‘Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice’: Speculations that Superman might meet his end in new film

There is a possibility that Superman (Henry Cavill) might die in Zack Snyder’s forthcoming film “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice.” The film’s two trailers hint at Man of Steel facing dark-times and powerful adversaries.

In Snyder’s “Man of Steel,” Superman and General Zod’s (Michael Shannon) battle left thousands dead and caused massive damage across the U.S., particularly in the fictional city of Metropolis. Superman must now answer tough questions about the trail of death and destruction left behind by that battle, including the death of Bruce Wayne’s (Ben Affleck) employee and destruction of Wayne Tower. Batman, obviously, is not too happy about that.

The Dark Knight considers Kal-El of Krypton a threat to the human species and wants to destroy him for good. "He really thinks Superman is an existential menace, and he believes destroying him will be his legacy," Ben Affleck said in an interview to the French magazine Studio Cine Live, as quoted by Batman-news.com.

Meanwhile, Superman’s arch-enemy Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg), who has acquired lethal Kryptonite, has harvested a Doomsday-like creature from the mortal remains of Zod. Doomsday is the only adversary who managed to kill Superman in the comic book titled “The Death of Superman,” released in 1992. The character will be making an appearance in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.”

The trailers also give the feel that public opinion is gradually turning against Superman, as he is being increasingly looked upon as a threat to the human race.

In the Comic-Trailer released on Youtube, Kal-El attends what looks like a court hearing. A Senator (Holly Hunter) is seen saying Superman’s power is “dangerous.” There is always the possibility that Luthor may be behind this smear campaign.

There are still some who are seen worshipping Superman though. Even a statue has been erected of him at a public place. But this statue could be hinting at his impending death. In Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises,” a statue of Batman was sculpted in the memory of the Caped Crusader, who was believed to have died while saving Gotham.

“Batman V Superman” is being primarily marketed as a film where the two greatest comic book characters square-off against one another, inspired by Frank Miller’s comic “The Dark Knight Returns.” In the film, Batman sports a new metal armour, but it won’t take much of an effort on Superman’s part to completely destroy the Caped Crusader, if he wants to. Batman must have a secret weapon then, which may be Kryptonite, a piece of radioactive rock from Kal-El’s destroyed homeworld of Krypton.

Both Wayne and Luthor are billionaire businessmen and may be well acquainted with each other in the context of the film. The second trailer, however, reveals that Batman and Superman might ultimately decide to end their enmity to fight the monstrous creature with bones protruding from his body. There are speculations that Superman might die fighting the creature.

It should also be considered that Superman as a property of Warner Bros. studio has not been as lucrative as Batman in the last decade. Viewer reactions to “Man of Steel” were mixed at best, while thanks to Nolan, Batman seems to have forever secured a place in the hearts of movie-goers worldwide. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Affleck has even signed a multi-picture deal with Warner Bros. to appear as the Caped Crusader.

The death of Superman, if it happens in "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice," might actually be a blessing in disguise for the last son of Krypton. His absence might generate interest among fans to welcome him again, when he returns after a hiatus, just in time for the proposed "Justice League" movie.

Watch the latest trailer below.