DC Comics' Extended Universe Movie Plots

BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE
After the devastating events in Man Of Steel, Superman has become a controversial figure. Daily Planet journalist Clark Kent, Superman's alter ego, has moved in with Lois Lane. Bruce Wayne, who has operated in Gotham City as the vigilante "Batman" for nearly two decades, is now semi-retired and sees Superman as a potential threat to humanity. After learning of Batman's activities, Clark views Batman as a threat and seeks to stop him.

Arthur Curry leads a group known as The Others through the Amazon rain forest. While he and renowned scientist Emmet Vale investigate large pieces of Kryptonite found in the bottom of the Indian Ocean, the rest of The Others are ambushed by Russian weapon-trafficker, Anatoli Knyazev and his group of mercenaries, with the survivors being forced to abandon the Kryptonite they'd collected.

Bruce learns that Knyazev has been contacting LexCorp's young tech mogul Lex Luthor. Meanwhile, Luthor tries to convince Senator June Finch to allow him to import the kryptonite retrieved, claiming to use it as a "deterrent" against Krptonians, but she denies the request. He also makes side dealings with Finch's subordinate and receives access to Zod's body and the Kryptonian scout ship, where he enters and learns of its functions, as well as recorded alien worlds.

Wayne attends Luthor's party at LexCorp where he meets the enigmatic Diana Prince and retrieves encrypted data from the company's mainframe. The drive is stolen by Diana, who Bruce later tracks down and discovers that she is not only an immortal warrior princess, Wonder Woman, but that Lex Luthor is investigating metahumans around the world. While decrypting the drive at the Batcave, Wayne has a dream of a post-apocalyptic world where he leads a group of rebels against Superman. He is snapped out of the dream by an unidentified time traveler, who warns him of their distant future, and urges him to find "them." Wayne later realizes that Luthor is experimenting with kryptonite. Wayne admits to Alfred Pennyworth that he plans to steal the kryptonite and weaponize it, as it will become necessary to fight Superman. When locating Kynazev at the Gotham ports, Batman infiltrates his base in attempt to steal the kryptonite, but is stopped by Superman, who warns Batman to stop what he is doing as Lex is delivered the Kryptonite.

Luthor orchestrates a bombing at a congressional hearing where Finch is questioning Superman on the validity of his actions, which have resulted in the deaths of civilians. The bomb kills dozens of people, including Finch. Frustrated by his failure to save people, Superman goes into a self-imposed exile and questions his purpose. Batman breaks into LexCorp and steals the kryptonite, planning to use it to battle Superman by building a powered exoskeleton. Meanwhile, Diana locates Superman, who feels that he is doing no good following the dreams of his father and that his world doesn't exist anymore. Diana, who has mistaken Superman as a lost New God, whom her people have contentious history with, renews his hope in the world.

Luthor kidnaps Lois Lane and demands Superman fight and kill Batman in exchange for Lois' life. Superman tries to reason with Batman, but Batman instigates a brutal fight and ultimately wins. Before Batman can kill Superman with the spear, Wonder Woman arrives and subdues Batman, while also convincing Batman that Superman is not the threat they thought him to be. Horrified of the monster he nearly became, Batman and Wonder Woman leaves to rescue Lois upon learning of Luthor's plan, while Superman confronts Luthor on the scout ship.

Luthor executes his backup plan, unleashing a genetically-engineered monster with DNA from Zod's. Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman join forces to fight the creature. They are soon outmatched by its power, as it can absorb and redirect energy. Realizing that it is also vulnerable to kryptonite, Batman retrieves the kryptonite spear. With Batman and Superman's help distracting it, Wonder Woman impales the monster and it dies.

Luthor is arrested, and Batman confronts him in prison, warning Luthor that he'll always be watching him. Luthor gloats that Superman has made the world vulnerable to powerful alien threats, and that something bigger is coming to Earth. Learning of this, Clark decides to leave Earth on a scout ship in search of these threats.

A guilty Wayne reveals to Prince that he plans to form a team of metahumans, starting with the ones from Luthor's files, to help protect the world in Superman's absence.