The DC Cinematic Universe has everything riding on MAN OF STEEL. If the Superman reboot does not dominate the box office, it will put a damper on the 2015 JUSTICE LEAGUE movie and possibly the future solo films for Batman, Wonder Women, Green Lantern and more.
Cinema Blend is reporting on rumors from a Batman fansite that claim Warner Bros is now targeting 2017 as the potential date for a new Batman movie. This would put it two years from the JUSTICE LEAGUE release and 4 years from MAN OF STEEL. That is certainly plenty of time to get everything in order. The question remains, will we be getting yet another character reboot or will the studio make the wise decision and just drop us into the middle of the action?
The majority of those who will be going to see JUSTICE LEAGUE will already be very familiar with the origin of Superman and Batman. Even Green Lantern would not need a back-story. The film can put the focus squarely on the lesser known cinematic heroes such as Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter. While comic aficionados will surely know the basic origins of these folks too, the general movie going public will not. But, that is the hard decision that Warner Bros and DC have to make. Do they sacrifice action and visual appeal for character references?
I do not have a problem with rebooting Batman to fit him into the new JUSTICE LEAGUE. We all understand that the Christopher Nolan universe is completely distinct from the comic universe. So, they should take a cue from the creators of the Batman ARKHAM games and just start the action without telling us about the psychological issues that brought Bruce Wayne to wear the cowl and cape.
I only ask that if the studio feels pressured to include the origin that they limit it to a montage or brief flashback.