Like with any massive blockbuster, the rumor mill tends to go into overdrive as fans scurry for every piece of information they can find. Early in a filmâs development, more often than not, those nuggets of info turn out to be false while the closer we get to a filmâs release, the truth comes out.With the release of Batman v Superman, weâve gone all the way back to when the film was first announced as an untitled Batman/Superman project at Comic-Con 2013 and dredged up all the rumors that surfaced over the course of the movieâs development.[Major spoilers ahead for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice]
Warner Bros. Seeking Older Batman for âBatman vs. Supermanâ
Hereâs the Rumor: Not long after Warner Bros. announced their Batman/Superman movie at Comic-Con (it wouldnât get an official title for almost a year), Batman on Film reported that Warner Bros. was looking for actors in their mid-40s âto play a version of Batman who is âa grizzled veteran who has been on the job for several years.â
Hereâs the Truth: Warner Bros. ended up casting Ben Affleck, who in his early 40s, and this Batman was indeed a grizzled veteran, but who has been working as Batman in Gotham City for longer than several years.
Ben Affleckâs Batman Costume Will Be Inspired by âBatman: Noelâ?
Hereâs the Rumor: CBM claimed that the new batsuit, specifically the cowl, would be based on the 2011 graphic novel, Batman: Noel. Additionally, Batman on Film reported that the new Batmobile would have a significant deviation from Nolanâs Tumbler designs and will have a markedly less military look.
Hereâs the Truth: Even though they both have short ears, the new Batsuit doesnât look like the one from Batman: Noel where the cowl blends together with the bat symbol. Itâs far more reminiscent of the batsuit from The Dark Knight Returns. As for the new Batmobile, itâs a bit of a cross between the Tumbler and the long-hood design of the 1990s Batmobiles.
Dick Grayson/Nightwing Will Be in the Movie
Hereâs the Rumor: In November 2013, Latino Review reported that they âheard the rumor from very trusted sourcesâ that Dick Grayson (aka Nightwing) would be in the movie, although no one would confirm it. The Wrap further compounded the rumor by saying that Adam Driver was the frontrunner to play the part.
Hereâs the Truth: Itâs a good thing no one would confirm it because Nightwing is not in the movie. The closest we get is a suit for a dead Robin, and if Snyder is sticking the to the comics, itâs not Dick Grayson who âdiedâ, but Jason Todd (who later returned as the Batman villain the Red Hood).
Batman Will Use Drones
Hereâs the Rumor: With echoes of Mark Waid graphic novel Kingdom Come, Warner Bros. producer Daniel Alter said that Batman was âsemi-retired/not speaking to Robin anymore.. Controlling drones from the batcave.â
Hereâs the Truth: Not sure why Alter tweeted this. Batman is still fully employed as Batman, I guess you could say heâs not speaking to Robin because Robin is dead, and there are no drones.
Lex Luthor Not the Only Villain; Wonder Woman Has a Cameo-Plus Size Role
Hereâs the Rumor: In January 2014, Batman on Film reported that the movie was âtruly a Superman filmâ and that while Lex Luthor was the villain, he wasnât the only one and that the bad guy wouldnât be from Batmanâs rogues gallery.
Additionally, they claimed while Batman would play a major role, his presence was primarily to set up the new âDCU on Film Batmanâ and the same went for Wonder Woman, although her role would be much smaller, along the lines of Black Widow in Iron Man 2.
Finally, they said that Jason Momoa was not playing Martian Manhunter or Aquaman because neither character was in the movie.
Hereâs the Truth: Well, they did get the bit about Wonder Woman right. It is a cameo-plus sized role thatâs on par or perhaps slightly above Black Widow in Iron Man 2. They were also right about Lex not being the only villain. Thereâs also Callan Mulvey's henchman, and, more importantly, Doomsday.
On everything else, the rumors didnât pan out. Superman takes a back seat to Batman in this one, or at the very least, theyâre on equal footing. Additionally, Momoa is in the movie and he plays Aquaman.
