As much as the world wants a Man of Steel 2, 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is technically a sequel to Henry Cavill's Superman. The DCEU began all the way back in 2013 when Zack Snyder rebooted the Superman franchise for modern times. The film was intended to be the start of Warner Bros.' first major attempt at launching a DC cinematic universe that would compete with Disney's ever-growing MCU. With Superman being the hero that began the DC Universe, it only made sense to have the Man of Steel fly back into theaters to help kickstart a shared universe for the DC brand.
While Man of Steel didn't quite do exactly as Warner Bros. had hoped for at the box office, Snyder's powerful reimagination of the Man of Tomorrow was still a success that prompted the studio to do a follow-up. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was a major chapter for the DCEU as it would not only feature a new take on Batman but the big-screen debut of Wonder Woman, too. The film ended up being an instrumental part in how Warner Bros. then choose to proceed with the DCEU with an initial slate that was heavily changed by the time fans got to 2020.
However, even though there is major interest from fans to see a sequel to Man of Steel, Batman v Superman is actually that follow-up. Some debate that it was more of a Justice League prequel film as it featured the DC trinity with cameos from Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg. While the argument is valid, there is a lot of interest to see a Man of Steel sequel that focuses more on Cavill's take on Superman. It currently is unknown what Cavill's future with the character is at as Warner Bros. has been quiet on what they want to do with Superman on the big screen. Nevertheless, here is how and why Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a direct Man of Steel sequel.
Batman v Superman is a Direct Follow-Up to the Events of Man of Steel
One of the biggest outcomes of Man of Steel was Clark making himself public to the world by becoming Superman. As he emerged, enemies of Krypton made it to Earth as General Zod was going after Kal-El. Even though Clark had barely been in the suit by the time they fought, Superman had to take on the last survivors of his homeworld. That invasion elicited a major reaction from the world's citizens, especially for those who lost their lives that day during their war. Batman v Superman addresses the issues raised head-on, showcasing humans and their various reactions to Superman. Some fear him, while others see him as a savior of Earth, and it causes a massive public debate over the Last Son of Krypton.
Essentially, Batman v Superman is a reaction to the Man of Steel's public arrival as a hero of Earth. The aftermath between him and General Zod is reflected upon heavily which is why so many have differing opinions on Superman in the film. That is one of the major reasons why this is technically a Man of Steel sequel as it has strong ties to and follows up on the events of the first film and their aftermath. Since it was still part of Superman's early days as an iconic hero, it only makes sense that the second film to feature him would address his debut and how it changed the world.
Batman and Lex Luthor Are The Most Logical Man of Steel 2 Villains
With the Superman rogues' gallery being as rich as it is, there were several options for who could be the main antagonist of Batman v Superman. Still, Lex Luthor is his ultimate big bad, and given how impactful Superman's debut had on society, Lex was one of the logical foes to take presence in a Man of Steel follow-up. As for Bruce Wayne, even though he is one of Clark's most famous teammates, Batman v Superman managed to villainize the Dark Knight before they could resolve their differences and team up as the World's Finest. With Lex and Bruce both being power players in the DC Universe, it was logical for Clark to have them enter his life now that he had taken it to the skies as Superman.
While Luthor and Wayne held similar views of Superman as a potential threat, Bruce eventually evolved into seeing the human side of Clark Kent. Batman has historically been one of Superman's closest allies while Lex Luthor perhaps his greatest opponent. Even if Man of Steel had been given an even more official sequel, it would have still been absolutely logical to have Bruce and Lex incorporated in the story as opposites to Clark. Since Batman and Superman had never been seen together on the big screen, it's understandable that Warner Bros. wanted to make that dynamic come to life as fast as possible.
Why There Hasn't Been Another Solo Man of Steel Movie With Henry Cavill Yet
Whether people want to see Batman v Superman as a Man of Steel sequel or not, there is still a bigger question that remains: where is the next Henry Cavill Superman film? Cavill will next be seen reprising the role of Superman in Zack Snyder's director's cut of Justice League coming to HBO Max later this year. This will be the authentic third chapter for Cavill's iteration of the character as the 2017 theatrical cut of Justice League wasn't what Snyder had envisioned for the character. The original idea was to have Cavill star in a five-movie arc that would have concluded with him resembling the more classic and beloved version of Superman.
One reason why a sequel to his franchise hasn't happened was that after Man of Steel's underwhelming box office performance, Warner Bros. executives felt audiences weren't interested in solo Superman movies. However, another reason is that it would have possibly messed up Snyder's vision if there had been other movies in between that five-movie arc. However, given the controversial history of what happened to the Snyder Cut of Justice League, that arc appears to no longer be on the table. That can be seen during Superman's cameo in Shazam! where he has a faceless cameo with his head being cut off the shot. However, with the Snyder Cut officially getting released, that could revive the original plans for Cavill's Superman, even if Warner Bros. has indicated it has no further plans to incorporate Snyder into the DCEU at this moment.
For his part, Henry Cavill has adopted a no-comment policy about whether or not he will be making any more Superman appearances post-Snyder Cut. It might all rely on how it is received when it comes out on HBO Max as it could perhaps lead to a Justice League 2. If a sequel is greenlit, that would theoretically still offer an opportunity for Cavill's Man of Steel series to be completed as the five-movie arc Snyder had originally envisioned. Whether the theoretical final 5th film would be a Man of Steel 2 or Justice League 3 is incredibly unclear, though. Regardless of what happens, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is already our Man of Steel 2, even if not how it was originally envisioned.
