[WARNING: This article contains potential SPOILERS for Batman V Superman]
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It wouldn't be a comic book movie event without more speculation than facts, and Batman V Superman has already managed to surprise comic fans more than they're used to. Not only was Ben Affleck cast as the next caped crusader, but by confirming that the Dawn of Justice will begin with DC Comics' two biggest heroes facing off against eachother, and not a common foe (to begin with).
The first full trailer for the movie set the stage for the stand-off between the godlike Kryptonian and an armored Dark Knight, launching fans into heated discussion of Bruce Wayne's chances against Clark Kent. A new rumor offers one explanation by pointing to evidence shown in the trailer itself - but fans may want to take the report with a grain of salt.
The rumor comes from El Mayimbe's upstart HeroicHollywood, claiming that Bruce Wayne's "anti-Superman weapon" can be seen in the film's trailer. We noted in our initial write-up of the Batman V Superman trailer that Batman can be seen wielding both a scoped rifle and a large, club-like instrument (impossible to make out in any detail). According to this rumor, that weapon is a "Kryptonite-laced spear," using radioactive minerals from Kal-El's home planet to weaken the Man of Steel's invulnerability.
It's not an outrageous rumor, since the presence of Kryptonite is almost a necessity for any cinematic Superman story (and has long been rumored to appear in Zack Snyder's sequel). But it may not prove particularly telling, either. Few viewers assumed that the club shown in the above image was a gun of any kind, able only to conclude that whatever the device was, it was meant to challenge Superman's strength. If Batman's promise that Superman "will bleed" is to be taken literally, there's one substance that makes it possible.
Pair the presence of Kryptonite with the lasting rumors of Doomsday playing a role, and the years of whispers concerning the plot of Batman V Superman may have at least some truth to them. However, where Marvel Studios has pleased fans by adapting entire comic arcs to film, Zack Snyder and Warner Bros. are clearly not following the same strategy. In Zack Snyder's Justice League universe, Aquaman is a tattooed Pacific Islander, and Wonder Woman may be a centuries-old warrior. In other words: fans should expect to be surprised.
Doomsday - or even a Kryptonite-fueled monstrosity going by that same name - isn't expected to actually kill Superman, despite doing just that in the pages of DC Comics. The alien's presence, like that of Kryptonite, may not reveal the overall story at all - and with Justice League on the way, Batman bloodying Superman or 'defeating him' in a literal sense seems problematic.
If the recent rumors that Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) will wear his signature battle armor are true, then Kryptonite would also be needed to make it more than decoration. Could Lex send some of the substance Batman's way as well, pulling the strings to bring two DC heroes into opposition while concocting a plan of his own? It's just one possible way to make sense of these disparate rumors, but the volume and vagueness of leaked details means fans shouldn't get too far ahead of themselves.
Those who read our breakdown of the many ways Batman could defeat Superman on film know that a Kryptonite spear is nothing new, either. The substance has been forged into rings, arrows, blades and spears by numerous allies and villains over the years, acting as deterrents, weapons, or simply as a failsafe should Kal-El lose his grip on right and wrong. Assuming the two heroes forge an alliance (or at least an understanding), Batman's need for a Kryptonite weapon is unclear.
Batman also doesn't appear to have the spear in his rainy confrontation with Superman - a time when it would seemingly come in handy. Perhaps Lex Luthor succeeds in driving Superman to extremes, and Batman pursues him to the unknown location pictured above? Since the club doesn't appear to be glowing green (the telltale signature of Kryptonite), could Zack Snyder be re-imagining the substance as an alien metal capable of piercing Kal-El's un-piercable flesh?
Again, it's all rumor to begin with, and should be taken as such. The remaining months to the film's release are sure to be filled with tiny glimpses into the story and cast, but it's impossible to say which will be important for the future of the DC Movie Universe, and which are meant only as a nod to the source material. On the bright side, the presence of a Kryptonite spear doesn't offer any insight into how it will be used - or who will wield it.
How do you think it will be used in the movie? Are you concerned that introducing Kryptonite will re-tread similar sequences in previous Superman films? Share your thoughts and theories in the comments.
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Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice will be in theaters on March 25th, 2016; Suicide Squad on August 5th, 2016; Wonder Woman - June 23rd, 2017; Justice League - November 17th, 2017; The Flash - March 23rd, 2018; Aquaman - July 27th, 2018; Shazam - April 5th, 2019; Justice League 2 - June 14th, 2019; Cyborg - April 3rd, 2020; Green Lantern - June 19th, 2020.
Source: Heroic Hollywood