Epic clash

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is being promoted in China with star-studded activities before its premiere on Friday. Lead actors Ben Affleck (left) and Henry Cavill (right), together with director Zack Snyder, attended the Beijing media event on March 11.[Photo provided to China Daily]

In the comic-book series, Batman is billionaire Bruce Wayne, who keeps his city safe from the criminal underworld. Whenever he senses trouble, he puts on his costume and goes out to help his people.

Cavill, who has played Superman twice, reveals matching the changes is a significant element to attract modern viewers.

"The comic books have changed in an extraordinary way from the very beginning," he says, adding that popular culture and readers' interests have also changed over time.

And now, the heroes' personality clash is what the audiences want to read and see, the British actor says.

For China, which allows only 34 foreign movies to be screened on the mainland annually, based on a box-office sharing system, visual spectacles tend to impress the average moviegoer.

By Monday, major online ticket-booking sites, such as Maoyan and Gewara, showed that nearly 30 percent of prime-time seats were sold out in downtown Beijing cinemas.

Wang Su, a Beijing-based fan of DC, says as Batman and Superman are comic-book icons, the movie is a must-see for fans.

Contact the writer at xufan@chinadaily.com.cn