A future stand-alone Superman film still possible, though.
Rumors of a sequel to the 2013 Superman reboot film, Man of Steel, have been rampantly swirling around the web for the past few weeks.
We’ve heard speculation that Mad Max director George Miller will work on the film, that Brainiac and Bizzaro will be the villains, and we’ve even heard hypothetical storylines for the film from screenwriter Max Landis.
Up till now, the incoming Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has just been considered a precursor to the eventual Justice League films, not an official Man of Steel sequel.
However, it now appears that Dawn of Justice will indeed serve as the next entry in the Man of Steel series.
In an interview with Canoe, Man of Steel and Batman v Superman director Zack Snyder addressed the hoopla surrounding the alleged sequel.
“I think in a way ‘Batman v Superman’ is ‘Man of Steel 2.’”
He also discussed his approach to the upcoming Justice League films, which he will also direct, and questioned the chances of a new solo Superman flick.
“Justice League is kind of the transcendent, knights-of-the-round-table of the story. It’d be interesting to think about what a standalone Superman movie might be.”
Here, Snyder seems to imply a King Arthur leadership role for Superman in Justice League, and he definitely doesn’t shut down the possibility that a new Man of Steel film can happen.
However, he seems to be sidestepping away from the question at hand.
With Man of Steel’s mixed reception, and reports that Batman will have more screen time than his rival in Dawn of Justice, it honestly appears as though Warner Bros. doesn’t have faith in Superman standing alone on the big screen.
Is this because Henry Cavill has yet to prove that he can carry a film like Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, or any other Marvel veteran? Or it because Batman is just a more popular character than Superman?
Either way, even if a real Man of Steel sequel is coming, it won’t be here for a while. The Warner Bros. DC superhero film schedule is set until 2020, so till then, who knows if the Man of Tomorrow will star in his own film.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hits theaters on March 25, 2016.
