Zack Snyder Reveals ‘Batman v Superman’s Alternate Titles
Zack Snyder has revealed his original title suggestion for his 2016 DC film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and it’s... interesting. In a recent live panel for Justice Con 2021, Snyder and screenwriter Chris Terrio shared their list of alternate names that were shared with Warner Bros.. Ultimately, they were discarded, and Batman v Superman was the winner.
The studio responded well to the straightforward Batman v Superman, because it was concise and to the point. Snyder shared that even “the whole ‘v’ instead of ‘versus,’ it was like this crazy negotiation.” He then suggested an option that was “a little more poetic' — ‘Son of Son and Knight of Night.’” Warner Bros.’ response? “Absolutely not.” In this case, the executives made the right call.
Meanwhile, Terrio’s offerings were more on the right track. He thought the film’s title should reference the Justice League connection to make it more obvious. “For a while, we talked about actually titling it Justice League: [Subtitle], to suggest that this movie was going to be the beginning of the Justice League, even though it didn’t really look like it,” said Terrio. “Like Justice League: Foundations or Justice League: Rising.”
The title Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ultimately fits the movie best. At the heart of the story is the conflict between Batman and Superman, even though the movie also serves as the foundation for the Justice League. Sometimes, the most direct title is the one that sticks.
Gallery — Justice League Issues the Snyder Cut Didn't Fix: