Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice has opened up in theaters recently. The movie pits two of arguably America’s most beloved crimefighters against each other to see which of them is superior. Both Batman and Superman have been around in media for a very long time, but through all the years of comics, movies, TV shows and other forms of entertainment, there have been some pretty interesting moments that you might not have known about. The list below contains four interesting Batman facts, four interesting Superman facts, and lastly, two interesting facts about the two of them together. Let’s explore the weird side of the Dark Knight and the Man of Tomorrow!

Interesting Batman Facts:

1. There is an alternative universe where Bruce Wayne dies, but his parents survive.

Any Batman fan most likely knows the tragic story of Bruce Wayne and how his parents were killed in a dark alley, leaving Bruce as an orphan who would eventually grow to be the justice-seeking superhero we all love. But did you know there is actually an alternative universe in which Bruce’s parents survived that fateful night, but Bruce was killed instead?

The story takes place in the Flashpoint: Batman—Knight of Vengeance miniseries, in which certain events take place that revolve around the superhero The Flash traveling into another dimension. In this new dimension, Bruce Wayne is indeed the one killed instead of his parents, which causes both parents to change entirely, but not how you would expect. Bruce’s father, Thomas Wayne, goes on to become the Batman of this world after wanting vengeance for his son. Meanwhile Bruce’s mother, Martha Wayne, loses her sanity and morality after her child’s death and ultimately becomes this dimension’s version of The Joker.

Poor Bruce. Not even in an alternative universe can he just live in peace with his parents beside him.

2) It took two years to fully complete work on Batman’s cape for Batman: Arkham Asylum

If only he followed The Incredibles’ Edna Mode’s “No Capes” rule…

The 2009 hit video game Batman: Arkham Asylum has become well-known for its playability as well as its attention to detail of the characters and world. One such detail is the animation and physics of Batman’s cape. During the development of the game, it took one staff member two full years to complete all of the 700 animations and effects for the cape. Imagine if you were attached to a group project for class and forced to work for two years, and probably didn’t get the credit you deserve. Painful, right?

3) Frank Sinatra wanted to play The Joker

Holy weird casting choice, Batman!

One of Batman’s most famous iterations in television was the 1960s show that starred Adam West as Batman. This show is a classic that created some goofy but legendary Batman moments such as the time he used “shark repellent” on a great white shark.

One other memorable part of the show was the character of The Joker, who was played by Cesar Romero. But what’s interesting is that another star had his eye on the part of the clown prince: the legendary singer Frank Sinatra. He supposedly expressed interest in playing The Joker, but by that time, the part had already gone to Romero. According to an interview with Burt Ward a.k.a. Robin of the show, Sinatra was upset that he didn’t get the part.

4) The fans were the ones who killed Robin

A famous Batman storyline from the late 80s was titled “A Death in the Family.” Hardcore comic fans probably know this story well, but for those of you who don’t know, “A Death in the Family” was a comic in which Batman’s sidekick Robin (technically his second Robin, Jason Todd) met his unfortunate demise at the hands of The Joker. But something not many realize is that Robin could have actually been saved.

The previous comicbook before “A Death in the Family” ended on a cliffhanger that showed Robin captured by The Joker, and only Batman could save him. After this release, DC Comics set up a toll-free hotline and asked fans to call in and vote on whether or not Robin should be saved by Batman. It was a close race, but with 5,343 votes against 5,271*, the fans had spoken and Robin was killed. Eventually, the character of Jason Todd was resurrected in the form of the vigilante named Red Hood, who became an enemy for Batman to fight against. But this will always be remembered as the time the fans just had enough with Robin.

Interesting Superman Facts:

1. Kryptonite wasn’t introduced in the comics

If there’s one thing to know about Superman, it’s that he has a pretty lame weakness for being the so-called “Man of Steel.” Many fans may feel that kryptonite seems like an excuse to try and give Superman some kind of a weakness to keep him from being indestructible.

But as it turns out, that’s exactly what kryptonite was made to do. Kryptonite was actually not a part of the comic books to start with. It was first introduced in June of 1943 on the popular radio show The Adventures of Superman. Voice actor Bud Collyer wanted to take some time off for a holiday, and the writers needed some sort of excuse as to why he was gone. And so, kryptonite was created in a story arc titled “The Meteor from Krypton.” It wasn’t until six years later that it was used in the Superman comics.

2) The “Superman Curse”

Think you want to play Superman on the big screen one day? Think again!

