Emily Blunt in Looper
Emily Blunt in 'Looper'

Shortly after the big reveal of new Batman Ben Affleck's costume and ride, we learned that the official title of director Zack Snyder's Man of Steel sequel is Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. The new title led to the question of whether or not the film can still be considered a direct Man of Steel sequel at all.

If the persistent casting rumors over the past six months or so weren't enough of a hint, it's becoming clear that Batman V Superman will serve as the latest chapter in an ongoing DC Cinematic Universe saga. Fans may have expected Warner Bros. to copy emulate Marvel and release a series of standalone superhero films before a big Justice League team-up, but it's clear at this point that's not the case.

We've seen the cast continue to expand, with Gal Gadot playing Wonder Woman, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, along with Holly Hunter and (possibly) Jason Momoa. Today we're adding a couple more rumors into the mix, as well.

According to elmulticine.com (by way of Latino-Review), Emily Blunt, star of Looper and the upcoming Edge of Tomorrow, could be joining BvS in an undisclosed role. To go along with that, Batman-On-Film reports that Batman's longtime ally in his personal war on crime Commissioner James Gordon could make an appearance in the film as well. Neither rumor is currently backed by any official, substantial source, so take it all with a lot of salt, as usual.

Batman V Superman Dawn of Justice

At this point, it's difficult to be surprised by the frenzy of casting rumors whirling around the edges of possibly the most anticipated release of 2016. And while one can wonder how there's room in Batman V Superman for the film's title characters at this point, Blunt's casting wouldn't be terribly surprising. The upcoming Edge of Tomorrow sees her as the female lead opposite one Tom Cruise, and the advance word on the sci-fi thriller is sensational.

The main question becomes: who could she play? Another strong woman in a mainstream superhero film would certainly be welcome, and since we're being introduced to our first big-screen portrayal of Wonder Woman, it's entirely possible that we'll also visit - albeit briefly - Princess Diana's home of Themyscira.

Now that Emily Blunt seems to have established herself as an action hero to be reckoned with, after a dynamic turn in Looper and as a futuristic warrior in Edge of Tomorrow, could she portray one of Diana's fellow Amazons, rather than, say, the Daily Planet's gossip columnist Cat Grant? Will Snyder and company take a big dive into the DC universe and introduce Hawkgirl? Or perhaps we're really going to meet Kara Zor-El, a.k.a. Supergirl?

Commissioner James Gordon

Since Blunt's casting has not been confirmed or denied at this point, your guess is as good as ours. The other piece of news, in the form of a possible walk-on (or otherwise) by Jim Gordon, seems like less of a rumor than a given: every Batman movie since Tim Burton's 1989 original has included some version of Gotham's top cop. The late Pat Hingle played the character four times, until Christopher Nolan's rebooted Batman Begins finally gave him something to do.

Gary Oldman's performance in The Dark Knight trilogy was easily one of the highlights of the series, making Ben McKenzie's inheritance of the role in FOX's upcoming Gotham prequel series a potential make-or-break aspect for some fans. Since we're getting a Batman who is "tired, weary, and seasoned" by the time we meet him in Batman V Superman, the notion of seeing certain long-standing members of the Bat Family aside from Alfred doesn't seem too far-fetched.

Still, even without knowing the actual plot, this is a big movie with a huge cast that needs to cover a lot of ground, story-wise. The Dark Knight Rises might have been the final chapter in an Elseworlds-type big-screen Batman universe, but we know the gist of what Batman does, who helps him, and how. Unless Gordon's inclusion is pivotal to the plot, it may just prove a distraction - or just plain confusing, since Gotham and (maybe) Arrow or The Flash could potentially (though not necessarily likely) cross over with DC's planned film series.

What do you think, Screen Ranters? Who do you think Emily Blunt could play in this universe? And who should play Commissioner Gordon? Sound off in the comments!

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Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice opens in theaters on May 6th, 2016.

Source: Latino-Review, Batman-On-Film