Lex Luthor to Have Hair; Will Be a Spastic
Hereâs the Rumor: By June 2014, cameras had already been rolling for a few months, and Batman-News reported that Jesse Eisenbergâs iteration of Lex Luthor had a lot of hair that was âa bit longer, kind of loose and wavy, and itâs dirty blonde.â Furthermore, when it came to the characterâs personality, âLuthor has spastic mannerisms, like a 20-something guy that pounds energy drinks all day.â
ComicBook.com went onto describe a scene where they claimed that Holly Hunterâs character was a U.S. Senator and that the scene takes place âearly in the filmâ with Lex seeming âto embarrass or be very disrespectful to the congressmen on his way out.'â
Additionally, our source told us about Lex: âYou are going to hate this guy. You are going to root for him to be punched by Supes when he weasels his way out of legal trouble. He is cocky and confident because he is THAT good at what he does. Heâs a billionaire who knows he is more powerful than the Senator and Congressman visiting because heâs a billionaire.â
Hereâs the Truth: This was right on the money both in terms of Lexâs hairstyle and in his behavior, although Eisenberg plays the characterâs cockiness without any of the charm.
Lexâs Hairstyle, Motives, Wonder Womanâs Costume, and Bruce Wayneâs Dwellings
Hereâs the Rumor: A couple weeks later, we got a collection of new rumors for the film. JoBlo claimed that Lex started with long, red hair and that his dislike for Superman came because thereâs someone out there more powerful than him. He also tried to persuade people to dislike Superman and is moderately successful.
When it comes to Wonder Womanâs costume, JoBlo described it as âtraditional yet sleekerâ and âbattle readyâ. Sheâll have âblue leather skirt, silver-armored cuffs that reach to her elbows, golden tiara (with a design of some sort in the center, possibly the red star) and a variation of the traditional-looking red top.â Furthermore, sheâll be using a sword, shield, spear, and a lasso. Sheâll carry the shield on her back, Captain America-style.â
As for how the movie would introduce Diana, JoBlo claimed that the movie would introduce her as Diana, and she, âwill have a fair amount of screen time and will team up with Batman and Superman for the final battle against an un-named villain who may be working or controlled by Lex Luthor.â Additionally, while her origins will be left vague, her presence would like people know Superman isnât the only person with superpowers.
Finally, when it comes to Batman, JoBlo reported that the character was a âveteran crime fighter that will do anything it takes to get the job doneâ who doesnât see eye-to-eye with the rule-following Superman. Additionally, while Wayne Manor is in the movie, Bruce Wayne chooses to spend his days on the propertyâs modern-looking cottage by a lake. However, the Batcave was still beneath the grounds and holds the Batmobile, Batwing, etc.
Hereâs the Truth: These mostly came out as false or half-truths. Lex doesnât have red hair, he doesnât really do a good job of convincing anyone to hate Superman, the reason he hates Superman is because of daddy issues and overdeveloped atheist tendencies.
For Wonder Womanâs costume, they were mostly spot on, although the bracelets donât reach the elbows and she doesnât use a spear. They were also right that Wonder Woman would team up with Batman and Superman to fight a villain working for/controlled by Luthor, and that itâs clear she has superpowers.
And as for Batman, everything we see of him on the Wayne Manor grounds is in his Batcave or in the ruins of the mansion. Not sure where they got lake cottage. [Edit: As commenters have pointed out, indeed there are a couple of scenes at Batman's lake cottage in the film.]
âBatman v Supermanâ to Have Four Villains in Addition to Lex Luthor
Hereâs the Rumor: In July 2014, we heard that there would be a collection of secondary villains, which included Batman nemesis Victor Zsazs, Lex Luthorâs spokesman Morgan Edge, assassin David Cain, and Suicide Squad founder Amanda Waller.
Hereâs the Truth: There are only two villains in addition to Luthor, and both are in his employ. One in lead henchman Anatoli Knyazev and the other is Doomsday. None of the rumored villains appear in Batman v Superman.
Doomsday One of the Five Villains in âBatman v Supermanâ
Hereâs the Rumor: In addition to the aforementioned villains, there was also going to be a fifth baddie in the mix. Bleeding Cool reported that some of their most reliable sources had seen Doomsday designs for the movie.
Hereâs the Truth: Unfortunately, the movie indeed features Doomsday, a character without a personality, motives, or any purpose other than to be a walking set piece. But Doomsday is a big part of Batman v Superman.
