Snyder sought Christopher Nolan’s blessing for Batman v Superman

We know that after Man of Steel opened and discussions for the sequel began, there was one name floated around that stuck – Batman. Not just Batman, but a new version of Batman to go along with the new version of Superman that audiences had just met.

The last time audiences had seen Batman was in the fan-favorite “Dark Knight” trilogy, and speaking with Empire, director Zack Snyder revealed that he asked for The Dark Knight director and Man of Steel producer Christopher Nolan for his blessing for a film that would pit the two heroes against each other. The outlet reports the exchange as such:

“You tell me if you don’t want me to do it,” Snyder told Nolan. After a silence, Nolan said, ‘Well, we don’t own these characters. When you’re done making Batman movies, someone else will [make them].'”

The outlet goes on to say Nolan granted Snyder his blessing for the film but the director says it probably wasn’t an easy decision:

“I think he found it a little bit hard, I would feel the same way.”

Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before.

Directed by Zack Snyder and written by Chris Terrio from a screenplay by David S. Goyer, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice stars Henry Cavill in the role of Clark Kent/Superman and Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman. The film also stars Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, with Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane returning from Man of Steel, joined by Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Jeremy Irons as Alfred, and Holly Hunter in a role newly created for the film. Jason Momoa will also be making an appearance as Aquaman.

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice opens in theaters on March 25, 2016.