When Warner Bros.‘Man of Steelcame out in 2013, critics and audiences alike were essentially split down the middle. The superhero adventure scored a 56% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while taking in a slightly-underwhelming $291.3 million domestic, and $668 million at the worldwidebox office. While those numbers aren’t terrible by any means, it was produced for a whopping $225 million, cutting into the studio’s profit margins. Regardless, just a few months later, Warner Bros.’ announced at Comic-Con that bothBatman(Ben Affleck) andSuperman(Henry Cavill) will collide inBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, a decision that was reportedly made just three days before the San Diego convention. Now with just over one month left before the movie hits theaters, reports have surfaced that the studio is “worried” about the movie and the burgeoning superhero slate they built around it, while a new rumor fromLatino Reviewclaims that the budget has spiraled out of control.
Last week, a report surfaced that claimedBatman v Supermanand their DC Extended Universe is in “trouble,” and that the studio is worried about the movie after earlyscreening reactions. The report also claimed that the studio may even delayJustice League Part 1, replacing it withBen Affleck’s rumoredUntitled Batman Reboot. Even ifJustice League Part 1does start on time, word is thatZack Snydermay not direct it. According to this new report, the studio is more “nervous” than “worried” about the movie, because it may be just as divisive asMan of Steel, and because the budget has balloned beyond expectations.
This report claims that the total budget, including marketing costs, is now north of $400 million, nearly twice whatMan of Steelcost to make. If these budget figures are accurate,Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justicewill now have to make at least $1 billion worldwide to be considered a hit. The site’s source, who has seenBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, claims that the movie is good, but compared it toMan of Steel, claiming that this could divide audiences and critics alike much like the 2013 movie did, which could result in a box office take that is much lower than the studio needs.
As forJustice League Part 1, this new report claims that Warner Bros. is still moving forward, withZack Snyderat the helm and production still set to begin this spring, most likely after the cast and crew finish promotingBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Still, the studio is “nervous” thatBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justicewon’t be the “universal crowd-pleaser” they so desperately need it to be. If the box office results aren’t quite up to the studio’s standards, then it may actually cause Warner Bros.' to re-evaluate their plans after the two-part Justice League movie.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justicelaunches Warner Bros. newDC Comicsslate of movies, includingSuicide Squad(June 29, 2025),Wonder Woman(July 30, 2025),Justice League Part 1(August 09, 2025),The Flash(July 31, 2025),Aquaman(June 19, 2025),Shazam!(August 19, 2025),Justice League Part 2(July 11, 2025),Cyborg(July 30, 2025) andGreen Lantern Corps.(June 30, 2025). While all of these release dates are set, the lackluster performance ofBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justicecould throw the studio’s plans into a tailspin, but we’ll have to wait and see. What do you think about these rumors swirling aroundBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice?
