Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel is potentially the first in a wave (but definitely not a "phase") of new superhero films from DC Entertainment and Warner Bros., though the style, tone, and music will likely owe a great deal to the last wave - specifically, Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy.

However, one way in which the upcoming Superman film will be a departure from Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises will be its utilization of post-converted 3D.

According to a recent press release from Warner Bros.:

"'Man of Steel' will be presented in 3D in select theaters, as well as in 2D and IMAX, so fans of the iconic superhero will be able to experience the much-anticipated movie in their format of choice."

Of course, this doesn’t come as much of a surprise, as the vast majority of blockbusters released today are shown in 3D. The Dark Knight Rises was the only major superhero film last year to not get a 3D release (and one of the few blockbusters of 2012 besides The Hunger Games and Skyfall), and the lack of 3D may have ultimately cost it the number one spot at the box office to The Avengers.

Man of Steel in 3D
Superman in...3D?

Some of you might say - but isn’t Christopher Nolan producing Man of Steel? And doesn’t that Nolan fellow hate 3D from deep down in the cockles of his heart?

While it’s true that Nolan is no proponent of 3D - hence the reason TDKR did not utilize the technology - it’s also true that he handed off real control of Man of Steel relatively early on in the process. It was probably not too difficult for Warner Bros. to convince Zack Snyder, whose film aesthetic actually kind of lends itself to 3D, to post-convert his take on Superman. (After all, they convinced Guillermo del Toro to post-convert Pacific Rim, and del Toro was openly against it as recently as August.)

From Zack Snyder himself:

"The film is going to be a visually exciting experience in all formats: 2D, 3D and IMAX.  Anticipating how audiences today embrace 3D, we designed and photographed the movie in a way that would allow 'Man of Steel' to captivate those movie goers, while respecting fans who prefer a more traditional cinematic experience.  We’ve taken great measures to ensure the film and the story come first, and 3D is meant as an enhancement."

There are a lot of opponents to 3D on the Internet - I count myself among them - but there’s no denying that moviegoers are still paying for it in droves. It's hard to blame studios for wanting to charge more money for this stuff when audiences are seemingly eager to pay for it.

Are you happy to hear that Man of Steel will be released in 3D, Screen Ranters? Would you have preferred they shoot the film in 3D as opposed to post-converting it? Let us known in the comments.

Man of Steel - starring Henry Cavill and Amy Adams - hits theaters June 14th, 2013.

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