In the middle of the night on September 1st, a twitter user by the name of @harrydean94 posted a video to his account. The clip showed a man in a Batman costume biting the head off a pillow. The account is verified and has more than 10 million followers. The video quickly went viral and has been viewed over 16 million times as of this writing.

The following morning, many of the account’s followers were abuzz about the mysterious man in the mask. When questioned about the strange behavior, @harrydean94 explained that the strange scene was from the upcoming movie, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Naturally, this prompted many fans to ask for more information about the movie and the role of the infamous Caped Crusader in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The following is a breakdown of everything we know so far about the upcoming Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice movie and its upcoming sequel, Justice League.

The Incredible Hulk: Prologue

During this year’s Comic-Con, fans got to see some of the earliest footage from the upcoming film. The footage featured Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk, accompanied by very brief glimpses of several other members of the Hulk Brigade. Fans got to see Bruce Banner try to be more human than demon, grapple with his latent monster side, and lay the foundation for the relationship with his teammate, Steve Rogers/Captain America.

A Look At The DCEU

Let’s start from the beginning. The DCEU (Detective Comics, The Animated Series, and their cinematic cousin, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice) is an extension of the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). Like the MCU, the DCEU is a shared universe that connects all of its stories and characters together. Moreover, the DCEU continues to grow, with two more sequels set to hit theaters in 2018 and 2019.

Each movie in the DCEU will be based on a comic book series that introduced the characters and their exploits. In many cases, the comics will serve as the basis for the story, while the movies will evolve and contribute their own elements. Take Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice for instance; in the comics, it is a story about the conflict between Batman and Superman. But in the movie, it is more about character development and world-building. Additionally, the shared universe approach allows for more cinematic freedom, as studios can experiment with different techniques and tools for presenting the material.

As we’ve established, the DCEU continues to grow, with many more characters and stories yet to be introduced. To give you an idea of what is ahead, let’s take a quick look at some of the upcoming movies and what we know about them so far.

Justice League

The most recent addition to the DCEU is Justice League. Inspired by the mega-hit TV series, Smallville, Justice League features Batman, Superman, Aquaman, and the Martian Manhunter as they fight a common enemy: Steppenwolf and his army of Parademons. According to WB president, Andrew Barrer, “It’s great to have these iconic characters in a place where they can exist in their own world, yet still interact with each other.”

The movie will be released on December 19th, 2017. The following is an overview of the plot:

In the middle of the night, Clark Kent awakens to find Bruce Wayne’s apartment dark and his friend, Jimmy Olsen, mysteriously MIA. While investigating the scene, he finds Bruce’s severed head in the toilette. When he questions Lois Lane about the incident, she claims to know nothing. Meanwhile, in Metropolis, a mysterious figure in a hooded trench coat breaks into the Daily Planet and steals a massive haul of classified documents. The following day, Lex Luthor frames Darkseid for the heist and enlists the help of Diana Prince and Maxwell Lord to pull off his plan, which backfires when the gods of mischief and chaos are actually responsible for the Gotham City robbery. As a result, Diana and Lex decide to team up and destroy Darkseid, while the other heroes team up to hunt them down.

Before we proceed, let’s make one thing clear: while the above plot summary may contain SPOILERS, it is by no means comprehensive. We’re just covering the basics and leaving out the important details. Once you’ve seen the movie, you’ll have all the pieces of the puzzle in place and will be able to comprehend why Diana and Lex’s plan backfired. But for now, let’s get back to the facts.

A Quiet Place To Grow

The first of the upcoming DCEU movies is A Quiet Place To Grow. The movie takes place almost a decade after the events of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and will follow a young Clark Kent as he struggles to find his place in the world. Clark will grow up in a world dominated by silence. His father, Jonathan Kent, was ahead of his time and pioneered e-learning, removing the need for teachers to talk and students to listen. Despite this, bullying and harassment from older students takes its toll on the young hero. Clark eventually grows a pair and learns to fight back. But what does this mean for the future of education?

The movie is set for release on April 6th, 2018. Here is an overview of the plot:

After a deadly school shooting leaves him homeless and friendless, a young man named Clark Kent decides to enlist in the army. While in basic training, he encounters two drill sergeants, one of whom was the friend of his father, Jonathan Kent. The encounter serves as a turning point in Clark’s life and he vows to follow in his father’s footsteps, becoming the greatest soldier the army has ever seen. But what does this mean for his future?

In the comics, Clark Kent is mostly an observer in the scenes set in his home. But now that he has the opportunity to grow up and be a part of the action, what will he do? A young man with grand dreams and a bright future, Clark has everything he needs to flourish. But there is a dark side to this new found power. Without supervision and restraint, Clark’s heroism will inevitably lead to disaster.

What Does This Mean For Batman?

So far, we’ve established that the DCEU will continue to grow, with more characters and stories yet to be introduced. But what does this have to do with Batman? Well, if you recall, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was also set in the DCEU and ended with an ambiguous resolution. But because of the shared universe approach, Andrew Barrer has been very open about what this means for the Dark Knight, as he is in no way, shape, or form tied to the DC Extended Universe. In an interview with ComicBook.com, Barrer had this to say:

  • “That is not a safe assumption to make, I don’t care what anybody thinks. We own the Batman property and we have complete freedom to do what we want with it.”
  • “You will see Batman in a variety of stages in his life that will give you a real insight into who he is and what makes him tick. So, I’d rather not say too much about the plot, but I would strongly advise people to see the movie, because it will expand their world and inspire new ideas.”
  • “Some people might think that because it is in the DCEU that Batman is no longer relevant. Nothing could be further from the truth.”
  • “It is just the beginning of a new story. It is not a reboot. It is more of an organic continuation of what happened in Dawn of Justice.”
  • “I think people will be very surprised at how relevant Batman still is, not just to this universe, but to any universe.”

Given Barrer’s comments and the critical response to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, it is safe to assume that the Dark Knight will have a prominent role to play in the upcoming DCEU. And as we’ve established, there is still plenty for Batman to do in the DCEU. The character can operate outside the law and defend the oppressed and disadvantaged, all while inspiring hope in those around him. But with enemies like Zod, who can manipulate minds, and Lex Luthor, who possesses extraordinary wealth and intellect, Batman will no doubt have his work cut out for him.