Superman to battle Batman in 'Man of Steel' sequel

Director Zack Snyder poses for pictures after his arrival to the Australian premiere of "Man of Steel" in central Sydney June 24, 2013.[Photo/Agencies]

A sequel to last month's hit "Superman" film "Man of Steel" is not only in the works, but will feature two of DC Comic's best-known caped crusaders - Superman and Batman - facing off against each other, director Zack Snyder said on Saturday.

Snyder, who directed British actor Henry Cavill as Superman/Clark Kent, was a surprise addition to the end of the Warner Bros. film panel at San Diego's Comic-Con, an annual comics convention, and received thunderous applause from the 6,000-plus in attendance.

After announcing the plan to bring the two superheroes together, Snyder issued a statement via Warner Bros. saying the two would be fighting each other, and conceded this might surprise some.

"Let's face it, it's beyond mythological to have Superman and our new Batman facing off, since they are the greatest superheroes in the world," said Snyder, who has been confirmed as director of the as-yet unnamed sequel.

While both Superman and Batman are superheros in the DC universe, they have been portrayed as nemeses in DC's "Dark Knight" comics, from which Christopher Nolan adapted his "Dark Knight" Batman franchise. Nolan will serve as executive producer to the sequel, Warner Bros. said.

The studio is banking on the success of other recent films that have paired up heroes from the comic book universe, such as Disney's Marvel superhero ensemble "The Avengers" in 2012, which made $1.5 billion at the worldwide box office.