Casting news hits for Batman vs Superman

The release date changed, but WB is still moving forward with the untitled Batman vs Superman project. We got casting news today that the production has added Holly Hunter, Callan Mulvey, and Tao Okamoto. Prior to this, the last announcement we received was the addition of Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor.

There are no details about which characters these three will be playing, but there is word that they are new characters. Director Zack Snyder previously mentioned that casting is going off the script which is material fans don't know about, so having these three new spots goes along with that.
You might recognize the Oscar-winning Holly Hunter from films like The Incredibles, The Piano, Thirteen, and O Brother Where Art Thou and the television series Saving Grace. Callan Mulvey has most recently been seen in 300: Rise of an Empire and Tao Okamoto was opposite Hugh Jackman in The Wolverine.

Already cast in this project are Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Amy Adams, Diane Lane, Jesse Eisenberg, Gal Gadot, and Laurence Fishburne. The film is set to hit theaters on May 6, 2016. As it stands it is set to compete against a third Captain America film, so I won't be surprised if the release date changes at least once more.

Jesse Eisenberg to play Lex Luthor in Batman vs. Superman

This is literally the funniest thing I have seen all week.

Jesse Eisenberg (or as I call him, Michael Cera 2.0) has been announced as the selection for Lex Luthor in Batman vs. Superman. Yes, the guy playing a wimpy virgin in just about every movie has been cast as one of the most iconic villains in the Superman arc and quite possibly in DC Comics history. In addition to Eisenberg's casting, we also learned that Jeremy Irons will be playing Bruce Wayne's trusted butler/guardian, Alfred.

There were a lot of rumors circling around Bryan Cranston for the role of Lex Luthor and I will admit it's just because he went bald for Breaking Bad and it just worked. However, given the age of Henry Cavill many are speculating that was reason enough to go for a younger Luthor as well. Jesse Eisenberg is in Cavill's age bracket and has somewhat proven himself to be cunning and scheming on screen. I am betting his roles in The Social Network and Now You See Me are the only reason he was even considered.
As for Jeremy Irons, director Zack Snyder explained the reasoning for getting an older actor is due to the fact that this is not a Batman origins story. At this point, Bruce Wayne is a seasoned veteran and is older so it makes sense to have his butler be older, too.


So what do you guys make of this? So far all I have seen online is my same reaction of laughter at seeing Eisenberg's picture next to Lex Luthor. I definitely did not see this one coming.

The untitled Batman vs. Superman project is slated to hit theaters on May 6, 2016.

Batman vs. Superman pushed to 2016

It looks like we will have to wait another year to see Ben Affleck as Batman. Warner Bros. announced an inevitable schedule change for the Man of Steel sequel. The "untitled" Batman vs. Superman project has shifted from July 17, 2015 to May 6, 2016. In place of the DC Comics film, the new reboot of Peter Pan has now taken the July 17th spot.

Batman vs. Superman will now be released in the same year as X-Men: Apocalypse and an untitled Marvel project rumored to be Doctor Strange. It also moves it just a year apart from the planned Justice League movie and the same year as the announced Flash film. Whether this will shift more DC movies as a chain reaction is still unknown but it's possible. I won't be surprised if they move Flash to 2017 and delay Justice League to 2018. Reasoning for the delay was cited as a creative issue. In order for the filmmakers to fully capture their vision they needed more time. This also moves the budget to the second quarter of the fiscal year, so they now have more money to spend on it. There also is a rumor that Ben Affleck recently injured himself, but that hasn't been confirmed.

I personally don't mind this. It takes some of the heat out of the 2015 year which is already ridiculously overcrowded. 

Batman vs. Superman budget set; more details revealed

Production is moving smoothly for Zack Snyder's sequel to Man of Steel. We have new behind the scenes details on the film including budget, filming location, and when filming is set to wrap up.

Michelle Grinnell, public relations for the Michigan Film Office, has stated that this film with have the state's biggest production since Oz The Great and Powerful. The budget has been set at $131 million and that's only for the Michigan location. That doesn't include other locations or post-production, so I am betting in the end the budget will surpass $131 million.
In addition to the budget, we learned that filming will take all seven sound studios at Michigan Motion Picture Studios and will utilize other locations in the state. The other location we know of right now is Yorkville, IL where production is building the Kent Farm. Filming is set to wrap in August.


