It’s understandable you’re apprehensive about Batman v Superman. Remember Man of Steel? Great trailer, Henry Cavill’s quite good but, sigh, it’s just CGI fighting for years and Russell Crowe’s flying a dragon and Superman doesn’t seem bothered about people dying.

Add the success of The Avengers into the mix and DC Comics’ decision to throw their most famous heroes together feels like a desperate Hail Mary.

But while others seem convinced it’s going to be disastrous, it’s not necessarily time to go sulk in your Fortress of Solitude – the movie could be better than expected.



1. It’s answering an age-old question


Batman and his toys (Picture: AP)

Granted, putting Superman into any ‘who would win in a fight?’ scenario leads you down a dead-end as it’s difficult to envisage a situation in which he’d be vanquished.

But this is a rebooted Batman, and DC won’t want him to look like a pansy billionaire.

Don’t be surprised if the Caped Crusader puts some of those ‘wonderful toys’ to good use as he battles Kal-El…

2. Batfleck

Ben Affleck is an Oscar winner. Show some respect! (Picture: AP)

We’ll lay it on the line – anyone criticising the casting of Ben Affleck needs to grow up.

Sure, he made poor decisions (Gigli, that J-Lo video) and you could argue that, pre-beard, he had a fairly smackable face.

But he’s now an Oscar winner who’s not directed a bad film, as well as being a charismatic, masculine actor who could easily pass for a brooding rich orphan.

Forget Daredevil (in which directing and story, not Affleck, was the problem) and give Ben a chance.

3. It’s taking a risk with casting

Jesse Eisenberg is a curveball casting (Picture: Getty)

The film’s thrown another curveball with its choice of Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor.

We get it – everyone wanted Bryan Cranston because he’s a) bald, b) badass and c) fantastic but that’s no reason to think Michael Cera’s curly-haired Hollywood cousin won’t be stellar as Superman’s greatest enemy.

To ‘borrow’ from a friend – remember the Social Network scene where Zuckerberg tells a lawyer he deserves ‘the minimum amount’ of his attention?

Eisenberg’s an actor who’s definitely believable as a psychopath. Scratch that – a baby-faced psycho. That’s scarier.

4. Mistakes were made – they’ll make up for them

Learning from the Man of Steel mistakes (Picture: AP)

Zack Snyder’s done a bad job of explaining Man of Steel’s OTT carnage but let’s hope he and screenwriter David S Goyer – who conceived the story for Christopher Nolan’s Batman films – have taken on board the criticisms levelled at Superman’s big screen return.

If they can include the joy and innovation lacking from Man of Steel and avoid interminably dull action sequences, then we could be in for one hell of a show.

5. The quality’s in the literature

One of the greatest graphic novels ever written (Picture: Amazon)

Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns depicts an ageing Batman coming out of retirement to fight crime and, later, government-backed Superman.



It was the first DC story to pit the characters against each other. It’s also one of the greatest graphic novels ever written and a title Snyder’s expressed affection for.

So the movie’s got that going for it at least…