Two iconic superheroes promise to battle it out for supremacy when “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” hits theaters March 25. However, despite the two most iconic superheroes engaging in a slug-fest, fans shouldn’t expect to sit through a hardcore action movie when the newest installment in DC Comics and Warner Bros. expanded film universe drops.

Speaking to Obsev about the new film, director Zack Snyder opened up about the tone that audiences can expect from the upcoming movie. While the trailers have focused almost entirely on the actual fisticuffs between the Dark Knight (Ben Affleck) and the Man of Steel (Henry Cavill), the director warned that the film carries more of a dramatic tone than that of an action movie.

“I think the fun of the movie is, in the end, it’s a drama,” he said. “They have to figure out each other, to figure out how to fight each other. So it’s really about what makes them tick, and sort of… How that’s going to work out in a conflict. And we’ll see what happens.”

It seems that, although the movie clearly won’t be without its action elements, Snyder and the producers opted for a more subdued tone in the movie, one that explores the complicated relationship the two characters have. In a way, it sounds like “Batman v. Superman will be similar in tone to that of its canon predecessor, “Man of Steel.”

The 2014 movie, which debuted to mixed reviews, focused mostly on the world reacting to the discovery of a superhuman alien and the affects it had on Clark Kent and his interpersonal relationships. The fantastical fights between him and General Zod (Michael Shannon) were just garnish atop a much larger, and vastly more complicated, story. Speaking to Cineplex, Superman actor Henry Cavill mentioned that the new film would be very similar in tone and plot structure to “Man of Steel,” saying that there was no conscious effort to adjust the sequel to appease critics of the first.

“The reception of my first ‘Superman’ movie, from what I’ve read, was fairly mixed,” the actor said. “Everyone I’ve spoken to enjoyed the movie, but [not] unlike if you’re going to meet a stranger in the street, they’re not going to badmouth you to your face. There’s no intentional move, I don’t think, in ‘Batman v. Superman’ to address any issues that people had with ‘Man of Steel.’ It’s just a continuation of that storyline and they continue to develop that world and introduce new characters.”

As CinemaBlend notes, one of the main reasons that Batman and Superman tend to clash in the comic books is over their differing philosophies on how the world works. While Superman tends to see hope and the good in humanity, Batman simply tries to acknowledge and recognize people’s inherent darkness. With the heroes poised to clash in the upcoming film, fans should expect the knowledge they acquire through fighting each other will help them team up against a possibly greater foe.

What do you think of Snyder’s comments about the tone of “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice”? Comment below or tweet your thoughts to @TylerMcCarthy.