Batman v Superman Rumors Reveal Ending Details, Timeline, Luthorâs Plan
Hereâs the Rumor: In August 2014, a little over a year since Batman/Superman was announced, some hard details on the plot surfaced. First, an extra told GeekTyrant that one of the scenes shot featured Batman breaking into LexCorp to steal kryptonite, and apparently LexCorp had somehow gotten a hold of General Zodâs body.
Badass Digest confirmed and added, âLex has been gathering pieces and debris from the World Engine and he has used them to synthesize Kryptonite. Meanwhile he has also gotten ahold of Zodâs corpse, and it is the key to his master plan to defeat Superman. He uses that tissue toâ¦â and then showed an outline of Doomsday.
GeekTyrant also claimed that the movie picks up as the battle between Superman and General Zod ends or is ending.
Hereâs the Truth: This is pretty close to what we got. We didnât see Batman rob LexCorp, but we see he (stupidly) left his calling card after the theft. Lex also has Zodâs body and transforms it into Doomsday.
However, thereâs no need to synthesize Kryptonite. Lex just gets it from the bottom of the Indian Ocean. Also, technically the movie begins with the funeral/death of Bruce Wayneâs parents, but the real first scene is the battle between Superman and General Zod.
Is Scoot McNairy Playing The Flash?
Hereâs the Rumor: Scoot McNairy was spotted wearing an otherwise normal business suit that was cut off just below the knee and replaced with a bright green fabricâthe kind of green fabric that is used for digital replacement. This means they could be having some fun with his legs to make him The Flash.
Hereâs the Truth: Nope. He was playing Wally, a security guard who worked at Wayne Enterprises and lost his legs in Supermanâs fight against Zod.
New Details on the Batmobile and Batsuit
Hereâs the Rumors: In October 2014, Batman News claimed that the new armored Batsuit âhas Kryptonite all over it and can shoot missiles,â and that there were two Batmobiles.
Hereâs the Truth: No and no. The armored Batsuit does not shoot missiles nor is it covered in Kryptonite. Batman uses Kryptonite gas to weaken Superman, and plans to take down the Man of Steel using a Kryptonite spear. Thereâs also only one Batmobile, although the Batwing also makes an appearance.
âBatman v Supermanâ Will Directly Address âMan of Steelâ Criticisms
Hereâs the Rumor: Once filming had wrapped on Batman v Superman, Badass Digest heard that the film would directly address Man of Steel criticisms like Superman not killing with a scene of Superman confronting a big bad guy, unraveling his plot, and saying âI wonât snap your neck, Iâm going to take you to prison.â Additionally, during the big fight sequence, General Swanwick (Harry Lennix) says, âSuperman will move the battle away from populated areas because heâs a hero, and thatâs what heroes do.â These lines were from a draft that was turned in a month before filming began.
BDâs report also said that while the movie would open with Bruce Wayneâs backstory, it would then largely shift to more Superman. Furthermore, the movie takes âplace a few years after Man of Steel, Lois and Clark are living together and still working at the Daily Planet, and the global implications of Superman (eg. China doesnât want him in their air space) are explored.â
Hereâs the Truth: Batman v Superman does address Man of Steel complaints in that it makes sure characters let us know that areas are uninhabited before a fight goes there. Also, Batman's motivations are, in a way, a direct response to Man of Steel. Thankfully, the lines of dialogue mentioned above are nowhere the be found.
The movie begins 18 months after the events of Man of Steel, not a few years, and while Lois and Clark live together and work at the Planet, the movie doesnât get too deep into how Superman is perceived outside of the U.S.
New âBatman v Supermanâ Rumor Teases Scoot McNairyâs Role
Hereâs the Rumor: /Film reported in August 2015 that Scoot McNairy was playing Jimmy Olsen, and that while the character had lost the use of his legs, he doesnât blame Superman. Heâs grateful that Superman saved the world.
Hereâs the Truth: Again, McNairy plays a guy named Wally. And on the contrary from feeling grateful for Superman, he hates the Man of Steel and blames him for ruining his life. Heâs eventually used as a suicide bomber for Lex Luthor. As for Jimmy Olsen, the movie never even identifies him as such, but heâs the photographer/CIA spook with Lois at the beginning of the film who gets shot in the head.