The debate over who would win in a fight between Batman and Superman has raged for decades, and it will likely never end. Next year though, we’ll see the scenario unfold for the first time in live action through Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Just like in The Dark Knight Returns, the Caped Crusader will don high-tech armor (and maybe Kryptonite weaponry) to go toe-to-toe with the Man of Steel, but director Zack Snyder provided a different way Batman has the edge in this fight: he knows which lines Superman won’t cross.
The advantage that Batman has is the goodness of Superman; the compliance to fair play that Superman has... Batman knows how to exploit Superman.
Snyder gave this explanation during an interview with Total Film (via Indiewire), so it sounds like what Batman lacks in physicality and powers, he’ll make up for in cunning. As Henry Cavill mentioned earlier this year, Superman’s moral code drives the decisions he makes, and that can sometimes mess with his thinking, especially if he finds himself facing someone without special abilities. Batman, on the other hand, is more willing to fight dirty, and he’ll use that to his advantage. The question is how far Gotham City’s Dark Knight will go with this exploitation.
Most modern depictions of Batman have him firmly against killing, but the Bruce Wayne we’re meeting in the 2016 blockbuster is not only suspicious of Kal-El as an alien, but also holds him responsible for the lives lost when the Metropolis Wayne Enterprises building went down during the battle with Zod. Remember, we hear Ben Affleck in the last trailer saying "He has the power to wipe out the entire human race, and we have to destroy him." Obviously we know that these two will make up and eventually join forces, but given the opportunity, would this version of Batman kill Superman during the fight if given the chance?
However Bats and Supes end up fighting each other in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, we obviously know that the real villain of the movie is working behind the scenes. A new plot synopsis began circulating earlier this week that mentions both heroes are being manipulated by Lex Luthor "for his own twisted ends." While it remains to be seen what Luthor’s grand plan is (though it’s said to involve Superman’s mother Martha), it’s not surprising that the young industrialist is manipulating the protagonists for his own gain. Unfortunately for him, things won’t go as intended, and presumably Batman and Superman (with Wonder Woman) will work together to stop Luthor and whatever monstrosity he’s created in the climax.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hits theaters on March 25, 2016.
