Between "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," "Captain America: Civil War" and "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" we've officially reached the tipping point of a new trailer war among studios.
The debut trailer of "Civil War" was released last week as part of an appearance by stars Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," following up on months of trailers and TV spots dropping for the upcoming continuance of the Star Wars franchise.
In the wake of that trailer, a teaser debuted Monday night for "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," a highly talked about film set to debut in March 2016 as a sequel to 2013's "Man of Steel." It will feature a battle between two of the world's most iconic superheroes in what will serve as a launching pad for the upcoming DC Cinematic Universe which will feature films for Wonder Woman, Flash, Cyborg, Green Lantern and the entire Justice League.
A lot is known about the film's basic plot line, but director Zack Snyder likely has some tricks up his sleeve to surprise moviegoers next spring. Here are my top five predictions for "Batman v Superman."
The Dark Knight has a nightmare
In Monday night's teaser, we see a wounded Batman strung up in what appears to be an underground prison of some sort guarded by armed soldiers wearing Superman's iconic symbol on their uniforms.
Henry Cavill's Man of Steel then swoops onto the scene and unmasks Batman, revealing his secret identity as billionaire business tycoon Bruce Wayne.
Batman's secret identity has always been a major part of his aura in the comic books and was a key part of his message in the Christopher Nolan "Dark Knight" trilogy, so to reveal Batman's identity in his first appearance within this universe would be a big departure from canon.
More likely, Snyder is using a dream sequence to highlight the worst case scenario, which he did in "Man of Steel" when General Zod showed Kal-El a post-apocalyptic Earth to emphasize the violent results of his intended plan.
Batman is clearly concerned about Superman's untapped power and control so its logical that Bruce Wayne's nightmare is to be captured by his enemy and have his secret identity revealed to the world. It would make sense that this scene takes place in a Knightmare — pardon my pun.
We haven't seen the last of General Zod
Much was made of the decision in "Man of Steel" to have the showdown between Michael Shannon's Zod and Superman end with Zod's neck being violently and gruesomely snapped.
Even for a super-powered alien, a snapped neck is hard to bounce back from, and the last we saw of Zod, he was in a body bag.
Despite this, rumors have been swirling that Zod might return through some feat of technological magic as another iconic Superman foe: Doomsday.
Shannon was involved in the filming of "Batman v Superman" though reports indicate that beyond scenes of his corpse, his involvement was entirely for flashbacks and voiceovers.
Having Lex Luthor revive Superman's murderous arch-enemy and transform him into an undead, indestructible weapon would be the perfect way to unite the sparring heroes.
Batman steals the spotlight
We've already heard indications that Ben Affleck is so successful as the Dark Knight that he's stealing the spotlight and screen time from the Man of Steel.
Christian Bale was wildly successful as the Caped Crusader in Nolan's trilogy, but recasting the hero was necessary given a new cinematic universe and a new take on the character.
While fans might pine for the gruff-voiced, rigid intimidation of Bale's Batman, the Batfleck is on par with, if not exceeding the high bar set by his predecessor.
Plans are already in place for a Batman solo fan and Affleck figures to appear in both upcoming Justice League films. This could be the start of another successful iteration of the iconic hero.
Gal Gadot impresses as Wonder Woman
Production is underway already for Wonder Woman's silver screen debut in a stand-alone film but "Fast and Furious" alum and Israeli superstar Gal Gadot will make her debut as Wonder Woman in "Batman v Superman."
Details about her involvement in the showdown aren't well-known, but insiders are reporting that Gadot steals the scenes with each appearance.
It's high time for a female superhero to claim her fair share of screen time and attention and with the recent debut of Marvel's "Jessica Jones" and plans for an upcoming Captain Marvel film, Wonder Woman's emergence on the scene comes at the perfect time for women with superpowers.
Read More: Netflix's 'Jessica Jones' darkest, best Marvel production yet
Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of pressure on Gadot to portray arguably the third most important DC super hero, but I have a good feeling about her performance.
Lex Luthor disappoints
I am decidedly less optimistic about is Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor. Maybe it's because Kevin Spacey's performance of the role in "Superman Returns" was so lackluster. Maybe it's because we last saw an intriguing comic book villain in 2008 with "The Dark Knight." (I'm referring to Heath Ledger's Joker, if it's not obvious already.)
Early rumors seem to indicate that Luthor's role in the film as a manipulative puppet master who influences Batman and Superman into two corners of the proverbial boxing ring.
My hesitance has nothing to do with Eisenberg as an actor. His performance in "The Social Network" was impressive, and he's followed it up with plenty of strong performance.
I just have a hard time seeing "Zombieland" Eisenberg portraying the kind of commanding, intimidating presence that Luthor is all about. This is one prediction that I'm really hoping I'm wrong about.
Related Links:
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'Superman' reboot's only hope: Jesse Eisenberg
Reach the reporter at icbeck@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @ICBeck21.
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