The bigger a movie, the more stories and unbelievable details surface from its production. And with Batman battling Superman with Wonder Woman not far behind, a movie can't get much bigger. With that in mind, we're here without latest case of rapid fire trivia, making sure that comic book fans know all the best stories about DC's universe launching blockbuster in our new dose of Know Your Movies: 20 Amazing Facts About Batman V Superman.
Good Advice
When Ben Affleck ran into Christian Bale not long after he'd been announced as the next Batman, he asked the retiring Dark Knight if he had any advice for capturing a character like Bruce Wayne. Bale's only response? To make sure that this time around, the costume department put a zipper in the suit so he wouldn't need a team to answer nature's call. They did.
New Blood Needed
When Zack Snyder went from Superman to Batman, he begged composer Hans Zimmer to come with him. Having done impressive work with Man of Steel, he agreed. But since he was also the mind behind Christopher Nolan's Batman music, felt it would be impossible for him to start from scratch. As a compromise, he brought in friend and collaborator Junkie XL to handle the Dark Knight, while he stuck to the other characters.
Size DOES Matter
It's impossible to think of an actor who can truly embody all aspects of an anti-hero like Batman, but the producers of the movie revealed that it wasn't just talent, but height they were looking for. To get the right dynamic between the green Superman and veteran Batman, they wanted an actor whom Henry Cavill would have to literally look up to. At around 6'3", Ben Affleck stands more than a little taller than the Man of Steel.
Second Time's The Charm
His movie roles may have divided audiences, but over the past decade, Ben Affleck has shown himself to be a talented director - and a gifted dramatic lead. That's the reason Warner Bros. first approached him to direct the Superman reboot that became Man of Steel. Since he was inexperienced with CG blockbusters, he turned down the job. When he was approached to STAR in a DC movie, it took Zack Snyder to convince him to not just take the part, but learn some tricks of the trade firsthand.
Written in Rubber
In Man of Steel, Superman's famous 'S' was revealed to be a message in Kryptonian. For the follow-up, the team went even farther. Lines were written, then translated in to Kryptonian writing, and embedded into Superman's costume itself, from the arms to the chest, and who knows where else on the finished suit.
Thomas Wayne's Strange Reveal
It was obvious from the casting that nobody was looking to tell a Batman origin story, but a flashback to the iconic death of Thomas and Martha Wayne was inevitable, with Snyder's Watchmen star Jeffrey Dean Morgan playing the part. But how Morgan was actually revealed was more than a little strange. Not a leak, or hint, but a painting. That's right, a prop painting of Thomas Wayne that was unmistakable as the actor let the world in on the secret earlier than expected.
Making Good On Man of Steel
The movie offers more than one reason why Superman killing General Zod was a mistake, but the ending to Man of Steel was no accident. When even Christopher Nolan thought Super should only defeat Zod, Snyder convinced him that the hero's commitment to never kill had to be a lesson he learned. Nolan agreed, letting the superhero he reimagined arrive to hold Superman accountable in his sequel.
Middle-earth Hopefuls
Before Ben Affleck was cast, everyone had their own Batman actor in mind. For fans who want to see three potential Batmen in one film, just load up The Hobbit trilogy, since Richard Armitage, Luke Evans, and Orlando Bloom have all been considered to play The Dark Knight.
Small Town Heroes
By landing the role of the King of Atlantis, actor Jason Momoa becomes one of the most famous people to ever hail from the small town of Norwalk, Iowa, population of under 10,000. In a true case of freakish coincidence, his only competition might be from the small town's OTHER famous son, Brandon Routh, the former Superman himself.
The Last Laugh
When fans first saw the defaced Robin costume in Batman's Batcave, they didn't ask who was behind the writing and laughter spray painted onto it. But just to confirm it was the Joker's handiwork, the second trailer for Suicide Squad shows the exact same handwriting over top of the company cards (shown at the very beginning of the trailer).
Keepsake Coins
When production on the movie was close to wrapping, Henry Cavill decided to give the crew members a gift to remember the experience. In true Superman fashion, Cavill distributed coins bearing the title, shoot dates, and logos of each of the films title heroes.
Pennyworth, Alfred Pennyworth
The movie keeps up the new tradition of casting a well known British film star as Batman's butler, with Jeremy Irons playing the role after Michael Caine. But it was another actor with a very different experience using clever gadgets and engaging in stealth action - Timothy Dalton, the former James Bond.
Holly HuntED
Fans won't find a DC Comics inspiration behind the character of Senator Finch, even if anti-Superman lawmakers are nothing new. But director Zack Snyder admitted at Comic-Con that he created the character specifically for actress Holly Hunter, for no other reason than wanting to work with the veteran talent, and seeing his chance.
Passing The Torch
When Zack Snyder decided that a new Batman was needed to face off against Superman in Man of Steel's universe, apparently even the studio had trouble understanding. Snyder even considered casting actor Christian Bale in a different role in his Justice League universe just to demonstrate that Bale's Batman would be completely replaced. In the end, everyone got the idea without the casting.
Cloth, Not Combat Armor
Ben Affleck's Batsuit couldn't be more different from the versions before, but it's not just a case of changing looks. The costume designer claims that the decision to build the suit out of cloth and fabrics, as opposed to body armor, was an intentional choice, sending the message that it was muscle that made this Batman dangerous, not cutting edge technology.
Filling Out
To make sure that he would be up to that challenge, Ben Affleck apparently began intense training the day after he was cast, eventually adding more than 20 pounds of muscle to his frame, and dropping to just 8% body fat.
Lesson Learned
Henry Cavill learned his lesson when he decided to gain weight for a role between filming Immortals and Man of Steel. By staying at his Superman size, he had a serious headstart, adding twice the bulk that had stunned audiences in Man of Steel. When the first official photo showed Superman even more broadchested than before, it was worth the work.
Written Warnings
Getting cast as a famous superhero is guaranteed to bring out the critics. Warner Bros. was well aware of that fact, so to calm Ben Affleck's fears, they found some of the worst reactions fans had to now famous and beloved actors in superheroes roles. The message was sent, but Affleck couldn't help himself, reading the first negative comment, and swearing off the Internet conversation completely.
A Dark Knight Director
Having won an Oscar from behind the camera, Ben Affleck admitted that shooting the film was a crash course in blockbuster directing. When reading the script, Affleck admitted he couldn't help blocking out the scene and picturing the camera angles he would use. But when he arrived on set, Zack Snyder's solutions and use of cutting edge filming techniques showed Affleck that he still had a lot to learn if he hoped to tackle a comic book movie himself.
Crime Fighting Isn't Cheap
Like any Batman fan, Ben Affleck made sure to lay claim to the Batsuit when production wrapped. Apparently, even a millionaire movie star isn't as rich as Bruce Wayne, since the costume department told him he could absolutely take home the souvenir - if he covered the $100,000 price tag. Affleck decided on taking plenty of photos instead.
Conclusion
Those are just some of the incredible details, bits of trivia and stories from the set of DC's superhero showdown, but which ones have we missed? Let us know in the comments, and remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more videos like this one.