Did you ever get the sense that Warner Bros. couldn’t wait for Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” series to end? Sure, it made them a mint and will stand as an all-time classic in comic-book movie adaptations, but in many ways, it was an obstruction to the interconnected universe plan they wanted to copy from Marvel. Because of the "Dark Knight" series, they hadn’t been able to get it off the ground, especially since “Green Lantern” bombed the year previously.
Before “The Dark Knight Rises” had even come out in the summer of 2012, Warner Bros. was looking ahead to their future without a Nolan-lead Batman world. They hired Will Beall to write a “Justice League” script, and they knew the following year would feature a “Man Of Steel” movie. Aside from producing “Man Of Steel,” Nolan was never really interested in the Marvel-connected world. Hence, when they drove those plans forward aggressively, Nolan bowed out (just an exec producer credit) and the “Man Of Steel” director and writer, Zack Snyder and David Goyer, essentially took over.
READ MORE: Joss Whedon’s Advice For A ‘Justice League’ Movie & More From The Cast Of ‘The Avengers’
And they basically wasted no time trying to catch up to Marvel and hyper-connect everything: there would be no “Man Of Steel 2” proper, Snyder and Goyer essentially conceived of “Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice” that would not-so-subtly pave the way for a “Justice League” movie. So, “Batman V. Superman” not only has two giant super hero icons facing off, but it also introduces us to Wonder Woman, Lex Luthor, Aquaman and possibly other characters like Flash and Cyborg. Almost concurrently is Warner Bros.’ plan for “Suicide Squad,” which will also introduce us to a litany of D.C. characters and villains like The Joker, Harley Quinn and more.
Is it all too much too soon? Could it possibly feel like overkill in both films? Time will tell, but Warner Bros. isn’t fooling around any longer in terms of trying to play on the same field and level that Marvel’s already on. And so, as promised — possibly to steal the thunder from “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” director Zack Snyder has released the first, very brief teaser trailer for “Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice.” The full trailer will premiere on Monday at special event screenings in select IMAX cinemas, and will also be attached to "Avengers: Age Of Ultron."
“Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice” stars Ben Affleck as Batman, Henry Cavill as Superman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Laurence Fishburne as Perry White, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, Holly Hunter in an unknown role, and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. Ray Fisher (Cyborg), Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Scoot McNairy, Callan Mulvey, Jena Malone, Tao Okamoto and Patrick Leah are all said to appear in smaller roles. Written by Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” flies into theaters on March 25, 2016. Watch the first teaser trailer below.
Confirmed 4.20.15 #BatmanvSuperman @IMAX special teaser screening events. Limited space. RSVP http://t.co/TasYGlJGig
https://t.co/fnxFIERUlv
— ZackSnyder (@ZackSnyder) April 16, 2015
