Will We See Kryptonite in 'Batman V Superman'?

Production on Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice continues to roll-on and, despite Warner Bros.' best efforts to keep everything under wraps, leaked set photos are inevitable. However, even though unofficial sources have provided photos of Ben Affleck on set, along with a rumored visit from Mockingjay actress Jena Malone, DC Universe fans still have very little concrete information about what to expect from the upcoming Man of Steel and Caped Crusader team-up.

One full year after the film's announcement, with 1.5 years still left before release, insiders across the industry are still attempting to piece together the full Batman V Superman plot - resulting in a mix of unconfirmed rumors and speculation that provide tantalizing possibilities but, so far, aren't adding up to a clear picture of what director Zack Snyder actually has in the works. The conversation has been further complicated by claims that nearly all previously published reports were the byproduct of a hoax by one fan - who reportedly seeded a fake script to websites that later reported the content as insider info.

Now, a new Batman V Superman story rumor has surfaced. A rumor that, like the rest, should be taken with a grain of salt but also considered a potential SPOILER - should it turn out to be true.

First look at Superman in Batman V Superman

Following on the heels of official news that Warner Bros. has commissioned two separate Aquaman scripts in order to deliver the best solo film possible, Geek Tyrant claims to have new plot details from an inside source close to the Batman V Superman production - specifically how three key pieces of Man of Steel lore fit into the 2016 film. That said, before we breakdown the new report, it's worth mentioning that alleged Batman V Superman script hoaxer "Arrogant Alien" has already taken to Twitter, claiming that Geek Tyrant's report is based on his fraudulent script - not the actual screenplay written by David S. Goyer and Chris Terrio.

Check out Arrogant Alien's latest series of Tweets below:

Terrio: Oscar winner with months of prep time. Me: random guy with a few scribbled notes and a couple of days. Todays Rumors: BULLSHIT.

— Arrogant Alien (@SonofArrogance) August 13, 2014

@OogaOogaChackaa There is no way that rumor is true cuz I wrote the exact same thing in my script. Terrio would come up with somethin beter

— Arrogant Alien (@SonofArrogance) August 13, 2014

Who is Geek Tyrant's source and what are they claiming fans will see in Batman V Superman? The site asserts that "an extra who was working on the Detroit set" has provided story details linking Lex Luthor to General Zod and Kryptonite. Specifically, the extra claims the end of Batman V Superman has already been filmed - and that "One of the scenes shot featured Batman breaking into Lexcorp to steal kryptonite, and apparently Lexcorp had somehow gotten ahold of General Zod's body."

In addition, the extra clarifies where Batman V Superman fits into the established DC movie universe timeline: "[Batman V Superman starts] as the battle between Superman and General Zod ends or is ending and Batman/Bruce Wayne is attempting to make his way to the Wayne tower in Metropolis."

Of course, this isn't the first time a report has suggested recent photos of Ben Affleck standing amidst street side rubble are actually for a scene depicting the Superman V General Zod climax in Man of Steel - from Bruce Wayne's perspective. The notion that Bruce Wayne would travel to Metropolis, following Zod's public threat in Man of Steel, only to get caught in the chaos is believable enough - given that Batman has been operating for years by the time Batman V Superman takes place. Though, without definitive proof - any number of alternate explanations are equally possible. At some point in the film, Batman and Superman will have to team-up to face a separate threat, who is to say that a yet-to-revealed villain doesn't just attack Metropolis at a point when Bruce Wayne isn't suited-up in Dark Knight gear?

After all, revisiting the climatic (and controversial) finale of Man of Steel from Wayne's perspective is an interesting but risky choice - given that many viewers already had more than their fill of that destructive battle the first time round. Would Snyder risk starting his new installment off by revisiting a scene that was already a divisive topic among moviegoers? Still, in a film where there is almost guaranteed to be an anti-Superman sentiment onscreen, the destruction of Metropolis is a key story point - and maybe a Bruce Wayne flashback will provide a fresh perspective on the event (from the eyes of non-super powered hero).

Worst Lines Great Movies Man of Steel Kiss

But what about Geek Tyrant's assertion that the Dawn of Justice finale will see Batman break into LexCorp in order to steal Kryptonite - and, in the process, discover that Luthor had acquired Zod's body for study? Again, it's certainly a possibility - especially since Luthor is well-acquainted with Kryptonite and Kryptonian DNA in most versions of the Superman mythology. Since the report is nothing more than hearsay at this point (e.g. no set photos of Ben Affleck in the Batsuit standing outside LuthorCorp) there's no concrete reason to believe Kryptonite or Zod's body will play a role in Batman V Superman; however, as mentioned, the possibilities are intriguing.

Superman comic book history is packed full with storylines and villains that were derived from both Kryptonite and/or Kryptonian DNA - most famously in the creation of Superman killer, Doomsday. Just hours ago (from the time of this writing) we posted a write-up detailing "8 Great Justice League Movie Villain Candidates" - specifically highlighting a Lex Luthor-created Doomsday (or Bizarro) as a possible antagonist in the forthcoming DC hero team film. As discussed in the latest Screen Rant Underground Podcast, we're beginning to wonder exactly how large a role Luthor might play in the DC movie universe - meaning he might actually be in the background for much of Batman V Superman (allowing the titular heroes and their conflict to be front and center) only to surface as the mastermind behind a major threat in Justice League.

In fact, prior iterations of Kryptonite and Kryptonian DNA, across various comic book storylines, have been used to power super weapons, poison or mutate civilian populations, detect the presence of extraterrestrials, interface with alien technology, provide the building blocks for monstrous creations, strip Superman's abilities entirely, and/or even grant equivalent powers to human beings. Not to mention the ties it holds to the one creature who famously bested the Man of Steel in combat.

After all, Snyder himself hinted at the possibility of Kryptonite and teased a future appearance by Lex Luthor following Man of Steel's release:

“[People have been like ‘there’s no kryptonite in the movie’ and ‘there’s no Lex Luthor in the movie’, and by no means am I saying those things don’t exist, I’m just saying he didn’t run into them here [this time].”

Essentially, even if the latest report turns out to be total fabrication, that doesn't necessarily mean that we won't see Kryptonite or General Zod's DNA weaponized in Batman V Superman (or Justice League). It's an obvious storyline to follow - which may be the exact reason why a hoaxer would include those threads in a fake script.