Batroversy : Counterpublics and Antecedent Rhetorics in the Casting of Batman By Michael Soares , Illinois State University
Caped Crusaders
Batman v Superman : Dawn of Justice , scheduled to be released in 2016 , is virtually guaranteed to be a major blockbuster . The film , picking up the story from 2013 ’ s Superman-centric Man of Steel , will introduce the latest film incarnation of Batman since 2012 ’ s The Dark Knight Rises , starring Christian Bale as the title character . The stakes for this new film are significant , not only for producers who stand to prosper from a triumphant opening but for fans who care deeply about iconic DC Comics characters they have known their entire lives .
Over the last decade , films depicting comic book heroes have demonstrated a momentous and mostly successful rise . 2012 ’ s The Avengers , which integrated characters from various Marvel Comics franchises into a collaborative narrative , is arguably the pinnacle of this success thus far ; according to Forbes , the film has generated over 1.5 billion dollars worldwide since its release to become the one of the highest grossing films of all time ( Hughes ). Its sequel , Avengers : Age of Ultron , generated a billion dollars nearly two weeks after its release ( Mendelson ). Attempting to capture similar box office glory with its own stable of characters , DC Comics is 43