Superman to battle Batman in Man of Steel sequel

Superman and Batman will face off in 2015

At Comic-Con, Warner Bros. announced two superheroes will team up on the big screen.

Bale and Cavil portraying  Batman and Superman

"Man of Steel" director Zack Snyder took the stage for a surprise announcement at the tail end of the joint Warner Bros./Legendary Pictures preview panel.

"There's been a lot of speculation about what we're doing," he said, after thanking fans for their support. "It is official that we are going to make another Superman movie."

DC Comics

While both Superman and Batman are superheros in the DC universe, they have been portrayed as nemeses in DC's "Dark Knight" comics, from which Christopher Nolan adapted his "Dark Knight" Batman franchise. 

Nolan will serve as executive producer to the sequel, Warner Bros. said.


The studio is banking on the success of other recent films that have paired up heroes from the comic book universe, such as Disney's (DIS.N) Marvel superhero ensemble "The Avengers" in 2012, which made $1.5 billion at the worldwide box office.



Nolan's 2012's "The Dark Knight Rises,"starring Christian Bale as Batman, has made more than $1 billion at the global box office.

"Superman" has not always seen a success at the box office and 2006's sequel starring Brandon Routh did not perform up to industry expectations.

Zach Snyder in a press meet

The movie will be titled Superman & Batman according to The Los Angeles Times; Snyder will direct the film, slated for 2015; and—according to The Hollywood Reporter—Henry Cavill will reprise the role of Clark Kent/Superman, but it’s unclear who will play Batman. Bale has previously shot down rumors that he would play the masked hero again. Man of Steel screenwriter David S. Goyer will pen the script.

Greg Silverman, president of creative development at Warner Bros., said the studio could not think of any director better suited to bringing Superman and Batman together.

"Zach Snyder is an incredibly talented filmmaker, but beyond that, he's a fan first and he utterly gets this genre," he said in a statement.

Warner Bros., a unit of Time Warner Inc (TWX.N), showcased a number of upcoming films on Saturday at Comic-Con, including "Seventh Son," "300: Rise of an Empire," "Godzilla" and "The Lego Movie," which will bring together Superman and Batman in animated Lego form.