6 Things You May Not Have Known About 'Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice'

We already knew that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice would be an incredibly big step for DC's future in their cinematic universe battle with Marvel (and all the other entities that are creating film universes: Universal's Monsters, J. J. Abrams's Cloverfield and of course Disney's Star Wars). Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is one of most polarizing films of the year: some people love it while others not so much. Regardless of your opinion on DC as they venture into the creation of their universe, it is bound to be a film that turns heads; as it already has.

Here are 6 things you may now know about Batman v Superman:

1. Ben Affleck almost didn't take the role of Batman.

Affleck has stated that initially he was hesitant to step into a role such as Batman. Considering the backlash he received for Daredevil, not many people would blame him for his uncertainty to commit. Yet, he was won over after meeting with Zack Snyder, who pitched the ultimate vision for the character and the cinematic universe. Snyder also unveiled the concept art for the film, and the rest just fell into place after he agreed to the role.

2. The movie was originally pitched in 2001.

Back in 2001, a Batman vs Superman film was pitched by Andrew Kevin Walker (Se7en, 8MM, Sleepy Hollow and The Wolfman) to be directed by Wolfgang Petersen (Troy, The Neverending Story, Air Force One and Das Boot) and scripted by Akiva Goldman (Batman Forever, Batman & Robin, I Am Legend, and The 5th Wave). This incarnation of the film would find Bruce's fiancee slain by the Joker, sending him into a rampage and eventually coming into conflict with Superman who tries to stop him. A teaser poster was shown in the opening scene of I Am Legend in 2007, long after the film was shelved.

3. Leaking anything online would cost you more than your role.

Every extra in the film was required to sign a contract agreement with the movie studio. Warner Bros. would issue a fine for $5 million if you were found responsible for leaking anything on social media or the Internet in general. As you can imagine, you would probably not be asked to return for the following day of shooting as well.

4. Zack Snyder wasn't the first director asked to helm the film.

If you can imagine the DC Cinematic Universe told in a sweeping epic similar to The Lord Of The Rings, then you can picture what we almost were given. Initially WB and DC offered the job of helming the blockbuster to none other than Peter Jackson who earned WB billions upon billions thanks to The Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit films. Jackson was interested at first, but eventually turned the job down because of creative differences that seem to plague superhero films in general.

5. It's not just about Batman squaring off against Superman.

Whatever Hollywood says, ultimately this movie is all about introducing the concept of the Justice League, which fans have been waiting years for. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is more than just a versus fight between the two titans of DC, it's an introduction to the bigger story which is why Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman joins the party. She is a key player in the DC comic universe and will be in the DC Extended Universe as well. Wonder Woman will be a key reason why Batman and Superman put their differences aside to face the greater threat that is approaching in the remainder of the cinematic universe.

6. The executive board at WB want more Batman.

An early version of the movie was shown to the executives at Warner Bros. who were apparently so impressed that they gave a standing ovation. And on top of that ovational praise, they began negotiating with Ben Affleck to expand his current agreement that included a single solo film to asking for three singular Batman films.