SDCC: DC Announces Superman/Batman Movie for 2015

[madmarva]

If they are going that young, he looks the part. He's muscular, played baseball at Arizona a state, I believe. But I don't know how much range he has. Pretty one note in his performances, from what I've seen.

[Earth 2 Chris]

The folks at Superman Homepage are less than thrilled with the use of Miller's "DKR" as a means to introduce this, and with good reason. DKR probably did more damage to Superman's rep than anything before or since, while it boosted Batman's cool factor.

I know Snyder said they weren't adapting DKR, but I can't help but think he's going to influence the proceedings. One good thing going against this, is we have a Superman whose already shown he isn't going to be a government tool like he was under Miller.

I hope the whole film isn't these two going at it, but a good compromise like the STAS World's Finest episodes.

Chris

[ctc]

>Are there not enemies enough that they should quarrel among themselves?

It's been a tradition since 60's Marvel that when two heroes meet for the first time they HAVE to fight.

Don C.

[madmarva]

I'm sure there will be a Marvel misunderstanding between them as Don points out, but Snyder said they aren't adapting Dark Knight Returns. He's spent the last 3 years attempting build up Superman. I don't think he will intentionally punk the character as Miller seemingly did.

And really, reading between the lines of Dark Knight, I think Superman relents, lets Batman win after Batman convinces him that he's aloud himself to be used. Essentially Batman gives Superman an escape route. They save each other. That may be my Superman bias coming through. Plus Batman can push it as far as he wants and superman isn't going to die, while superman goes into the fight being careful, holding back because he knows he's fighting a mere mortal, a highly capable and dangerous mortal, but still mortal. Superman can end a fight in a snap, just like we saw in MOS. But I digress.

It's only to Snyder and The WBs good to build both characters up. But Batman will have to be established as a threat to Superman. Otherwise there is no use in the co-billing and for down the line to establish how Bruce can stand as a human with a collection of god-like beings.

I'm glad WB is taking this route because so far even Marvel hasn't cracked the sequel code. To me, IM 2 and 3 lost some juice that is inherent in the origin story.

Avengers crackled because of the character interaction. Hopefully Superman/Batman will to.

Snyder has really been given a lot of power being key in casting both Superman and Batman.

[hedrap]

I'm thinking this is the approach because a stand alone Flash just has "GL risk" written all over it, especially for the new WB execs.

So the way to intro the character is compact him with other characters around his origin. This way, by the time you get to JLA, most of the cast is established leaving Wonder Woman and Cyborg as the focal points.

IMO, I don't think Aquaman or Manhunter will be part of the initial group. Maybe Manhunter over Cyborg if the GL is Jon Stewart.

[madmarva]

I'm sure there is a ton of talk out there among industry people, but who knows what is real or a trial balloon or what was real an hour ago but changed as quickly as it was brought up. But it's fun to speculate.

With GL having such a bad reputation, I just question strapping that onto another character, but I'd love to see it happen because GL's my favorite character. I think there is a good story in Sinestro's turn, but it'd need to be GL movie, not a teamup, I'd think.

[hedrap]

I actually put a lot of stock in Returns being the source. Just consider that Nolan has already used chunks of it for Rises and it offers the perfect segue into Batman's return. It's as if they reshuffled the book events and placed the ending at the mid-point and are now moving to the second half, which is the Superman encounter.

Only other thing that has to be kept in mind, is this must have been in the works for longer than Goyer or WB is admitting, because there are no coincidences when DC just happens to be publishing a Batman/Superman "first meeting" series at the same time.

It's like how Bleeding Cool timed up the original name for "Age of Ultron" was "Ultron Wars" at about the same period when Whedon would have been pitching his first treatment for A2. This stuff doesn't happen in a vacuum.

[madmarva]

I can see that particularly if you are talking about them using DKReturns in the same way Nolan sourced other Batman stories for each of the three films but never did a straight up adaptation. They really did a nice job of melding a lot of stuff aspects of various Batman stories to creat all three films, but added their own stuff too. same can be said for Man of Steel.

And yes the new comic was a big tip of their hand.The first version of the superman/Batman comic was started back when WB was planning a Superman/Batman film prior to Batman Begins.

So is Legendary in or out of the movie with Nolan being the executive producer? Jonathan Nolan's not working on the script according to a report I read, just Snyder and Goyer, but not doubt he likely kibitz with Goyer and Christopher Nolan at some point.

Evidently pre-production on the new film has being going on for several months. The team-up is a good compromise. It's quicker than doing a new Batman movie and a Superman sequel and safer and less complicated than going straight for a JLA movie.

Superman/Batman has a chance of coming close to Avengers money if not for the c rowed landscape.

If it comes out along with Star Wars and Avengers as well as 4 or 5 other big summer films, it could end up being that grand collapse Speilberg and Lucas predicted.