The story of the “Superman Curse” is a myth that each of the actors who played Superman in previous movie iterations have all suffered terrible fates because they simply played the part of Superman. The main targets of this theory are George Reeves, who was a victim of a suicide, and Christopher Reeve, who was paralyzed in a horse-riding accident. But the supposed “curse” has also ranged to other people linked to the role of Superman, even including the baby who played baby Kal-El in the 1978 Superman film (he died from solvent abuse at age 14). Although this is clearly a myth, we can’t help but feel like we need to keep a close eye on Henry Cavill for a little while.

3) Superman nearly had a recent video game release

Apparently Superman has another weakness alongside kryptonite: financial crises.

In the late 2000’s, game developers Factor 5 and Brash Studios began working on a potential Superman video game for the Playstation 3 console, as well as possibly other consoles as the project moved forward. The game was supposed to tie into a planned sequel to the 2006 film Superman Returns. Although this movie was cancelled, the game still had its own identity and continued to be worked on. Information on the game, as well as lost footage that can be seen online, showed that the game could’ve been in the same ranks as Batman: Arkham Asylum, with a colorful cast of villains to beat up, a promising set of superpowers, and an open world to roam through.

Sadly, Brash Studios went out of business as time passed, and as Factor 5 tried to continue making the game while looking for a new company to work with, they too reached a monetary demise. The game disappeared, but lost footage and concept art can be found online.

4) Before Lois Lane, Superman’s love interest was a mermaid.

Superman fans know that the hero’s true love has been, for a very long time, Lois Lane. But before Lois came into his life, Superman was in love with another woman named Lori Lemaris (coincidence that both ladies have the initials L.L.?). The two were college sweethearts, and at one point, Clark had even asked her to marry him.

The twist with Lemaris, however, was that every night she had to be home at exactly 8 p.m., and Superman soon found out that the reason for this was that she was a mermaid and she needed to soak in a tank of water. This relationship was ended after Lemaris had to return to her home, Atlantis. Superman was left devastated, but we all know that he could do way better— and he soon would when Lois came around.

Interesting Batman and Superman Facts

1. Batman and Superman (and the rest of the Justice League) could’ve already been together by now.

One of the most interesting pieces of knowledge about Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is that it marks the first movie to showcase Batman and Superman on the same screen. It also marks the beginning of the road to the first ever Justice League movie, which releases in 2017. It feels like both these ideas should’ve already been done before in some sort of fashion, doesn’t it? Well, that was almost the case nearly seven years ago.

In 2009, Warner Brothers was planning to release a film titled Justice League Mortal after the success of Batman Begins. The movie was set to be directed by George Miller (the director of the hit film Mad Max: Fury Road) and an entire cast was already selected to play the members of the Justice League. Surprisingly, this movie wasn’t going to include Christopher Nolan’s version of Batman, who had begun to grow in popularity at the time of this movie’s development. Instead, we would’ve gotten a whole new Batman played by Armie Hammer (known for roles in movies such as The Social Network and The Lone Ranger). The idea of creating a separate Batman character from the Nolan Batman was a move that the crew and fans weren’t too fond of. Sadly, due to this issue and the writer’s strike of 2007-08, the movie was cancelled and never saw the light of day.

2) Batman and Superman have a long history of battling.

With Batman and Superman duking it out on the silver screen for the first time, millions are racing to the nearby theater to go see the flick. But perhaps you’re more of a reader than you are a moviegoer. Good news! There are plenty of Batman/Superman fights throughout their comic book history to look through.

One of the most well-known fights between the two heros comes from the comic series The Dark Knight Returns, in which Batman comes out of retirement to fight crime, but ends up having to fight several opponents, including Superman, who has been ordered by the U.S. government to hunt him down. This comic confrontation in particular is the main inspiration behind the new movie and is regarded as a classic among many comic book readers.

The world of DC Comics is also home to some really interesting Batman/Superman confrontations. One example of these events takes place in the Batman: End Game comic series, in which Batman is forced to fight all of his Justice League teammates after they turn into Joker-styled maniacs from exposure to a poison. The story leads to a final brawl between a geared-up Batman and an insane Superman. It’s intriguing, to say the least.

Another set up for battle takes place in Superman/Batman: issues #53-57, where Superman’s powers are accidentally transferred to Batman, allowing Superman to enjoy life as a normal human for once. However, this changes when Batman suddenly becomes mad with power, and Superman has to figure out how to stop him. This offers an interesting scenario that one has to see to believe.

All in all, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is bound to be a huge brawl that will thrill audience members alike. But now with this extra knowledge on the two titans, perhaps you’ll want to take a look through some comics after the movie, or watch some of the classic superhero films, to get even more enjoyment from these two characters.

*sources: dc.wikia.com and thefw.com