With Henry Cavill making a long-term return as Superman, the potential exists for the Man of Steel to form a real partnership with Ben Affleck’s Batman in the DCEUcapitalizing on the missed opportunities of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Following Cavill’s Superman cameo in Black Adam’s post-credits scene combined with subsequent reports from the actor himself, it has been confirmed that the DCEU’s Man of Steel will stick around with more content for quite some time to come. Since Affleck has already confirmed future appearances as the Dark Knight, there’s now hope for a legitimate team-up movie.
While Batman vs Superman saw Clark Kent join forces with Bruce Wayne after being manipulated by Lex Luthor into fighting each other, their actions largely separated during their fight with Doomsday. Likewise, the arrival of Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman essentially made it a team-up from the live-action DC Trinity, rather than just the two coming together as the world’s best. However, there is now a chance that Cavill and Affleck will reunite, bringing a satisfying depth to their relationship beyond the battles with CGI villains in the DCEU (Doomsday in Dawn of Justice and Steppenwolf in Justice League).
BvS has not fully lived up to its Batman & Superman potential
While Wonder Woman’s involvement in Batman vs Superman isn’t inherently bad, it detracts from the dynamism that Clark and Bruce could have had as the film’s titular heroes. Likewise, the general build-up to the Justice League’s formation also takes away any sort of bigger partnership that the two heroes could have had in the third act of the movie (once they finally stopped fighting each other). Additionally, for most of the Doomsday battle, Batman stands apart from Superman, first rescuing Martha Kent before helping Wonder Woman face the monster. Meanwhile, Clark took on Doomsday himself before parting ways with Lois Lane and sacrificing himself to kill Luthor’s monster with a kryptonite spear.
Things don’t get much better for Batman and Superman in Justice League or. After the League resurrects Superman with one of the Mother Boxes, Superman nearly kills Bruce before being stopped by Lois and remembering who he is. The rest of their time is mainly spent fighting the CGI Steppenwolf of Apocalypse with the rest of the League. In reality, the only real moment the two heroes have together as partners is when Bruce reveals that he bought a bank to save the farm in Kent. In both films, Batman and Superman should have been given more time to become true allies.
Affleck & Cavill return means Batman and Superman can team up
Now that Cavill’s Superman is truly back in the DCEU after years of uncertainty, Ben Affleck’s Batman can now become a true ally and friend to Clark. Affleck is currently confirmed to have appearances in The flash like Aquaman 2. However, he could certainly be hired for more as Cavill similarly continues his role in the DCEU.
In the original DC Comics, Batman and Superman’s opposing tactics and abilities make their partnership one of the most interesting and entertaining in the DC universe. As such, it deserves to be explored on screen after Batman made up for his rivalry in Batman vs Superman by bringing Superman back to life in Justice League. A third film positioned as a true team-up adventure would be the perfect way to conclude a “trilogy” for their relationship. I hope a Dark Knight and Man of Steel reunion is part of the DCEUthe plans for the future.
