When the Man of Steel sequel a.k.a. Batman vs. Superman was first announced at San Diego Comic-Con last year, director Zack Snyder had actor Harry Lennix bring some epicness to the affair by reading a passage from the pages of Frank Miller's legendary comic The Dark Knight Returns. This sparked a surge of speculation and suspected suggestion that the new superhero movie would be partially based on the comic, but now Snyder has put any and all suggestion of that to a rest. As it turns out, Batman vs. Superman is going to be very much its own thing.
The filmmaker is currently doing to the press rounds for the new action movie 300: Rise of an Empire - which he co-wrote and produced - but naturally he is also being peppered with questions about his big upcoming Man of Steel follow-up. Speaking with The Los Angeles Times about the project, Snyder revealed that the script currently being worked on for the project holds no ties to any existing mythology, and is instead very much its own thing. Instead, the film will be used to take the world that we already saw in Man of Steel and build on it. Said the filmmaker,
"[The movie] literally takes the “Man of Steel” and “Batman” universes and explodes them. You’re not as tied to the mythology. In Man of Steel, we had to create an origin story, a mythology, and there’s a lot of energy into that, which we love doing. Don’t get me wrong. But when you think about how fun it is too — now that you’ve got these characters — to now let ‘em loose. That’s fun!"
The movie may not be tied to any previously established story, but what the film will have, the director promises, is all the thrill that comes with finally getting to see Batman and Superman together for the first time in a live-action blockbuster feature (not to mention Wonder Woman and whatever other superheroes they decide to stick in the movie). Snyder understands the historical importance of the film that he is about to make, but he seems to be approaching it with a great deal of enthusiasm. Recounted the director, "We were just testing the suits, right? The new Batsuit and the Superman suit. It wasn’t even with the actors, right? It was just to see ‘em. I was standing there, they were standing next to each other. And I was like, 'Guys, someone take a picture! This has never happened before.'We slightly dork out."
It's worth noting that while Christopher Nolan's take on Batman in The Dark Knight Trilogy was largely original, he still borrowed certain elements from famous comics like Batman: Year One, The Long Halloween, The Killing Joke, Knightfall, and, yes, even The Dark Knight Returns. Hell, even Man of Steel took some inspiration from Superman: Secret Origin. Basically, expect Batman vs. Superman to be its own thing, but don't be too shocked when you see some some familiar parts buried within.
