San Diego Comic-Con 2015 was full of exciting DC movie reveals but even before the panels started, show floor visitors got a big surprise: a sneak peek at the Dark Knight’s Batman V Superman cowl and gear. On display at the DC Entertainment booth, fans came face-to-face with iconic Batman gadgets that have been reimagined for Dawn of Justice, including new batarangs, grapple gun(s), and a batsuit accessory identified as the “tech cowl” - along with a grenade launcher and smoke bombs.

Even though show attendees didn’t know the items would be on display, it made sense that DC would show-off the veteran Caped Crusader’s armory - since Warner Bros. has been touting Ben Affleck’s new Batman as a tech-savvy genius. Casual moviegoers might wonder how the Dark Knight could ever beat the Man of Steel in a fight but longtime comic readers know that a well-prepared Batman can hold his own - even against the Son of Krypton. We’ll have to wait a bit longer to find out exactly what tricks Bruce Wayne has up his armored sleeve but a new video gives viewers a closer look at Batman V Superman - offering fresh details on the Dark Knight’s gear.

The new video comes courtesy of DC All Access who interviewed Dawn of Justice prop master Doug Harlocker.

Check out the video below:

While fans have seen pictures of the tech cowl, batarangs, and grapple guns in pre-release marketing, the DC All Access video provides a bit more context into how Harlocker and Snyder revamped the bat gadgets for this version of Batman - as well as provides a few new details regarding how, exactly, they function.

We’ve collected the most interesting tidbits:

  • Batarangs - Used as a brand by the Dark Knight, these “lethal” versions of the classic batarang feature multiple cutting surfaces. Grapple Gun - A “practical” adaptation of the grapple gun that includes a “return” mod on the handle - to make the gun a more efficient melee weapon. Tech Cowl - Includes the vocal generator, retractable lenses for multi-powered vision functions, and now confirmed heads-up display.

Batman V Superman is full of fictional comic book-inspired mayhem but it’s certainly encouraging to see that Snyder and the prop team are also ensuring that Batman’s tech is comparatively grounded. Cinephiles know that even the smallest details can make a big difference in selling a fictional world - and the video shows, for anyone who hasn’t been able to see the props in person, that these bat gadgets offer both form and function. What better way to make Superman and this DC world believable than to arm Batman with cool gadgets that could just as easily fit in a gritty near-future war film?

Of course, Batman isn’t the only genius in Dawn of Justice - with Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor set to make his big screen debut (after being teased by LexCorp easter eggs in Man of Steel). After fans petitioned for older actors like Bryan Cranston to be cast as Superman’s antagonist, Snyder surprised everyone by hiring the young Social Network actor as a long-haired twist on Lex Luthor (and Mark Zuckerberg). Eisenberg’s appearance in the trailers has left some fans skeptical but rumors have, conversely, suggested Luthor could be one of the best aspects of the film - a film that also includes Wonder Woman, Doomsday, and several Justice League cameos.

Now, a new clip adds a bit more context into how Luthor may fit into the story - outright implying that Luthor could actually be directly behind the brawl between Batman and Superman by outright commanding the Man of Steel into battle.

Check out the extended clip from Batman V Superman (and a brief interview with Eisenberg) courtesy of Good Morning America, below:

The added five seconds at the front of the clip will likely be the most interesting part for anyone who has already been following the film’s marketing - since it seems to suggest that Luthor has some measure of control over Superman (“You will fly to him and you will battle him to the death”). Whether or not that control is direct (mind-control) or exploitative (holding Lois Lane hostage) remains to be seen - but both situations have been explored in comic book source materials before (in Batman: Hush and The Dark Knight Strikes Again, respectively). That’s all to say, for fans who have been wondering why this beloved and generally good-natured Superman (collateral damage notwithstanding), who is even gifted his own statue from the people of Metropolis, would need to actually full-on fight this Batman, we may finally have an answer. For awhile fans have suspected that Luthor would manipulate Batman and Superman into fighting but this is the first time that actual footage has suggested that Luthor might have Superman on a leash.

As for Eisenberg’s remark that Luthor changes personalities and visual looks, could Lex be testing out different supervillain personas throughout Batman V Superman? Possibly with a different look (and/or wig) for each one?

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice opens on March 25th, 2016, followed by Suicide Squad on August 5th, 2016; Wonder Woman on June 23rd, 2017; Justice League Part One on November 17th, 2017; The Flash on March 16th, 2018; Aquaman on July 27th, 2018; Shazam on April 5th, 2019; Justice League Part Two on June 14th, 2019; Cyborg on April 3rd, 2020; and Green Lantern Corps. on June 19th, 2020.