In a fight between Batman and Superman, who would emerge the victor? The comic books, animated series and animated movies have attempted to answer this question in various ways, with both characters winning in various circumstances. When asked his opinion on who would win, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice star Henry Cavill said that it really just depends on Superman’s mood.
In fact, all fights between the Caped Crusader and the Man of Steel boil down to "what frame of mind Superman's in," Cavill told JoBlo while out promoting The Man From U.N.C.L.E. at CinemaCon in Las Vegas. While Cavill wouldn’t go on to further clarify what he meant by this, it might be fair to say that Superman’s biggest enemy is himself.
As an indestructible being by human standards with kryptonite as his only physical weakness, Kal-El is at usually at his lowest when he’s mentally deteriorating. Bruce Wayne, as we’ve come to embrace over the years, is a mastermind who’s more often than not one step ahead of everyone else. In a battle of minds, there’s no doubt Batman would emerge victorious.
In terms of the scenario in the Batman v Superman movie, there are a number of factors that we already know are working against Superman. One is public perception. In the days following the events of Man of Steel, Superman has acquired a fair number of critics, the most notable one being Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg). As we hear in the Batman v Superman teaser trailer, he’s lodging a war against him in the media, and folks like Holly Hunter and those who spray painted "False God" on the Superman statue are rallying behind this public opinion. This will presumably be weighing heavily on Kal-El’s mind.
On top of that, there’s Batman’s new power suit to worry about. Though he’s no physical match to the Kryptonian strongman, we see him wearing special Frank Millar-esque armor, which is reportedly covered in kryptonite and capable of firing missiles.
If there was ever a time when Superman needed his wits about him — or rather, to be in the right frame of mind — it would be for this battle.
The battle begins when Batman v Superman debuts in theaters less than a year from now on March 25, 2016. I suppose it could be anyone’s game, so we’ll have to see if Kal-El is in the right mood.
