Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a 2016 American superhero film based on the DC Comics characters Batman and Superman. Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is a follow-up to the 2013 film Man of Steel and the second film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The film was directed by Zack Snyder, written by Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer, and features an ensemble cast that includes Ben Affleck as Batman and Henry Cavill as Superman, alongside Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter, and Gal Gadot. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is the first live-action film to feature Batman and Superman together, as well as the first live-action cinematic portrayal of Wonder Woman. In the film, criminal mastermind Lex Luthor manipulates Batman into a preemptive battle with Superman, who Luthor is obsessed with destroying.

The film was announced at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con after the release of Man of Steel. Snyder stated that the film would take inspiration from the Batman comic book series The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller but clarified that it would follow an original premise. The incarnation of Batman in the film is different from the character's previous portrayal by Christian Bale in The Dark Knight Trilogy, serving as a cinematic reboot of the character. The film is also inspired by narrative elements from the "Death of Superman". Pre-production began at East Los Angeles College in October 2013 and principal photography started in May 2014 in Detroit. Additional filming also took place in Illinois and New Mexico, concluding that December.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice premiered at the Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City on March 19, 2016, and was released in the United States on March 25, 2016. Following a strong debut that set new box office records, the film experienced a historic drop in its second weekend and never recovered. Despite grossing $873.6 million worldwide, making it the seventh-highest-grossing film of 2016, it performed below expectations and received generally unfavorable reviews from critics. An extended cut, dubbed the "Ultimate Edition", features 31 minutes of additional footage and was released to home media formats later in 2016.