Warner Bros has brought forward Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - the follow-up to Man of Steel with Ben Affleck playing the Caped Crusader - to March 25, 2016. The movie had previously been set to open on May 6, 2016 - the same day as Marvel's 'Captain America 3'.

Ben Affleck Comic ConBen Affleck [L], Henry Cavill [centre] and Gal Gadot [R] at Comic-Con [Getty/Kevin Winter]

In truth, those dates were never going to remain fixed and it was Warner Bros that decided to make the first move (though it's likely the studios came to a mutual agreement). The studio has also revealed plans to release new DC Comics-based movies on August 5, 2016, June 23, 2017, November 17, 2017, March 23, 2018, July 27, 2018, April 5, 2019, June 14, 2019, April 3, 2020 and June 19, 2020.

At the recent San Diego Comic-Con International, Warner presented stars Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot, even going so far as exhibiting Affleck's Batman outfit. 

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Ben Affleck Henry CavillBen Affleck [L] and Henry Cavill [R] at Comic Con [Getty/Kevin Winter]

 

Affleck courted controversy last August when unveiled as Christian Bale's replacement as the superhero. Bale had scored glowing reviews for his portrayal of the Caped Crusader throughout Christian Nolan's stunning Dark Knight trilogy. 

However, in an interview with Hero Complex in March, director Zack Snyder assured concerned fans, saying, "We know the material . we're casting according to what's happening in the script. And we're hoping that leads to enough originality, enough perspective on what we're doing that you get something fresh and exciting. I understand the canon. I'm not crazy. I know what these characters need from a mythological standpoint."

The most recent movie in the Captain America franchise, The Winter Soldier, currently stands as the highest-grossing release of 2014 at the domestic box office.