UPDATE: It seems that Cosmic Book News has been making stuff up again, as Premiere has stated that the interview in question never happened. Original story follows…
Earlier this month, Warner Bros. unleashed the third trailer for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which confirmed that as well as fighting each other, The Dark Knight and Man of Steel will be teaming up with Wonder Woman to take on Doomsday. Speaking to Premiere (via Cosmic Book News), production designer Patrick Tatopoulos discussed the inclusion of the villain, and how he fits into the overall narrative. Potential spoilers follow…
“We are able to tell a story in a fresh way,” states Tatopoulos. “Doomsday is an evolution essentially. Fans may be aware of the death of Superman story, but this is handled in such a new way. When the film is called Batman v or versus Superman, it really has a lot of levels to the meaning. Superman isn’t just killed off at the end of something. We see how he evolves as part of Lex’s plan to protect the world. Seeing the Superman we know, be gone, and then replaced with this reproduction is really going to make fans think of how we look at these super beings. It was especially interesting to figure out, how would you create Superman from Zod… then how would that evolve into Doomsday.”
SEE ALSO: Promo for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
While the above quotes are translated from French and therefore may not be 100% accurate, it’s interesting that Tatopolous makes reference to Superman being “gone, and then replaced with this reproduction”. Does that mean we might see an ‘Evil Superman’ at some point in the film?
The article also goes on to address fans who felt that the latest trailer gave too much away, stating that there is a “larger threat” at play, that “Doomsday isn’t just the final act” and that the “timeframe of how things fall into place will surprise fans.”
Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before.
SEE ALSO: Follow all of our DC Extended Universe coverage here
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is set for release on March 25th 2016 and sees Zack Snyder directing a cast that includes returning Man of Steel stars Henry Cavill (Superman), Amy Adams (Lois Lane), Diane Lane (Martha Kent), Laurence Fishburne (Perry White), Harry Lennix (General Swanwick) and Christina Wren (Carrie Farris) alongside Ben Affleck (Argo) as Batman, Gal Gadot (Fast & Furious 6) as Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa (Game of Thrones) as Aquaman, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, Jesse Eisenberg (Now You See Me) as Lex Luthor, Jeremy Irons (The Borgias) as Alfred Pennyworth and Jena Malone (Sucker Punch), Holly Hunter (The Piano), Tao Okamoto (The Wolverine) as Mercy Graves and Callan Mulvey (300: Rise of an Empire) and Scoot McNairy (Argo).
Originally published December 14, 2015. Updated March 2, 2020.
