When it comes to the timeless rivalry and friendship shared by Superman and Batman, I’m sure everyone has their own opinion regarding who would come out on top. And while this writer claims the Dark Knight as his favorite fictional character overall, I won’t deny that the Man of Steel would lay waste to him if he set his inhibitions aside – prep time or no prep time.
As you no doubt remember, the first live action brawl involving the two icons occurred three years ago in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. Momentous as that battle was, it resulted in what the pro wrestling industry would term as a “squash” favoring the Caped Crusader. Big Blue got in a few good licks, sure, but you have to admit the fight appeared mostly one-sided.
Then again, it was apparent from the get-go that Superman didn’t want to use full force so that he not kill Batman. Reprising this point was Henry Cavill himself, who commented on an Instagram post delivered by superstar artist Jim Lee. What started as an arm tutorial somehow evolved into Kal-El murdering his opponent with heat vision, to which Cavill responded:
“Seeeeee. Was holding back the whole time…”
Though Cavill’s comment was in jest, he’s not wrong, as I outlined above. Regardless, it’s cool seeing him interacting with Lee on social media.
Don’t forget, it was just over one year ago that Cavill confessed to Superman: For Tomorrow being his favorite comic book story headlined by the very character he played. Illustrated by Jim Lee and written by Brian Azzarello, it was the former’s second year-long arc for DC, arriving hot on the heels of the hallowed Batman: Hush.
Before I get out of here, I’ll give a few other recommendations for fights involving Batman and Superman that are a little more balanced. If you’d like to explore this avenue, then it’s worth your time picking up animated movies like Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and Justice League: War – or wait until August 13th for Batman: Hush‘s adaptation on Blu-ray. Or, if you’d like to take in an animated TV series, then check out “The Batman/Superman Story,” which served as the two-part premiere for The Batman‘s fifth and final season.