Sources: #1 #2

Gal Gadot cast as Wonder Woman

I'm a little late to the party, but it has been announced that Gal Gadot has been cast to play Wonder Woman in Batman vs. Superman. This confirms that Wonder Woman will be introduced in some way prior to Justice League in 2017 and somewhat backs up the theory that she will not be receiving her own movie.

Gadot is an Israeli born actress who is most recognizable from her work as Gisele in the Fast and Furious films. She also competed as Miss Israel in the 2004 Miss Universe pageant and served two years in the Israeli military. This will be her first major starring role and will no doubt be a recurring role. She beat out actresses such as Olga Kurylenko and Elodie Yung for the role of Wonder Woman.
Many are wondering the motivation behind casting Gadot as Wonder Woman and are hoping she isn't treated like Black Widow was in The Avengers. In other words, the basic consensus seems to be that people don't want her to just be a pretty face with minor support to the main heroes, Batman and Superman. She will also be sharing the screen with Amy Adams who was pretty lame in Man of Steel.

I personally think Wonder Woman is one of those comic heroes that is impossible to cast and/or portray correctly. I don't have much hope for this character at all so this doesn't bug me.

Possible official titles for Batman vs. Superman

Everyone has been referring to the Man of Steel sequel simply as Batman vs Superman. It's to the point and self explanatory. However, it isn't an official title. Warner Bros. has yet to release an official title for this project and everyone has just settled on the Batman vs. Superman name. However, there is word that WB has registered 8 potential titles for the project.

Fusible claims that the studio has gone to MarkMonitor, an internet brand protection company, to register these 8 titles just in case they want to use one of them. That doesn't guarantee one of them will be used, though. Some studios do it to prevent others from marketing on their brand. Also bear in mind that most of these titles make no sense.

Man of Steel: Battle the Knight
Man of Steel: Beyond Darkness
Man of Steel: Black of Knight
Man of Steel: Darkness Falls
Man of Steel: Knight Falls
Man of Steel: Shadow of the Knight
Man of Steel: The Blackest Hour
Man of Steel: The Darkness Within


Out of the given registries, I think the best ones are Knight Falls and Shadow of the Knight. All the other ones sound gimmicky and stupid. It is also worth mentioning that including any Dark Knight reference might be frowned upon in the end because it could create confusion with Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy. A trilogy WB has said the Man of Steel arc will have nothing to do with and will not follow. Due to that, my guesses are on any of the other titles, like The Blackest Hour, to make the final cut.

I'm still hoping for The World's Finest, but that might just be me. Whatever the title winds up being, the Man of Steel sequel is set for release on July 17, 2015.

Wonder Woman rumored for Batman vs. Superman

Warner Bros. President of Creative Development and Worldwide Production, Greg Silverman, has touched on the rumor that Wonder Woman just might show up in Batman vs. Superman (aka, Man of Steel 2)*. Silverman stated,

"Wonder Woman is an amazing character. I think it’s a great opportunity both for box office success, but also to have an amazingly powerful female superhero." 

Now, this doesn't guarantee that she will appear in the film but at the same time it isn't ruling out a solo film. To me it sounds like they don't know what they want out of Wonder Woman before or after Justice League. Regarding whether Wonder Woman will have a solo film or not Silverman responded,

"We are taking it all very seriously and are trying to do a plan that’s respectful to those characters and maximizes the stories as best they can, so everything that has been speculated are things that we’ve thought about."

Silverman also tried to reassure moviegoers that Warner Bros. did make the right decision in casting Ben Affleck as Batman. The studio is sticking to their guns in stating that both Superman and Batman will be pushed to their full potentials and the characters will be done justice. He urges us to wait and see the movie because the script that Zack Snyder and David S. Goyer put together is what is important, not the casting.


Would I like to see Wonder Woman in Batman vs. Superman? No.
Why not? It seems like Warner Bros. is trying to pull a Marvel, once again, and include the scattered heroes in major movies to round out Justice League without having to do solo films for each hero. Think of how Black Widow showed up in Iron Man 2 and how Hawkeye showed up in Thor. Those minor inclusions gave Marvel what they needed to round out The Avengers. It's the same concept. Instead of having a solo Wonder Woman film, she could just show up in Batman vs. Superman. They could in theory do the same with Green Lantern. If the solo Flash movie actually does happen we could potentially see Green Lantern pop up so we don't have yet another solo movie about him.

Oh Warner Bros. and DC... you just can't catch a break.

*via Variety

[Rumor] Bryan Cranston cast as Lex Luthor

Rumor alert!

I saw this a while ago, but some sources are claiming that Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) has been cast as Lex Luthor for a minimum of six films including Batman vs. Superman. Apparently they are postponing the official press release to give Breaking Bad a time to wrap up and so they can ride the momentum of the finale.

If this is true, Cranston will join Henry Cavill and new cast member Ben Affleck. In addition to Cranston signing for six films with an extension to 10 possible, Affleck has reportedly signed on for 13 Batman appearances. The role of Lex Luthor was previously rumored to be leaning toward Mark Strong (Kick-Ass), but seeing that he already appeared as Sinestro in the box office disaster Green Lantern, DC and Warner Bros. wanted to take a different route.

Batman vs. Superman is the next installment to the DC Universe that will hit on July 17, 2015.

[Update] Ben Affleck to play Batman

Apparently being in one bad comic book movie wasn't enough. Warner Bros. announced today after much speculation who will be playing Bruce Wayne (aka, Batman) in the upcoming Man of Steel sequel, Batman vs. Superman. That man is Ben Affleck.

Affleck previously played Matt Murdock (aka, Daredevil) in the 2003 Marvel bomb Daredevil. That movie spawned Elektra which was another awful movie, but that's another story. Despite it all, he did win Oscars and Golden Globes for his 2012 movie Argo so he does have some credibility. His Batman predecessors include Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, and Christian Bale.
One plus side about this whole ordeal is the story is describing Batman as a man older than Clark Kent who has already seen the battle scars, so hopefully this means we don't have to sit through yet another Batman origins story. If we do I might scream.

Now, this is some interesting news as it was previously rumored that Ben Affleck was set to direct Justice League. With this casting it does give some potential for Affleck to direct Justice League if Zack Snyder doesn't do it. Either way this is an interesting choice for me. I was not hoping for or expecting Ben Affleck. This is going to be interesting.

Batman vs. Superman (aka, Man of Steel 2) is set for release on July 17, 2015.


Here is the Warner Bros. press release:

"Ending weeks of speculation, Ben Affleck has been set to star as Batman, a.k.a. Bruce Wayne.  Affleck and filmmaker Zack Snyder will create an entirely new incarnation of the character in Snyder’s as-yet-untitled project—bringing Batman and Superman together for the first time on the big screen and continuing the director’s vision of their universe, which he established in “Man of Steel.”  The announcement was made today by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, and Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.
The studio has slated the film to open worldwide on July 17, 2015.
Last month’s surprise announcement of the new movie featuring both Superman and Batman created a wave of excitement and immediately fueled discussion and debate—among fans as well as in the media—about who would put on the cape and cowl of Bruce Wayne’s alter ego.
Snyder successfully re-imagined the origin of Clark Kent/Superman in the worldwide blockbuster “Man of Steel,” which has earned more than $650 million worldwide to date, and climbing.  The director will now create an original vision of Batman and his world for the film that brings the two DC Comics icons together.
Affleck will star opposite Henry Cavill, who will reprise the role of Superman/Clark Kent.  The film will also reunite “Man of Steel” stars Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane.
In the announcement, Silverman stated, “We knew we needed an extraordinary actor to take on one of DC Comics’ most enduringly popular Super Heroes, and Ben Affleck certainly fits that bill, and then some.  His outstanding career is a testament to his talent and we know he and Zack will bring new dimension to the duality of this character.”
Snyder also expressed his excitement about the casting of Affleck, noting, “Ben provides an interesting counter-balance to Henry’s Superman.  He has the acting chops to create a layered portrayal of a man who is older and wiser than Clark Kent and bears the scars of a seasoned crime fighter, but retain the charm that the world sees in billionaire Bruce Wayne.  I can’t wait to work with him.”
Kroll added, “We are so thrilled that Ben is continuing Warner Bros.’ remarkable legacy with the character of Batman.  He is a tremendously gifted actor who will make this role his own in this already much-anticipated pairing of these two beloved heroes.”
Affleck recently starred in the Academy Award®-winning Best Picture “Argo,” which he also directed and produced, earning acclaim and a BAFTA Award nomination for his performance in the film, as well as a number of directing honors.  In 2010, he starred in and directed the hit crime thriller “The Town.”  His recent acting work also includes “The Company Men,” “State of Play,” and “Hollywoodland,” for which he received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor.  Earlier in his career, Affleck starred in and co-wrote (with Matt Damon) “Good Will Hunting,” for which he won an Oscar® for Best Original Screenplay.
The new Super Hero film is being scripted by David S. Goyer from a story he co-created with Zack Snyder.  Charles Roven and Deborah Snyder are producing, with Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan and Wesley Coller serving as executive producers.
Production is expected to begin in 2014.
The film is based on Superman characters created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster, and Batman characters created by Bob Kane, published by DC Entertainment."

