More BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE Stills Released; Zack Snyder Talks Chris Nolan’s Legacy and Marvel vs. DC

The latest issue of Empire Magazine is filled with plenty of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice goodies, and thanks to Comic Book Movie, we have some scanned still images from the film. In addition to the above shot of a pissed off Superman confronting Batman, we have new looks at the Daily Planet crew, Bruce Wayne and Alfred, Diana Prince, and more.

There’s also a couple behind-the-scenes images. One is of Ben Affleck (in full Batman garb) speaking with director Zack Snyder, and the other is a closer look at that final shot from the Comic-Con trailer.

In addition, Empire held a lengthy interview (via CBM) with Snyder, as well as other producers for the film. Snyder explained that there was less pressure for Batman to co-star with Superman in Dawn of Justice than to have the Caped Crusader star in yet another solo film, because Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy has set the bar very high. “If it was a Batman movie it would be a much more difficult proposition because of how good Chris’ movies are. We live in gratitude to those movies. Chris set a tone for the DC Universe, and separated us from Marvel in a great way. We are the legacy of those movies.” Of course, a solo Batman movie is in development, with Ben Affleck directing, starring and co-writing with Geoff Johns.

Speaking of Marvel, anyone who frequents comic book websites is well aware of the “rivalry” between Marvel and DC Comics. There are countless comparisons between the two companies and which one is “better.” Here, Snyder reaffirms that the DC Extended Universe is very different tonally from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, calling the former an “ancient world.”

Wife and Batman v Superman producer Deborah Snyder elaborates, saying that while she loves Marvel’s work, DC’s films will have a more serious and realistic tone. “I can see how people would want to make it this big, intnse rivalry. Listen, they are so great. I loved Guardians of the Galaxy…our films are a bit more serious. They deal with things that are a little darker. Things that place them in our world.” Very true. Fans take this rivalry stuff far too seriously, and they should instead hope for ALL comic book movies to succeed, regardless of the company.

Stay tuned for much more Batman v Superman coverage soon.

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.