The San Diego Comic-Con begins next week on July 9 and Entertainment Weekly usually commemorates the occasion with a special issue devoted to the geek gathering.
With Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice set to hit theaters next March, the blockbuster is poised to make the splashiest showing among fans and bloggers with a dynamic Hall H presentation. And with EW also under the Warner Brothers corporate umbrella, it stood to reason that the magazine would promote the film by putting DC’s iconic superhero trinity on the cover.
Sure, enough, the special Comic-Con preview issue doesn’t disappoint, featuring Ben Affleck as Batman and Henry Cavill as Superman with Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman front and center.
The Comic-Con preview also includes a feature on the film expected to blow up the DC Cinematic Universe by introducing the characters at the core of an upcoming Justice League franchise. The article includes several images from the movie, including a look at Affleck and Gadot in their civilian identities of Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince, respectively, sizing each other up.
But the main attraction of this movie, ever since the character’s inclusion was announced and the news of Affleck’s casting nearly broke the internet, is Batman. This photo shows the Dark Knight in a mechanized suit meant to take on Superman, whom he views as a threat, inspired by Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns.
The version of Batman Affleck portrays is an older, tired version of the character who’s been fighting his crusade against crime in Gotham City for 20-plus years.
“He’s at the end of his run and maybe the end of his life,” Affleck said. “There’s this sort of world-weariness to it.
“He’s on the verge of being swallowed up by the anger and the rage that we see haunt this character in the other manifestations of it, but this guy is further down the line and has become more embittered and cynical.”
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hits theaters on March 25, 2016.
