BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN (2016): Man of Steel Sequel Delayed to 2016

Zack Snyder‘s Man of Steel sequel rescheduled for 2016 release. Warner Bros. has announced major schedule changes for the still untitled follow up to Man of Steel. Filming is now scheduled to begin in the second quarter of this year, for a targeted release date of May 6, 2016; a Warner Bros. press release describing the move as necessary for “allowing the filmmakers time to realize fully their vision, given the complex visual nature of the story.”

While a May 2016 launch will spare the film from 2015’s very crowded Summer slate – and direct competition with The Avengers sequel, specifically – it may only improve the film’s earning potential, not guarantee a lock. Marvel had previously reserved that date for a yet-to-be-announced release, Fox’s X-Men: Age of Apocalypse is scheduled for May 27, and Sony’s third Amazing Spider-Man scheduled for June 10.

Regarding the delay as a measure to accommodate creative vision, this may lend some credence to the most recent Justice League rumors. There has been talk of the sequel as not just a prelude to an eventual Justice League film, but a direct lead-in – the actual Justice League treatment now set for simultaneous production and back-to-back filming. I try to stay away from the rumor mill, but at least this one now has a certain logic to it, if only in hindsight. If true, it would constitute a big gamble for Warner and DC. A gamble that, while similar in size to Marvel’s run-up to The Avengers, would be different in nature, and a good way to break the fever that Marvel has left upon the genre (i.e. the Fox and Sony joint cinematic universe projects).

On the other hand, while it may also pay off in terms of market visibility and talent scheduling, double the reward also means double the risk. The strategy that paid off for Kill Bill also made for an uneven end to the Back to the Future trilogy, and sank the Matrix. For Snyder and Warner Bros., getting to goal faster will demand getting it right with next to no room for error. Marvel had enough momentum going to shrug off any ill will generated by Iron Man 2 and Thor.  For Warner’s rumored batch approach, all it would take is one bad apple.

Even if the rumors don’t pan out, the expansive character and casting additions leaves me wondering whether this project should even be considered a sequel to Man of Steel, at all. We may find ourselves retroactively regarding the original as the first chapter of the Justice League series.

Confirmed headliners for the film, thus far, are Henry Cavill, as Superman, Ben Affleck, as Batman, and Gal Gadot, as Wonder Woman/ Diana Prince/ Diana of Themyscira (her role has yet to be defined).

Leave your thoughts on this Man of Steel 2 update below in the comments section. For more Man of Steel 2 photos, videos, and information, visit our Man of Steel Page, subscribe to us by Email, follow us on Twitter, Tumblr, or “like” us on Facebook. Man of Steel 2 will be released in the US through Warner. Bros Studios on May 6, 2016.

Sources: Variety, CBR, Latino-Review