend with themselves, but they’ll also have to deal with several new threats within their universe. The wait for this movie’s release has been a long and torturous one ever since it was revealed. But now that it’s finally here, let’s break down the finer aspects behind it.

Here’s a primer on every fact there is to know about DC Comics and Warner Bros. 2016 summer epic, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

1. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Was Initially Revealed at San Diego Comic-Con 2013

In June 2013, Warner Bros. first revealed that it had tapped director Zack Snyder and screenwriter David S. Goyer to work on a Man of Steel sequel. When Snyder paid a visit to San Diego Comic-Con International 2013, he brought a bombshell of an announcement with him – the project he’s working on will feature Superman and Batman being in the same movie and meeting each other on the big screen for the very first time.

Due to Goyer being busy with prior commitments, Chris Terrio was given the screenwriting duties and was tasked with rewriting the script in December 2013. When May 2014 rolled around, the next major DC Comics’ film finally had its official title – Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

2. This Isn’t a Direct Sequel to the First Man of Steel

2013’s Man of Steel (which was also directed by Zach Snyder) leads directly into the events taking place within Batman v Superman. However, it’s been made very clear that this is not a direct sequel to Superman’s reboot film. It’s been rumored that a proper “Man of Steel 2” is set to hit theaters sometime before 2020, but nothing more concrete has been stated about this rumor just yet. Batman v Superman acts more like a prequel to the eventual Justice League film.

Man of Steel still remains as one of the more divisive superhero films; Superman’s biggest fans let their voices be heard when it came to complaints about the film’s darker take on such a lighthearted hero. Zach Snyder addressed the criticism against his interpretation of Superman during a recent interview:

People are always like ‘you changed Superman.’ If you’re a comic book fan, you know that I didn’t change Superman. If you know the true canon, you know that I didn’t change Superman. If you’re a fan of the old movies, yeah I changed him a bit.

3. This Film’s Story Elements are Inspired by a Highly Regarded Graphic Novel

Writer/author/filmmaker Frank Miller has crafted several standout comic book tales (Daredevil, 300 and Sin City are his most popular works). Miller’s most popular graphic novel may arguably be his adaptation of the Batman mythos with The Dark Knight Returns. Batman v Superman’s main plot threads owes much of its inspiration to that classic comic book series.

The Dark Knight Returns features a much older Bruce Wayne donning the cowl once again. Batman then has to deal with the newest threats within Gotham City and also defend himself against Superman, who has been ordered by the government to take The Dark Knight down. Batman and Superman’s conflict within the movie can definitely be compared to the one taking place in Miller’s graphic novel. In fact, Batman’s onscreen armor should be familiar to fans of Miller’s work. The Batman within The Dark Knight Returns donned a more protective suit of his own when he took on The Man of Steel.

4. Wonder Woman Will Finally Make Her Movie Debut

Gal Gadot as Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman.

DC’s Amazonian princess has been featured primarily in the world of comics, cartoons, live action TV shows. However, she’s never had the chance to showcase herself in cinematic form. Batman v Superman marks the very first time that Wonder Woman will make her debut in a feature length film. It’s pretty amazing to know that Warner Bros. has tried to produce a Wonder Woman movie since 1996.

Not only will Gal Gadot show up as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman in 2016, she’ll star in a standalone film that will debut on June 23, 2017. Patty Jenkins will handle the directing duties for this film with help from writer Jason Fuchs and producers Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder and Charles Roven. To see the most recent preview of the upcoming Wonder Woman film, check out the trailer posted above.

5. The Other Members of the Justice League Will Play Some Smaller Roles

Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry aka Aquaman.

Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman aren’t the only DC Comics heroes who will appear in Batman v Superman. Several other members who will eventually make the up the rest of the onscreen Justice League will play smaller roles in this film.

Jason Momoa plays Arthur Curry, better known as Aquaman; Ezra Miller will play the part of Barry Allen aka The Flash; Ray Fisher will take on the role of Victor Stone aka Cyborg. Keep your eyes peeled for them since you’ll be seeing them all again in their own films and the Justice League saga. It’s interesting to note that no one has been selected to play Hal Jordan aka Green Lantern just yet.

6. It Took Five Months to Build Two Fully Working Batmobiles

The production designer behind Batman v Superman is Patrick Tatopoulos, who has worked on plenty of other blockbuster films (Stargate, Underworld, I Am Legend etc.). When design work began on the new Batmobile, Tatopoulos initially sketched out its overall look on paper. That led to him and his team of designers taking five months to produce two physical Batmobile models and fitting farming truck wheels to the both of them. Check out the video above to get more insight into the film’s behind-the-scenes production work.

7. A Major Superman Foe Will Have to Deal With the Combined Powers of the “Trinity”

Doomsday in the flesh.

As you’ve probably already seen, Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman run into a very powerful DC Comics villain. That powerful adversary is none other than the juggernaut who actually killed Superman at one point, Doomsday. Robin Atkin Downes handles the motion-capture performance and voice-over work for such a titular baddie. Based on what we’ve seen in the film’s second trailer, it appears that Lex Luthor (played by Jesse Eisenberg) uses the deceased body of General Zod in order to produce his own version of Doomsday.

8. The Soundtrack is Being Composed by the Same Person Who Worked on Man of Steel

Hans Zimmer signed on to finalize the film’s musical score for Batman v Superman. Zimmer previously performed the same duty for Man of Steel. Zimmer worked alongside Tom Holkenborg (better known as “Junkie XL”) to produce the film’s musical stylings. Junkie XL also handled some of the soundtrack work for Man of Steel. Both Zimmer and Junkie XL wrote and collaborated on the film’s Batman theme song.

9. There’s Going to be an R-Rated Edition Released on DVD/Blu-Ray

When Batman v Superman finally lands on DVD/Blu-Ray this summer, it will feature the PG-13 cut and an R-Rated version. This extended edition of the movie has been dubbed the “Ultimate Edition” director’s cut. As expected, this release will include extra content cut from the theatrical release. One of the bigger bonuses revealed for this edition is the inclusion of scenes starring Barbara Gordon (played by Jena Malone).

10. This Movie Takes Its Position as the 2nd Film Within DC’s Extended Universe

Marvel Comics’ brand of big screen glory has been connected to each other in the form of a cinematic universe. Throughout its different phases, Marvel’s super popular and lesser known characters have starred in their own films and mingled with each other in huge crossover events. DC Comics has certainly taken note of Marvel’s success in theaters, which is why they’ve implemented some big cinematic universe plans of their own.

2013’s Man of Steel was officially the 1st step towards producing a world where DC’s big screen adaptations are connected. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice continues that trend towards building up DC’s collection of blockbuster films. The list below will give you a preview of the many films to come within DC Comics’ Extended Universe:

– Suicide Squad (August 5, 2016)
– Wonder Woman (June 23, 2017)
– Justice League Part One (November 17, 2017)
– The Flash (March 16, 2018)
– Aquaman (July 27, 2018)
– Shazam (April 5, 2019)
– Justice League Part Two (June 14, 2019)
– Cyborg (April 3, 2020)
– Green Lantern Corps (June 19, 2020)