Superhero films will be abundant this year. Things started back in February, with Ryan Reynolds absolutely rocking it in "Deadpool." The R-rated film has surpassed all expectations and set the bar very high, but now it is time for DC Comics to step up to the table with the first major clash of heroes of 2016: "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice."

This is technically a sequel to Henry Cavill's first go as Superman in "Man of Steel." More importantly, this will be the first major step in starting up a cinematic universe for DC characters. They will attempt to replicate the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe by building one of their own. It will not be an easy task, and the success of Batman and Superman's clash will determine how successful it will be.

For that reason there will surely be a lot of talking points from the film. People are sure to leave the theater talking, good or bad. While I don't expect it to match the MCU, the film still intrigues me. There are plenty of things to watch for. So without any further ado, here are the top five things to keep an eye out for in this upcoming movie.

1. All of Batman's cool stuff

Batman may not have any special powers, but he sure has some cool toys. It all starts in his Batcave, which may be the man cave of all man caves. This is his base of operations and houses all of his other cool stuff. From the few looks we have gotten from trailers and short clips, the Batcave is looking really good. It does not have the true cave feel; it's more like a billionaire's high tech lab, which is probably a truer description.

The most iconic and famous item that will be found here is of course the Batmobile. The previews have offered us a few looks, and they look quite promising -- aside from the fact that Batman is going to need to replace the doors after an encounter with Superman. The Batmobile is always one of the more exciting parts of any film with Batman, and I expect that to remain true here.

Like I said earlier, Batman does not have any true powers, so there will be plenty of other toys he has to play with. Keep an eye out throughout the film to see what kind of goodies Bruce pulls out of his bag.

2. Hints about future films

With any shared cinematic universe, there must be hints within films about other films. Marvel has perfected this, dropping subtle lines and Easter eggs to show that everything is connected. The use of after-credit scenes has been perfection for Marvel, often helping to set up a future film.

We know that Justice League is coming as DC's version of the Avengers. So what seeds will be planted for that film? Will we leave the theater knowing who will be the big bad for the Justice League's first main opponent? Marvel did this by teasing Thanos at the end of the first Avengers film. Will it be Darseid? Will Doomsday survive and have his presence felt in the future?

All it takes is a quick line or a certain thing in the background. A shared universe can be so much fun, and dropping hints is part of that fun. So keep your eyes and ears open, as something that may seem like nothing could actually have a major impact on the Aquaman movie or Justice League.

3. Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor

This is the main reason why I am excited for this film. Eisenberg is great when playing a cocky, smart guy who thinks he is better than everyone else (see "The Social Network"). And from the trailers, that is exactly what it appears we will get.

His character seems to be fun and crazy. His desire for power will likely cause him to go mad, and ultimately go bald. His interactions with other characters in the trailers have been the highlights in my opinion. If you are a fan of Eisenberg, he surely seems like he will not disappoint.

Not to mention Luthor is Superman's most iconic villain, so we know this will not be the end of Eisenberg's Luthor. So what exactly will his role be in the film? Will it be an origin story of sorts, with him going bald in his final scene?

As excited as I am to enjoy the portrayal of the character, I am equally excited to see where he ends up in the film. Will the events of the film lead to him going mad? Luthor will be a fun character to follow throughout the film and see where he fits into the future. Will he be set up to appear in the Justice League films? Only time will tell.

4. Justice League Members

We know the Justice League is coming. With it we know we need team members. So Batman and Superman are obviously going to be key players in both this film and those films. The really interesting note, however, is how their fellow Justice League members will factor into this film, if at all.

Wonder Woman is going to have a role to play in this one. From the clips I've seen, Gal Gadot is going to be an awesome Wonder Woman. She is going to be kicking butt left and right. But how does she fit into the big picture, and how did she get in the middle of Batman and Superman's scuffle? Will they end the movie as a team?

Then we have Aquaman. How is the King of Atlantis going to be brought into the mix? He is supposed to appear in some fashion, but it is not known how or in what capacity. It will be interesting to see if he interacts with other Justice League members.

There are two other members who have already been cast, and are believed to have cameos. Those two characters would be the Flash and Cyborg. With the success of the Flash TV series, I am curious as to how they distinguish the film version from the TV one. I love the television show, and it will be weird seeing a new take on the character. His appearance had better be a scene-stealer, as it will be hard to get behind the character with a lackluster debut. And will Cyborg be in superhero form already, or debut without his powers? And once again, will there be any interactions with the core three members?

Finally, there is the Green Lantern. Will he even appear? It doesn't look like he will, but can we get a name drop? If so, it would be interesting to see in what context and from whom. Even without appearing, having Batman drop a name could be just as effective.

5. References to Jared Leto's Joker

I have a confession to make -- I am more excited for "Suicide Squad" than this movie, and that is for one reason in particular: Jared Leto's Joker. Heath Ledger's take on the Joker made the character my favorite comic book villain hands down. For the longest time I did not want them to ever have anyone else play the character because there would be no outdoing Ledger.

Then the "Suicide Squad" trailer came out. And while I can't say whether Leto's take on the Joker is going to be any better, I can say that it's going to be fun. Leto looks to be a totally insane and amazing Joker, and I cannot wait to see that film.

The Joker is Batman's greatest villain, and last I checked, this film is going to feature Batman quite a bit. So when Batman is done here, he is surely going to face off with the Joker at some point, no? To go back to an earlier point, can we get any hints at how the Joker may cross paths with the Dark Knight of Gotham? Or maybe a reference to a past encounter?

It's possible he killed off Robin; there was a graffiti-covered Robin suit in the trailers. So while I don't expect to actually see the Joker (I will be one happy guy if we do, though), a reference or two will help satisfy fans until we get to see him later this year.

Conclusion

Do you have your tickets yet? The film will have a lot to digest and will likely have its fair share of controversy. There will be plenty to look for, that's for sure. What part are you looking forward to the most? What do you want to see from the film? And how will it set the table for the next major cinematic universe?