Superheroes Batman and Superman could go into battle against each other in a new movie featuring the two caped crusaders.

Movie studio Warner Brothers has given its backing to the project which is to be directed by Wolfgang Petersen, according to trade newspaper Variety.

They are two sides of the same coin and that is material for great drama

Wolfgang Petersen

Petersen, who also directed The Perfect Storm, told Variety that in the post-11 September America people wanted to "change the image of these superheroes".

Matt Damon, star of Good Will Hunting and The Bourne Identity, has already been tipped as a possible star, but it was not made clear in which role.

Batman and Superman are two of the most popular superhero characters ever created and have both spawned Hollywood blockbuster movies.

Four Batman movies were made by Hollywood in the 1980s and 1990s and a fifth, Batman Year One, is in the early stages of pre-production.

Big-budget Batman films

Batman 1989 Batman Returns 1992 Batman Forever 1995 Batman and Robin 1997

Superman also generated four big-budget film versions, all starring Christopher Reeve, who is now paralysed following a riding accident in 1995.

A TV series, Smallville, focusing on the early years of Superman, is being shown on Channel 4, testament to the character's enduring appeal.

And the recent worldwide success of Spider-Man has convinced film studios that audiences want more superheroes on the big screen.

Christopher Reeve played Superman

Superman was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster in 1933 but it was another five years before the hero first hit the newsstands.

Batman, created by Bob Kane, appeared for the first time a year later.

In the planned new movie, called Batman vs Superman, the two heroes start as allies who come to blows over what Petersen called "differing philosophies".

"It is a clash of the titans," Petersen told Daily Variety.

'Action man'

"They play off of each other so perfectly. (Superman) is clear, bright, all that is noble and good, and Batman represents the dark, obsessive and vengeful side.

Big-budget Superman movies

Superman 1978 Superman II 1980 superman III 1983 Superman IV 1987

"They are two sides of the same coin and that is material for great drama."

Petersen described Damon as "an interesting action man and a hell of an actor".

The new movie is not the first attempt to resurrect a new movie based around Superman.

Batman has been played by Val Kilmer

Four years ago the plug was pulled on a long-running project, Superman Lives, which was set to star Nicholas Cage.

"It was just too exciting to me not to do Batman vs Superman now," said Petersen.

"It's good to have a handful of projects cooking in your drawer. Let's see what happens after this."