For a long time it was said that Warner Bros. and DC Comics were prepping a Justice League movie for release in 2015. Seemingly a reaction to the incredible success of Marvel’s The Avengers, it looked like we were finally going to see heroes like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and The Flash unite on the big screen in live-action for the first time ever.

That’s no longer the case. After months of reports, rumors and speculation, the dream of a 2015 Justice League movie fell apart. But in its place, rising from the ashes like a phoenix, is an entirely different project for comic book fans to be excited for: a Superman/Batman movie in 2016.

The film has been officially titled Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and, collecting all of the news that has come out since the new movie – and sequel to Man of Steel - was announced, we've broken down absolutely everything we know about the project thus far. When is the movie coming out in theaters? Who is directing? Who will star? What’s the story going to be about? Find all of the answers to those questions and more below!

Zack Snyder & David Goyer
Given that Man of Steel made more than $660 million worldwide, there was very little chance that director Zack Snyder and screenwriter David Goyer wouldn’t return for the sequel, and that assumption was proven true when Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was announced at Comic-Con 2013 with Snyder directing and working with Goyer to develop the story. While Goyer wrote the original drafts of the screenplay, eventually Academy Award winning Argo screenwriter Chris Terrio picked up the pen. Production has begun, with the finished product scheduled hit theaters on May 6, 2016. What's more, Snyder is also now officially attached to direct the upcoming Justice League movie, which Batman v Superman will directly lead into.


The Story
When Warner Bros. announced at Comic-Con that they would be moving forward with a Superman/Batman movie, they didn’t include a plot synopsis telling us what the movie is about – but the title does provide us with an interesting hint. While we expect that they will end up fighting for the same side by the end of the story, the title of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice suggests that the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel will be starting the film as enemies. How the story will deal with all of the major supporting characters remains a mystery.


Superman
Following in the footsteps of Marvel Studios and starting to build a larger cinematic universe, Warner Bros. is making Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice both to introduce a new take on the Caped Crusader and to build on what has already been established with the Man of Tomorrow. As was expected, Henry Cavill will be returning to play Clark Kent/Superman and will continue to learn how to live up to his destiny while also trying to find his place on Earth with humanity. Something tells us that the hero will probably also have to deal with the fact that Man of Steel not only had him killing his enemy, General Zod, but also leveling half of Metropolis in the battle beforehand.


Batman
It only took about a month after Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was announced for Zack Snyder and Warner Bros. to find the actor they wanted to play the Dark Knight, and the name they officially landed on was Ben Affleck. As had been assumed beforehand, the casting confirmed that the new version of the Caped Crusader would be a veteran hero, and he has since been described as "tired and weary and seasoned." The look of the new Batsuit looks like it was ripped right off the pages of Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, so don't be too surprised if the attitude matches the aesthetic.


Wonder Woman
It turns out that Batman and Superman won’t be the only legendary DC Comics superheroes that wind up being in the Man of Steel sequel. Buzz about Wonder Woman’s potential involvement in the 2015 blockbuster began when Thor: The Dark World star Jaimie Alexander revealed that she has had a meeting with DC Comics about possible projects, but now the rumor has been confirmed as true. Gal Gadot, who screen-tested for the part "in November has been cast as Princess Diana of Themyscira. The actress reportedly beat out both Olga Kurylenko, Elodie Yung for the part. It’s currently unclear how she will fit into the film. Word is that Gadot is contracted to appear in three movies for Warner Bros. The first is Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the second is a Justice League movie, and the third is a Wonder Woman solo film.


Cyborg
Set to be played by stage actor Ray Fisher, Victor Stone a.k.a. Cyborg is yet another DC Comics hero who will be making his live-action debut in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. While we can’t be certain about his exact role in the movie or even within the larger cinematic universe being built, one can predict that the character will be adapted from the recent New 52 line of comics that saw the character transform from being a star high school football player into a half-machine superhero following an explosion at his father’s lab. Cyborg’s role is expected to be rather small in the Man of Steel sequel, but we expect that his presence is just another sign that DC and Warner Bros. are working towards a Justice League movie.


Lois Lane
You didn’t really think that the sequel to Man of Steel would only be bringing back Superman, did you? In the studio press release that was sent around announcing the Superman/Batman movie it was confirmed that the 2016 title will also feature the return of Amy Adams as Lois Lane, the quick reporter who both met and fell in love with Clark Kent/Superman in the last movie. Presumably the new film will further explore the relationship between Clark and Lois, but right now it’s unclear how she will fit into the larger plot.


Lex Luthor
For an epic pairing like Superman and Batman you need an epic villain, and that means bringing in a true-blue nemesis. Enter Lex Luthor. Warner Bros. has confirmed that the bald-headed master criminal will be in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and what’s more they have also announced that Jesse Eisenberg will be taking on the role. This is the first time on the big screen that we have seen Superman and Lex portrayed as the same age, so this should definitely make for an interesting match-up. What his plans entail, we have no idea.


Alfred Pennyworth
With the end of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight movies comes the need to recast all of the important side characters in the Bat-centric sphere of the DC Universe, and while we’re still waiting to hear about who will play the new Commissioner Gordon, at the very least we now have our new Alfred Pennyworth. Announced the same day as Jesse Eisenberg, Jeremy Irons has boarded Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice to play the most famous butler in comic book history and will be palling around with Ben Affleck in the Batcave.


Batman & Superman’s Other Known Associates
We can expect any number of supporting characters from both the worlds of Superman and Batman to collide in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel sequel, but for right now only two others have been confirmed – plus one mystery guest. When the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was announced at San Diego Comic-Con it was also revealed that both Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane would be coming back as Perry White and Martha Kent, respectively. Also officially attached to the movie is Holly Hunter, though she is apparently playing a character created directly for the big screen instead of a recognizable name from the comics. Hopefully it won’t be long until we hear about even more casting.