This news has come straight out of Comic Con, and frankly we’re surprised to read it, but apparently Batman will be appearing in the next Man of Steel film. We’re surprised because this has been a tough summer for blockbuster movies, and while Man of Steel has made money, $622 million world-wide so far, it hasn’t exactly been well received by the critics or the fans.
Nevertheless, as Variety tells us, production on the next Man of Steel movie will begin next year, with a targeted release for the summer of 2015. This will put it up against the next Star Wars movie, directed by JJ Abrams, and Avengers 2.
In addition, there has also been a Justice League movie in the works, but it was contingent on the success of Man of Steel. Apparently Man of Steel has done well enough, because Variety tells us Justice League is tentatively in the works for a possible 2017 release.
Christian Bale has made it clear he won’t be coming back to play Batman, so who knows will inherit the batsuit, but again, we’re also questioning the logic of all this in the first place. The public’s reaction to Man of Steel hasn’t been ecstatic, the last Batman film was the weakest of the Christopher Nolan trilogy, and bringing the characters together with Zack Snyder directing again sounds like an accident waiting to happen. (Not to mention going head to head with Star Wars and the next Avengers movie could also be suicidal.)
Ironically, before Batman was resurrected by Nolan, there was a Batman Vs Superman movie in the works at Warner Brothers that was going to be directed by Wolfgang Petersen (Das Boot, The Perfect Storm). Christian Bale was onboard to play Batman for it, and another Brit, Jude Law, was going to play the man of steel, but it never came together.
We’re glad they decided to go ahead with resurrecting Batman, who desperately needed a do-over, and kept the two superheroes separate. They’re completely different characters, and perhaps it would be interesting if they joined forces, but in the wrong hands this could be a disaster. (No, we don’t consider Snyder the right hands…)
