Zach Snyder’s sequel to Man of Steel has been unofficially called Batman vs. Superman since its announcement, but an official title has finally been revealed. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is the film’s proper name and has begun principal photography in Detroit. Following last week’s first look at Ben Affleck as Batman, the added subtitle of “Dawn of Justice” will certainly stoke the fires along for the already announced Justice League film. What’s interesting is the simple use of “v” instead of the more combative “vs.” Could the early implications of Batman facing off against Superman simply be just that? Or is this Snyder’s coy way of beating around the bush?
Regardless, it seems like DC and Warner Bros. finally have a solid game plan in place for the future of their film properties. I still have my reservations about what’s to come over the next few years, especially in a world where Marvel has dominated both the box office and critical reception, but it’s good to see the seeds planted for something much bigger. If only I had more optimism in Snyder’s directing ability… I feel like WB is using Dawn of Justice as a testing ground to see how receptive audiences will be towards having new versions of Wonder Woman, Lex Luthor, and Batman on the big screen before spinning them off into their own films, much like Marvel did with The Hulk in The Avengers. However, without the considerable build-up Marvel did with their Phase 1 films, I fear that Dawn of Justice will be too hobbled with an excess of characters.
Nevertheless, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has begun filming, so it’s only a matter of a few short months before we can see our first glimpses of Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman.