--- title: Batman v Superman: Can Superman Die? description: Does the Caped Crusader in theory have a chance in this fight? canonical: https://time.com/4269550/could-batman-kill-superman/ author: Eliana Dockterman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-03-24T18:53:15.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:00:13.222Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: Could Batman Actually Kill Superman in a Fight? og:description: The Caped Crusader's chances at beating the god-like hero assessed og:url: https://time.com/4269550/could-batman-kill-superman/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt620191a216b4a8a5/69888b46524fc091dbdf736d/bvs-21584rv5.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Could Batman Actually Kill Superman in a Fight? twitter:description: The Caped Crusader's chances at beating the god-like hero assessed twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt620191a216b4a8a5/69888b46524fc091dbdf736d/bvs-21584rv5.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Could Batman Actually Kill Superman in a Fight?  by [Eliana Dockterman](/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Correspondent Mar 24, 2016 6:53 PM CUT  A scene from Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice A scene from Batman v Superman: Dawn Of JusticeClay Enos/Warner Bros.  by [Eliana Dockterman](/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Correspondent Mar 24, 2016 6:53 PM CUT Batman and Superman will [face off](http://time.com/4267487/batman-v-superman-everything-to-know/ "undefined") this weekend in the aptly named [_Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice_](http://time.com/4268724/batmanvsuperman-review-movie-ben-affleck-henry-cavill/ "undefined"). But while we know the super strong alien Superman could definitely beat mere mortal Batman in a fight, would it be physically possible for the Dark Knight to actually take down the Man of Steel? Is the god-like hero killable? The answer based on Superman canon is: sort of. In theory, if Superman is weakened by Kryptonite, he could die like any human. He could also die of old age if he wasn’t exposed to earth’s yellow sun—though old for an alien means thousands of years. But though Superman has “died” multiple times in the comics, he always comes back. The most memorable of these incidents is the infamous “Death of Superman” storyline in which Superman perishes fighting a monster named Doomsday. The two duke it out in front of the Daily Planet. Though Superman manages to kill Doomsday (or at least he _thinks_ he killed him), he succumbs to injuries sustained in the fight. Notably, Doomsday [appears in the _Batman v Superman_ trailer](http://time.com/4257616/batman-superman-supercut/ "undefined") as the monster that Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman must fight. ### Meet All the Actors Who Have Played Batman and Robin  Lewis Wilson was the first actor to play Batman on screen, with Douglas Croft joining him as the first Robin in the 1943 film Batman. Columbia Pictures—Getty Images  Robert Lowery was the second to don the guise of Batman, playing the caped crusader in the 15 chapter serial, Batman and Robin in 1949. Everett  Johnny Duncan played Robin to Lowery's Batman in the 1949 Batman and Robin serial. Columbia  Adam West played the role of masked crime fighter for three seasons on the 1960s television series Batman. Mondadori—Getty Images  Burt Ward joined Adam West as his Robin for the Batman television series. Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images  Michael Keaton played Batman in the 1992 film Batman Returns. Warner Bros.  Following Keaton three years later, Val Kilmer portrayed the billionaire playboy in 1995's Batman Forever. Warner Bros.  Chris O'Donnell played Robin for two different Batmen. He was Val Kilmer's Robin in 1995 (pictured above) and then joined George Clooney in 1997 for the widely panned Batman & Robin. Warner Bros.  Hard to remember, but George Clooney once took a turn as Batman, back in the 1997--before the Oscars knew his name so well. Warner Bros.  Christian Bale donned the mask for Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. Ron Phillips—Warner Bros  Ben Affleck is the latest to join the ranks of actors who have portrayed the caped crusader, in the upcoming Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice movie. DCComics.com  Will Arnett voices Bruce Wayne/Batman in The Lego Batman Movie, a 3D-animated take on the DC superhero and a spin-off of 2014's The Lego Movie. Warner Bros. **MORE:** [Review: Superheroes Duke It Out Superseriously in _Batman v Superman_](http://time.com/4268724/batmanvsuperman-review-movie-ben-affleck-henry-cavill/ "undefined") Back to the comics: Superman eventually returns from the dead. The method of resurrection is convoluted to say the least. Superman’s body is put in a regeneration machine in the Fortress of Solitude. In the meantime, his adopted father Jonathan Kent, has a heart attack. Kent briefly crosses over to the afterlife where he finds the spirit of his Superman and brings him back to the real world. Several issues later, Superman returns in both body and spirit. Many fans balked at the fake out, groaning that Superman basically took a nap and came back with a new hairstyle. Critics [called the plot](http://www.milehighcomics.com/tales/cbg127.html "undefined") a “catastrophe.” Perhaps the debate—fit for an episode of _Seinfeld_—about whether Superman could be throttled while weakened by Krypton or drowned or even die of hunger is besides the point. It’s hard to believe DC would kill off one of its most popular superheroes, not to mention ruin the opportunity for a lucrative [film franchise](http://time.com/4267760/batman-v-superman-dc-movies-connected/ "undefined"). ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4269550/could-batman-kill-superman/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4269550/could-batman-kill-superman/"},"headline":"Could Batman Actually Kill Superman in a Fight?","datePublished":"2016-03-24T18:53:15.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:00:13.222Z","description":"The Caped Crusader's chances at beating the god-like hero assessed","url":"https://time.com/4269550/could-batman-kill-superman/","keywords":["movies"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt620191a216b4a8a5/69888b46524fc091dbdf736d/bvs-21584rv5.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eliana Dockterman","jobTitle":"Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt620191a216b4a8a5/69888b46524fc091dbdf736d/bvs-21584rv5.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Batman V. 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