'The Dark Knight' rises was the 11th film of all time to gross over $1 Billion. That's a lot of coin for the Warner Brothers studio. There's money to be made in superhero films, no doubt. But, can money be made with a film that doesn't follow the usual macabre style that made 'The Dark Knight' so great? 

Enter 'Man of Steel.' What do we know about this film so far? Mostly that it will focus on the beginnings of a young Kal-El, struggles that he faces with who he is (and who he wants to become), and we will also be privy to some information about his home planet, Krypton. 

This is definitely not the same kind of film that made 'The Dark Knight' so great, but WB President Jeff Robinov has something else in mind altogether -- something that might bring the studio 'Dark Knight' kind of cash. 

Robinov told Entertainment Weekly that the new 'Man of Steel' film will set the tone "...for what the movies are going to be like going forward... to really introduce other characters into the same world." 

TO INTRODUCE OTHER CHARACTERS INTO THE SAME WORLD!

Are you putting two and two together yet? 'Man of Steel' will be a jumping off point for other characters that will enter Superman's world. What kinds of characters? Maybe Wonder Woman, possibly some Gotham characters, and maybe some characters from Central City? 

While Robinov affirmed outright that new characters would be stealing some of Superman's limelight, 'Man of Steel' screenwriter, David Goyer, wasn't so direct on the topic. Don't you hate it when studio presidents say things they aren't supposed to, David? 

When asked about additional characters, Goyer had this to say: "I would love to tell you yes or no, but I think it’s going to be more exciting for people to keep a beady eye out and find what they can find." 

Ah, spoken like a true fan. From Goyer's perspective, it will be an Easter egg hunt, for sure. Make sure to keep your "beady" eyes on the lookout for any characters that might pop up in future films during the debut of 'Man of Steel.' Speculations?