In the first half of the decade, DC Comic’s attempts at superhero movies, for the most part, were flops (I’m looking at you Hal Jordan), but after the epic Dark Knight Trilogy and “Man of Steel,” the action-packed revival of the superman origin story, DC fans and movie buffs alike are on edge, fueled by speculation of reboots of the Justice League, The Flash, Wonder Woman and more. So when it was revealed at San Diego’s Comic Con 2013 that Batman and Superman would be squaring off in a high-budget action thriller, it was a surprise that the whole venue didn’t collapse altogether in a cacophony of cheers. However, after the celebration died down and the hype train slowed to a more relaxed pace, a burning question became present: how will DC handle the movie?

Superman and Batman are usually not enemies; in fact, they more often than not are close allies, with Superman as the leader and Batman as the tactician, preserving peace in whatever universe they’re in.  Through their direction, the heroes of Earth have survived against scraps with Darkseid, the ruler of the despotic war-planet Apokolips, preserved order in the face of the mischievous imp from the fifth dimension, Mr. Mxyzptlk and survived intergalactic war trials guilt free. In addition, Superman and Batman have not only helped others through their actions, but also each other. When the Silver Banshee gave Batman Superman’s powers and drove him mad during the process, Superman was the one to make Batman see sense and break the Banshee’s hold. When Metallo shot Superman with a kryptonite bullet, Batman was the one to get him to safety. However, although they have worked as a team and helped one another on multiple occasions, things have not always been peachy between the two.

If Superman and Batman engage in a good-old-fashioned slugfest in “Batman vs. Superman,” it would not be the first time the two have squared off. In fact, they have fought on several occasions, each battle having different outcomes. Poison Ivy once gained control of Superman using her powers and had him go on a rampage, forcing Batman to fight him. Even with his superhuman abilities, Superman was matched blow for blow by Batman, who held his own thanks to a kryptonite ring he kept handy as a contingency in case Superman ever became uncontrollable. But even though he fought Superman to a standstill in this scenario, he was not as fortunate in other encounters. Even after Batman had mastered nearly all the martial arts in the world, was given superpowers by an alien life form called the Black Rock, was possessed by the Kryptonite Man and had pumped himself full of Venom, the fuel of the villain Bane, he was still unable to best Superman, who subsequently beat him to a pulp. Given these situations, if push comes to shove in “Batman vs. Superman,” the odds are definitely not in Batman’s favor.

While predictions may be made and hypotheses may be formed, when it comes down to it, “Batman vs Superman” remains an enigma. Will Batman and Superman fight until the world is reduced to rubble? Will they set aside their differences in favor of uniting for a greater good? Will they decide that punches are inefficient and resort to rocket propelled grenades instead? For those looking for solace from the veritable firestorm of possibilities, my predictions below may bring some comfort.

Speculation #1
Batman is able to hold his own against Superman thanks to two things: plot armor and prep time. I’ll be focusing on the latter. What gadgets will he break out this time? In “Justice League, Volume 1,” Batman uses his whole utility belt against Superman to no avail. He utilizes a high frequency sound emitter to throw him off balance, deploys an electrostatic shock device to fry him and employs poison gas to smother him. All of these fail and Batman ends up smashed into a brick wall. With this in mind, what gadgets could be of some use? Lex Luthor uses a Kryptonite-powered mechanized suit in order to combat Superman. Batman has been documented to have many Batsuits for many occasions (underwater, surviving gunshots, stealth) so it is not too farfetched to imagine him decked out in a glowing green getup, every punch chipping away at Superman’s invulnerability. On a grander scale, he piloted a vehicle in “The Dark Knight Rises” called “the Bat,” a hybrid airplane-helicopter armed to the teeth with machine guns and missiles. With this in mind, he could easily supersize the Bat’s weaponry, tip the bullet heads in kryptonite to defeat Superman.

Speculation #2
Many have been crying foul as Warner Brothers revealed that Ben Affleck was picked for the role of Batman in the movie “Batman vs. Superman.” But while some have been citing his lukewarm performance of Daredevil and his romantic comedy outings as reasons for his incapability to play the caped crusader, I personally think that Affleck has the potential to bring back a Batman lost to the dark, gritty sepia of the Dark Knight trilogy. Batman was not always played by Christian Bale and was not always painted as a gruff bogeyman of the night. In “Batman the Animated Series,” his ability to strike terror into the hearts of his enemies was contrasted with his acute intelligence and unparalleled detective abilities. The ‘90s Batman was, on sight, more cultured, calm and collected than his modern counterpart, whose investigative skill is often overshadowed by his intimidating persona. Since Zach Snyder’s most recent portrayal of Superman in “Man of Steel” has kept with the DC’s grimmer theme, a return to the suave, composed Batman of yore, heralded by Ben Affleck, may offer a nice contrast to the melodrama that has been prevalent in DC’s recent film outings.