Warner's might be smart to push it to Christmas

[Hector]

The folks at Superman Homepage are less than thrilled with the use of Miller's "DKR" as a means to introduce this, and with good reason. DKR probably did more damage to Superman's rep than anything before or since, while it boosted Batman's cool factor.

I know Snyder said they weren't adapting DKR, but I can't help but think he's going to influence the proceedings. One good thing going against this, is we have a Superman whose already shown he isn't going to be a government tool like he was under Miller.

I hope the whole film isn't these two going at it, but a good compromise like the STAS World's Finest episodes.

Chris

Agreed with your entire post.

[Hector]

Snyder loves his Superman project too much, the Man of Steel is his baby, I highly doubt he's going the Dark Knight Frank Miller route, were you have a puppet Supes getting pummeled by an old geezer Bats, that ain't gonna happen.

Like Chris said, Snyder's Supes destroys a Predator and warns the government that he will not tolerate any spying on him, the complete opposite of Miller's interpretation of Superman.

If Supes and Bats tussle on screen in a Snyder flick, it will be a Superfriends kinda of a fight, kinda like Iron Man vs Thor in the Avengers movie, with a quick truce happening.

[Earth 2 Chris]

The thought of seeing a live-action Superman and Batman together is a childhood dream come true. But I can't help but feel for the diehard Superman fans (especially those who aren't also Batman fans). I do feel the MOS fans are going to be somewhat cheated by the lack of a true sequel. It does make more sense for WB to do this, for financial reasons, and to move forward with a shared universe, but not totally ape the Avengers approach. A JL movie after this would make the most sense, and then maybe we can go back to solo Superman and new Batman flicks with this new actor.

Chris

[huedell]

The thought of seeing a live-action Superman and Batman together is a childhood dream come true. But I can't help but feel for the diehard Superman fans (especially those who aren't also Batman fans). I do feel the MOS fans are going to be somewhat cheated by the lack of a true sequel. It does make more sense for WB to do this, for financial reasons, and to move forward with a shared universe, but not totally ape the Avengers approach. A JL movie after this would make the most sense, and then maybe we can go back to solo Superman and new Batman flicks with this new actor.

Chris

I agree. I'd like it done differently, but can't deny the business strategy.
Now if they took MY advice and surprised everyone with a "Superman vs. Joker" movie w/out Bats or Lex... I think it'd be a shrewd business move minus the one thing that'd ever keep that movie from happening: the arch hero/villain incongruity.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Oh, this doesn't sound good. It speaks volumes about DC's editorial tinkering reaching the films as well. The puppet strings are showing.

From Superman Homepage:

When Zack Snyder announced at Comic-Con that Batman would be included in the sequel to "Man of Steel", he had many Superman fans worried when he had actor Harry Lennix read a quote from Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns" graphic novel.

While Snyder did say they weren't adapting Miller's story, the Independent received word that Zack Snyder is planning to meet up with Frank Miller to discuss the new movie.

A source close to Miller, who also has Sin City and 300 sequels in the pipeline, told the Independent: "Frank had no idea the announcement in San Diego was going to happen so it did come as a surprise. He's going to be meeting up with Zach in the next few days to go over the plans for the Superman film so things should be clearer after that."

A Superman Homepage source managed to speak to Zack Snyder yesterday, and put to him the concerns of some Superman fans, with Snyder remarking, "It's too early for me to discuss the film. However, regardless of how I feel about Superman, ultimately I have to go along with the direction that Warner Bros. thinks is best".

Now, I try not to be a Negative Nancy about these things, but does that sound like a director who is happy with the direction his movie is going in? "Go along with" is never a positive term.

And, despite the greatness of Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One, Frank Miller should never again be let within 10 yards of any DC property. Especially Superman.

Sigh.

http://www.supermanhomepage.com/news.php?readmore=13726

Chris

[Operation:Mego]

^^^ Wow, I'm with you Chris. Snyder really doesn't sound happy with that.

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

Here are a few good points:

http://www.toplessrobot.com/2013/07/reasons_why_a_supermanbatman_movie_might_not_be_a.php

Specific points:

-I don't think #3 is a concern for the studios. There's no such thing as overexposure, and the fans seem to want more Batman. More than oxygen. The studio won't bother cultivating another character until they HAVE to; and they won't feel that way until the audience decides they've had enough Batman.

-Likewise #2 isn't a problem either. Batman is the most popular, therefore he's the most powerful. That's how it works. It placates the fans. If Gnort had a sudden huge swing in popularity HE'D be kicking Superman's backside. (And he might, if Rocket is the popular one fron the "Guardians" movie....)

-#1 seems reasonable, but the problem here (for the audience) is that, as soon as the top character gets unpopular and TRULY overexposed they can just reboot. So.... folks get sick of Batman, reboot him as a wacky character, tie it into the '66 TV ideal, watch the oldsters thunp their chests over how "DC FINALLY gets it!" Make another 20 years of movies....

Don C.