Warner Bros. has released the first Batman v Superman image of Henry Cavill back in costume as the Man of Steel.  It's a way of showing something "new" from the movie without really showing anything new, although it's far better than the image of Cavill just standing around in normal clothes and calling him "Clark Kent".  The Superman costume remains the same, and Cavill still fills it out well.  What's meant to spark speculation is the context of the image, which could be a depressing indicator of the movie to come.  Frankly, it looks like Superman stumbled into Batman's movie, and this photo could be set in Gotham, a town where the sun never shines and no one ever smiles.  I usually don't associate "Superman" with "gloomy", but that's what this image is.  Maybe Warner Bros. can provide some balance by having the next official image show a confused Batman looking around a bright and sunny Metropolis.

Hit the jump to check out the Batman v Superman image along with director Zack Snyder's explanation of why the title contains a "v" rather than "vs".  The film also stars Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Jesse Eisenberg, Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne, Jason Momoa, Holly Hunter, Callan Mulvey, Tao Okamoto, Scoot McNairy, and Jeremy IronsBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice opens in theaters on May 6, 2016.

Image initially via Twitter/Facebook.  High-resolution via Warner Bros.

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Image via Warner Bros.

Talking to USA Today about the film, Snyder says one of his goals is to evolve the character,  and also enjoy "the fun of trying to figure out what to put in front of him that's difficult."

Snyder also noted that he wasn't in a rush to get Batman back on screen but, "on the other hand it seemed organic the way our story was unfolding to start to feather him in."  He also provided an assurance that there's no origin story for Batman this time around because audiences are so familiar with the character, plus ""it's cooler to see a crusty old Batman beating the snot out of guys."

While Snyder has shot a few scenes of Batman and Superman together, he has yet to do any with Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman.  "She's working out and getting buff and ripped," says Snyder.

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Image via Warner Bros.

Finally, we get to one of the more confusing aspects of the movie thus far: the title.  Before the title was officially announced, many sites (ours included) referred to the movie as "Batman vs Superman", and when that was reduced down to "Batman v Superman", it was confusing since that abbreviation is typically used for court cases.

Snyder explained that the reason it's "v" instead of "vs" is "to keep it from being a straight 'versus' movie, even in the most subtle way."  Yeah, that's not how it works.  Removing the "s" doesn't mean we're not having a fight.  "V" is still an abbreviation for "versus".  Additionally, it's not subtle.  If anything, it's more distracting because it's a solitary and apparently ambivalent consonant just sitting in the middle of the title.

But let's be honest.  The "v" isn't the most important part of the title.  What's important is that it lets us know this isn't a new Superman movie or even a new Batman movie.  It's a Justice League prequel.

Here’s the press note for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice:

Filming is underway on Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” the highly anticipated action adventure from director Zack Snyder, starring Henry Cavill in the role of Clark Kent/Superman, and Ben Affleck as BruceWayne/Batman.

“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” also stars Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, with Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane returning from “Man of Steel,” Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Jeremy Irons as Alfred, and Holly Hunter in a role newly created for the film.

“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”is written by Chris Terrio, from a screenplay by David S. Goyer.  Charles Roven and Deborah Snyder are producing, with Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Wesley Coller, David S. Goyer and Geoff Johns serving as executive producers.

Principal photography will take place on location at Michigan Motion Picture Studios and on location in and around Detroit, Michigan; Illinois; Africa; and the South Pacific.

Set to open worldwide on May 6, 2016, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” 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, appearing in comic books published by DC Entertainment.

Click here for rumors about the movie containing villains other than Lex Luthor.