Batman Vs. Superman

If you thought that Batman taking on Superman would lead to an epic confrontation, a bigger battle on the horizon is now: Marvel Studios vs. Warner Bros. on May 6th, 2016. It was announced last night that the latter has pushed back Batman vs. Superman from its original July 17th, 2015 release date in order to give the team working on the movie “time to realize fully their vision.”

With Joe Wright’s Peter Pan reboot now filling Batman vs. Superman’s original release date, what’s interesting is that Warner Bros. has slotted in their DC superhero movie on the same date already taken by Marvel for one of their currently yet-to-be-revealed releases (speculation ranges from it being another Captain America or Thor sequel to Black Panther, Doctor Strange, or even Iron Man 4).

That early May date has been held by one Marvel movie or another for years, so this could be the first sign that Warner Bros. is about to start giving their rival a real run for their money when it comes to comic book movies.

2015 is already an extremely busy 12 months, with Avengers: Age of Ultron and Star Wars Episode VII now arguably left as the year’s biggest releases. Of course, if delaying Batman vs. Superman until the following May does indeed give Zack Snyder time to deliver a much better movie, then it’s by no means a bad thing. Will Marvel back down though? We’ll just have to wait and see! Check out the full press release below and then be sure to let us know how you feel about this news in the usual place.

BURBANK, CA – January 17, 2014 – Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that the release of Zack Snyder’s untitled Superman/Batman film has been moved to May 6, 2016, allowing the filmmakers time to realize fully their vision, given the complex visual nature of the story. The decision was made following the shift of the start of production to second quarter of this year. The Studio has also set a July 17, 2015, worldwide release date for its as-yet-untitled all-new Peter Pan adventure. Joe Wright will direct the epic live-action film about the boy who would never grow up, created by J.M. Barrie. The dual date announcement was made by Dan Fellman, President, Domestic Distribution, and Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President, International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

In making the announcement, Fellman stated, “We are happy to take advantage of these coveted summer dates, which are perfect for two of our biggest tentpole releases. We share the fans’ excitement to see DC Comics’ most popular figures, Superman and Batman, together on the big screen for the first time, which will now be arriving in theatres in May 2016. Peter Pan has delighted people of every generation for more than a century, so we are thrilled to bring him back to the screen next summer for today’s moviegoers.”

Kwan Vandenberg added, “We know that there is already great anticipation building for the next Super Hero film from Zack Snyder, and we are equally eager to see what he has in store for Superman and Batman as they share the big screen for the first time ever. The summer release corridor is also perfect for Joe Wright’s ambitious new Peter Pan adventure, reimagining the ageless story of the beloved and forever-young hero for audiences worldwide.”

Zack Snyder’s Superman/Batman film stars Henry Cavill, reprising his role as Superman/Clark Kent, and Ben Affleck as Batman/Bruce Wayne. The film will also reunite “Man of Steel” stars Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane, and also stars Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince.

Snyder will direct the film from a screenplay written by David S. Goyer, from a story co-created by Goyer and Snyder. Charles Roven and Deborah Snyder are producing, with Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan and Wesley Coller serving as executive producers.

The film is based on Superman characters created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster, Batman characters created by Bob Kane, and Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston, published by DC Entertainment.

The new Peter Pan adventure will be directed by Joe Wright from a screenplay by Jason Fuchs, incorporating J.M. Barrie’s classic characters. The film is being produced by Greg Berlanti and Paul Webster.