[UPDATE] Ben Affleck has signed on for multiple films. Read about it here.



#Batman #JusticeLeague #BenAffleck #BenAffleckBatman

[Rumor] An older Batman sought after by Warner Bros.

We learned at San Diego Comic-Con a couple weeks ago that there will indeed be a Batman vs. Superman movie, but ever since then the speculation has been on for exactly who will play Batman. Christian Bale is out of the picture so where do we go from here?
So far what we know for sure is Zack Snyder will be directing and is currently working on the script with David S. Goyer and this will technically be the sequel to Man of Steel. However, rumors are flying that the studio is seeking an older actor to portray Batman to give him a more experienced look.

People are taking the fact that an excerpt from The Dark Knight Returns was read prior to the Superman/Batman logo reveal at Comic-Con as a sign that this will indeed happen and that Batman will return as a beat up veteran. Some are saying this is a smart move and that this would avoid yet another Batman origins story for a new, young Batman. However, allowing us to bypass an origins would mean it would have to rely on Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy for background and he has said that he wants the trilogy to be a standalone series. But Nolan is involved with Man of Steel, so it's not like he doesn't know what is going on.

Now if this is true, this limits the casting of Batman to a man in his late-30's to mid-40's. There is a lot of that in Hollywood, but would it really yield someone good? Only time will tell. And it needs to be a short amount of time so they can make that 2015 release date.

My ideas for some good middle-aged potentials for Bruce Wayne:

Jon Hamm
Charlie Hunnam
Idris Elba (Yeah, a black Batman)
Bradley Cooper


When I think of "who should play Batman" I look at two key factors; who can handle the physical part along with playing a believable, suave billionaire. Out of the above choices I think the frontrunners would easily be Idris Elba and Jon Hamm. I hope this rumor is true so it would disqualify actors like Ryan Gosling and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

SDCC: Justice League to hit in 2017; Flash planned for 2016

WB has announced their movie plans for the DC universe after several stalls regarding Justice League and the future of all the characters. What we know as of right now is:

A Batman/Superman movie will hit in 2015 in what is described as the sequel to Man of Steel. It is expected that Henry Cavill, Zack Snyder, and Christopher Nolan will all return and I'm sure we will see more information on who will be the new Batman before too long.
In addition to the Man of Steel continuation, we will have a Flash movie in 2016 that will lead into the Justice League movie in 2017.

Now... This is all still just planning. It was pretty much announced at Comic-Con that this will happen but I am still not holding my breath. As of right now this is all we have and for the few DC fans out there that actually give a crap about this, you're welcome.

[UPDATE] Zack Snyder officially announced the Batman/Superman World's Finest storyline at Comic-Con on Saturday, July 20th. Fans are basically peeing themselves all over the internet because this is finally happening.