zack snyder

We’ve seen more than one character take up the Robin mantle in various Batman comics, shows and films throughout the years — which makes the identity of the dearly departed Boy Wonder in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice somewhat intriguing. There are a couple of likely possibilities, each of them with their own plot implications, and while there’s been a fair amount of speculation, the big Robin question may have just been answered.

Remember when we all pretty much assumed that the Justice League villain would be Darkseid, one of the most powerful beings in the DC universe and a guy who was heavily teased throughout Batman vs. Superman? Ahh, those were the days. As Justice League continues filming in London, a new report suggests that Mr. Darkseid is not the film’s villain as we all assumed. Instead, it’s something even more exciting! Just kidding, it’s Steppenwolf.

In another bit of news that lends credence to the rumors of tension between Zack Snyder and Warner Bros., Ben Affleck has been officially promoted from mere Batman to Executive Producer-Man on Justice League. Snyder is currently in production on the film in London, having begun less than two weeks after Patty Jenkins wrapped principal production on Wonder Woman.

When something goes wrong, we often revisit and analyze the past to find warning signs that were previously overlooked. If you apply that logic to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Man of Steel, for instance, then you could find yourself reading old interviews with Zack Snyder to try and figure out if maybe we knew all along that these were the kinds of superhero movies he was going to make..

One of the better — and perhaps somewhat undervalued — parts of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was Jeremy Irons’ portrayal of Alfred, Bruce Wayne’s longtime advisor / caretaker / BFF. Although it wasn’t directly referenced on screen, the official companion book for Zack Snyder’s film reveals that this iteration of Alfred is much more than a butler — he’s a former special services operative with a wealth of knowledge and combat skills. We may get to see Alfred’s talents on display sooner rather than later, as Irons is officially returning for Justice League.

Despite Ben Affleck’s solid turn as the caped crusader in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, some fans took issue with one particular aspect of this new Batman: he kills. It’s not entirely out of character for the iconic superhero (he’s killed people in the comic books before), but the movie and TV versions of the Dark Knight don’t typically murder bad guys. It’s part of that whole “hero” thing, you know? If you were one of the fans disappointed with Zack Snyder’s decision to have Batman kill some thugs, then boy do we have some news for you.

The number 43 has held many different significances over the years. The newest significance of the number will surely eclipse any previous, however: heretofore, the number 43 shall be known as the exact number of lines of dialogue spoken by Henry Cavill‘s Superman in Batman vs. Superman. (And that’s counting agonized yelling as a line.)

Whether you look at it as a positive or a negative, Batman v Superman was empirically a dark movie. Whether it was needlessly killing Jimmy Olsen or Batman wanting to stab Superman in the heart or all the other assorted murder going on, it was just a dark movie, and that’s what director Zack Snyder wanted. But even for him, there was one scene that was too dark and needed to be cut from the final film.

Since Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hit theaters (and even prior to that), there’s been nothing but talk of the Justice League movies, a new Batman solo film starring and possibly (probably) directed by Ben Affleck, and various other DC superhero movies. But there’s one potential project that hasn’t been discussed: another Superman solo film. Warner Bros.’ DC movie schedule doesn’t include a sequel to Man of Steel, but that doesn’t mean that Zack Snyder and Henry Cavill aren’t thinking about it.

Of the many divisive aspects of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Doomsday turned out to be one of the lesser offenders, though many pointed out that Weta’s design of the character was a little too similar to a handful of their other designs in films like The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Like all visual effects creations, Doomsday went through a few different iterations before director Zack Snyder and his team settled on the final design, and new concept art shows you what the villain could have looked like.