Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice

This goes without saying at this point, but spoilers for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice to follow — so if you haven’t had a chance to see Zack Snyder’s new blockbuster just yet (it’s only Friday, after all), feel free to turn back now. That said, Snyder reveals the very different role Jesse Eisenberg almost had, along with some insight into a key scene that takes place early in the film.

When the cast of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice took the stage at Comic-Con last summer, reports immediately surfaced that Ben Affleck was in talks to direct a new Batman solo film. And almost immediately following those reports, DC’s Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns revealed that he was indeed developing a new Batman film with Affleck. And while Warner Bros. hasn’t made anything official, and Affleck hasn’t formally signed on, the actor and new Batman has confirmed that he is working on “something” with Johns — gee, what could that be?

If you watched Batman vs. Superman, you probably left with a couple questions. What was going on in that “Knightmare” sequence when Bruce Wayne has a vision of an apocalyptic future with Superman ruling an army, flying Parademons and a massive Omega symbol in what’s left of the Earth? And who was that mysterious figure who appears to Bruce and warns him about someone — “You were right about him!” — while telling him that Lois Lane is “the key?” Is this a dream? A vision? A hallucination? And, WHOA that ending! What does all of this mean and how will it impact the Justice League movie and the future of the DC Cinematic Universe? We’ve got your answers!

But Batmen can come in all shapes and sizes, from the bulky and gritty of the latest movie, to the vibrant and comical stylings of Batman in the ‘60s, or even the new costume that debuted in the comics just this week. Whether fans are going after that classic Adam West appeal, the dark and macabre visions of Tim Burton, or the more combat suit-oriented look, there’s plenty of variety to be had underneath that cape and cowl. Cosplayers around the world have shared their favorite visions of the playboy-turned-vigilante to produce some fantastic results. We’ve combed our archives to assemble an overview of our favorites. From specialized scene photos to conventions crawling with caped crusaders, this gallery brings Dark Knights from all walks of life together. We hope you’ll enjoy this gallery of the best Batman cosplays ever.

As has been widely reported, the early critical reception to Batman v. Superman has not been kind. The Rotten Tomatoes rating continues to plummet; what was once at 42% yesterday, now stands at 32%. What’s awkward is that the cast is still making their rounds promoting the film, and one brave and intrepid British reporter gathered the nerve to ask Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Amy Adams and director Zack Snyder what they think about all the haters.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. It's right there in the title: Batman fighting Superman is the titular attraction (and also maybe some justice?), and yet according to a new survey, Wonder Woman is the part of the film audiences are looking forward to the most. Gal Gadot's debut as the iconic superhero ranked highest in the poll, with Jesse Eisenberg's wacky take on Lex Luthor coming in second.

The first critic reviews of Batman vs. Superman hit the web last night and early word was…not kind. The film currently sits at 40% on Rotten Tomatoes. By comparison, the divisive Man of Steel had a 56%. Even The Amazing Spider-Man 2 had a 53% and that film was so bad it single-handedly killed a franchise. Our own critic, Matt Singer, called it a “a burdensome 150-minute slog” in his review. Other reviews have called it “an holy mess,” “a near-total drag” and “a deeply disappointing experience.” Perhaps most importantly though is this sentiment from GQ, which seems to be a recurring theme amongst negative reviews: “The wider problem is that [Batman vs. Superman] doesn’t make you want a Justice League film.” Studios are used to bad reviews, but if the overwhelming sentiment is that the Dawn of Justice doesn’t make you want to see Justice arrive, Warner Bros. has a supersized problem.

It’ll be several more days before we find out if Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice managed to break any box office records (early predictions suggest it might not), but Zack Snyder’s superhero epic has already broke at least one record: the film now holds the record for highest ticketing pre-sales…at Fandango, anyway.

Zack Snyder makes superhero movies, but his characters don’t act very heroic. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice features all the other trappings of the superhero genre: Capes, gadgets, outlandish muscles, punching stuff. But the two stars aren’t noble or chivalrous; they’re violent, aggressive, and angry — mostly at each other instead of the bad guys. In Snyder’s formulation, protecting the world from evil isn’t a gift or a calling; it’s a burden. And that feeling is reflected in the movie itself, a burdensome 150- minute slog about two men fighting over who is in the right when both are very clearly in the wrong.

Finally. I know the movie is called Batman V Superman, but they've both had their cinematic adventures before and the subsequent action figure lines that come with the territory. Both Batman and Superman have had numerous Hot Toys figures too, so for me, it's been all about waiting for that Wonder Woman reveal. The Hong Kong company has done well to keep Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman figure a secret, but now that the first preview screenings have started, it seemed like the perfect time to finally loose the Amazon warrior into the wild. There's not a lot to dislike about this Wonder Woman, but even in releasing the first set of official images for the figure, Hot Toys has managed to not give us a completely clear look at the whole piece. Not counting the accessories montage image, there are just nine images of Wonder Woman available, with six focused completely on the head sculpt. It's not a tactic we're used to seeing, as Hot Toys usually throws more than a dozen different prototype images together for reveals like this which show off more costume and articulation details. The lack of posing in these images has me a little worried.