Zack Snyder, the director of the upcoming Superman reboot, has hinted that Man of Steel could be used to set up proposed superhero ensemble movie Justice League.

Speaking to the New York Post, Snyder suggested studio Warner Bros "trusted" him to "keep them on course" for Justice League, which will feature Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman uniting in a single cause and is due in 2015. The film-maker's comments have been widely interpreted as a clear sign that Warner will use Man of Steel as a launchpad for a series of linked movies set in the DC Comics universe, just as Disney's Marvel Studios did with its selection of films (beginning with 2008's Iron Man) that set up this year's $1.5bn blockbuster The Avengers.

"I don't know how Justice League is going to be handled. Honestly, I don't," Snyder said. "But Man of Steel exists, and Superman is in it. I don't know how you'd move forward without acknowledging that."

Man of Steel trailer featuring Russell Crowe. Warner Bros

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Asked if he and Warner had discussed integrating Man of Steel into a larger superhero universe, Snyder then added: "Um, how can I answer that? I can't really say anything to that, because that's a big spoiler. I will say, yeah, they trust me to keep them on course."

Man of Steel, which stars British actor Henry Cavill as Superman with Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Russell Crowe as Jor-El and Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent, is due in cinemas for June next year. Michael Shannon plays villain General Zod and Laurence Fishburne is Daily Planet editor Perry White. Production is being "godfathered" by Christopher Nolan, who has just completed his own highly successful series of Batman films with this year's The Dark Knight Rises.

Despite hinting that Superman, and Cavill, might be back in Justice League, Snyder said the film-makers were not yet thinking about further solo outings for the character. "We approach the film as a single endeavour," he said. "There are a lot of gears that have to turn in the world of commerce and the world of the mythology we create to facilitate more adventures for this character. We'll see what happens."