Batman Vs. Superman Delay: National Tragedy Or The Right Move?

Where were you when you heard the news that Batman Vs. Superman had been delayed until 2016? Just like with the initial announcement of Ben Affleck's casting as Batman, some fans are treating the delay of the Batman Vs. Superman movie as a national tragedy. It's easy to understand why many fans would be upset. When Warner Bros. announced Batman and Superman would be sharing the big screen together in one movie at Comic-Con, it was the promise of something that many comic book fans had been dreaming about their whole life. After having raised the hopes of comic book nation, Warner Bros. pushing the film back by ten months just seems like cruel and unusual punishment. There is also a natural inclination when a film gets delayed to assume the worst: injuries, casting problems, script rewrites, budget overruns, etc. Delaying a film is never something a studio does lightly, because the press is always quick to label any "delayed film" as a "problem film." The fact that Warner Bros. dropped the news on a Friday afternoon sort of shows that they probably suspected that the press reaction wasn't going to be pretty. For all the fans that are upset though, there are a number of fans who are also looking at the bright side in the news. In a best case scenario, the delay gives Warner Bros. more time to deliver a better quality movie. It also allows for more time in the casting process, perhaps raising the possibility that schedules might open up for some fan favorites (i.e. Bryan Cranston as Lex Luthor). While it's mostly speculation at this point, one big theory circulating is that Warner Bros. might film Batman Vs. Superman and Justice League back-to-back. If that indeed is the case, then fans might get a Justice League movie in 2017, which means there would only be a year wait to find out the resolution to any cliffhanger ending in Batman Vs. Superman. Another theory circulating is that Warner Bros. might be able to get some other DC Comics properties to the big screen in advance of Batman Vs. Superman. While fans would love to see a solo Wonder Woman or Flash movie to help introduce those characters, it would be doubtful that they could be turned around in such a short time frame. However, The Rock teased that he had been meeting with Warner Bros about a DC Comics property to film in 2014, which may or may not have been Batman Vs. Superman. Joseph Gordon-Levitt has also been pushing forward with a Sandman movie. It's always possible that some smaller budget DC Comics movies could be turned around in time for a 2015 release date. Now, that Warner Bros. big announcement has had a couple of days to sink in, what do you think? Is the Batman Vs. Superman delay a big mistake or a stroke of genius by Warner Bros?