Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice soars into theaters on March 25, and with it comes the new expanded DC Comics cinematic universe. Batman and Superman are in the movie, obviously, but so are Wonder Woman, Lex Luthor, Doomsday, Aquaman, Cyborg, and The Flash. That's a lot of heroes joining the franchise, but this isn't technically the start of the world the movie depicts. That's because the film takes place after the events of 2013's Man of Steel , which introduced Henry Cavill as, uh, the Man of Steel. But in case you missed that movie and want to catch up, you're probably wondering if Man of Steel is on Netflix.
Unfortunately for couch potatoes, Man of Steel is not streaming on Netflix. Nor is it on Hulu, Amazon, or HBO. Bummer, I know. You can rent it from iTunes ($4.99 HD) or Amazon ($3.99) and stream it that way, but if you were hoping to see Superman snap somebody's neck for free, it's not going to happen. But that doesn't mean that Netflix doesn't offer some super alternatives (see what I did there?). The streaming service has a bunch of superhero movies and specials that more than make up for the lack of Man of Steel, so take a look at what they have to offer below.
Batman
Tim Burton's original Batman film from 1989. A classic.
Hellboy
That rare beast of a successful comic book movie not based on a Marvel or DC character.
Justice League: War
See Superman and Batman go toe to toe in this animated feature, and hope that Batman puts forth a better effort in Batman v Superman.
The Punisher
Before he makes his first appearance in season two of Daredevil later this month, Marvel's most-violent character starred in his own movie in 2004.
Iron Man & Captain America: Heroes United
This bizarrely animated film sees the team up of two of the biggest superheroes not named Superman and Batman.
Iron Man & Hulk: Heroes United
Another Marvel team up feature with that funky computer animation.
Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher
Black Widow still doesn't have her own movie, but she at least co-headlines this animated film.
Marvel Superhero Adventures: Frost Fight
The Avengers have to protect... Santa Claus?
Lego DC Comics: Batman Be-Leagured
Lego superhero content is always great, and this half-hour special sees lone wolf Batman resistant to the idea of joining up with his fellow heroes.
Son of Batman
Wait, Batman has a son? Find out what that's all about in this animated feature.
Lego Marvel Superheroes: Maximum Overload
More Lego! This time, the jokey toymakers take on the Marvel heroes instead of DC.
There you have it, plenty of superhero action on Netflix to help you get over the absence of Man of Steel. Excelsior!
Images: Warner Bros. Pictures
