Don’t Call BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE a MAN OF STEEL Sequel, Says Henry Cavill

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice star Henry Cavill was at CinemaCon this week to promote his next movie, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and in an interview with MTV (transcription via CBM), he was inevitably asked about his return as the Man of Steel. Cavill affirmed that he has not seen the final film yet, but he hopes to “sometime this year.” He then reveals that, despite assumption otherwise, Batman v Superman is technically NOT a sequel to Man of Steel.

“I wouldn’t call this a Superman sequel,” Cavill says, “This is Batman versus Superman, so it’s a separate entity altogether. It’s introducing the Batman character, and expanding upon this universe, which was kicked off by Man of Steel. It’s an introduction to the [Batman] character, and ultimately an introduction to Justice League.” So, while Dawn of Justice is a follow-up to Man of Steel in terms of continuing the story and expanding the universe, it shouldn’t be considered Man of Steel 2, like some previously have.

I personally see Batman v Superman as multiple things. It could be considered a follow-up to Man of Steel, but it also serves as both a Batman reboot and a prequel to Justice League. However, the way I see it, it is a sequel to Man of Steel the same way that Marvel’s The Avengers is a sequel to Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger. As in, the story of the previous film(s) impacts the next, but the new movie is bigger than merely a direct sequel.

For those disappointed that we are getting a Batman-Superman team-up/versus film before another solo Superman movie (seriously?), don’t fret. Warner Bros. is planning to release a standalone sequel to Man of Steel sometime between 2016 and 2020, along with a solo Batman film and the ten other DC movies being released in this time slot. Stay tuned for more news as we have it.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is scheduled to hit theaters March 25th, 2016. The second installment in the DC Cinematic Universe stars Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter and Gal Gadot. Zack Snyder directs from a script by Chris Terrio and David S Goyer.