Following Ben Affleck's Dark Knight debut in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice next year, the character will make a wave of appearances throughout the DC Extended Universe, with Suicide Squad, the two-part Justice League, and his own (yet-to-be-slated) solo movie. The latter presents a multitude of opportunities to explore the character in ways we've never on screen before, which is why I've gone in-depth into three elements that Warner Bros. should definitely consider.
Before we begin, I'd just like to emphasise that these are just my pointers for handling our new cinematic Batman, and are far from definitive. WB certainly has their own plans, ones that may not even follow anything I've written here, and you'll have your own thoughts, too.
"And here... we... go."
1. Balance the Grounded and Comic Book Tones
Much has been made of Warner Bros.' directive to set the DCEU apart from the competition; Man of Steel set the tone for the films to follow, sharing a mood far closer to Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy than the Superman films of the past. It was broody, grandiose and reflective, but a chunk of moviegoers felt it was the wrong approach to the traditionally bright, optimistic superhero, and wasn't the most enthusiastic way to kick-start a cinematic universe.
Well, here's my take on it: the 'dark' and 'realistic' descriptions that we've heard time and time again aren't meant to insinuate that a man in a Superman t-shirt will walk the streets while a billionaire with a bat tattooed on his chest broods in the rain. Rather, I see it as placing these icons, these legends, within the confines of our world; a world of darkness and consequences, but one that allows us to explore the emotions that would surround powerful gods — fear, awe, caution, inspiration. Snyder definitely appears to be playing up that concept in Batman v Superman.
And while I'm fascinated by this approach, I think the key to capturing the true essence of the character is being able to balance the outlandish nature of the mythology and the grit of a realistic world. We've seen campy Batmen, a Caped Crusader rooted in gothic undertones and a seriously grounded Dark Knight, and while most of those have been fantastic, this Batman looks to be the most out-and-out comic book-ish yet.
We're already seeing this with Affleck in Dawn of Justice, with shots ripped straight from comic book covers to vehicles, Bat-armour and gadgets galore. The fact that this is a Caped Crusader that's going toe-to-toe with Superman automatically takes this iteration to a level beyond anything we've seen before. But a world where Men of Steel and Wonder Women exist can allow Batman to rise from the shadows of strictly crime cinema to full-blown superhero goodness.
2. Make It All About the Bat-Family
Rivalled by perhaps only Spider-Man, the Caped Crusader has the richest cast of supporting characters in comics; from friend to foe, Bat-books are bursting with fantastic sidekicks and devilish rogues. The former element — Bruce's partners and allies — isn't something that has been capitalised on very much in cinematic form, and I think that needs to change. The last time we saw Robin in a Batman film was in 1997, and pretty much killed whatever positive reputation the character still had with moviegoers.
As glimpsed in the Comic-Con trailer for Batman v Superman, at least one Robin has existed already, and has died at the hands of the Joker. Given his infamous demise in the 1988-89 storyline A Death in the Family, my money's on the deceased Boy Wonder being Jason Todd. When comic book lore already includes a dead Robin, well, it seems obvious to me to utilise that one for the movies. Of course, though the DCEU is adapting elements from the source, it's been made clear that the films are charting their own path, so perhaps Bruce has only worked alongside one Boy Wonder, and this is in fact the tattered suit of Richard Grayson.
Assuming that Jason is the one to have perished, ideally, we'd have Dick and Barbara Gordon, at the very least, as supporting characters in the Batman solo. Dick operating as Nightwing, Barbara as Oracle, demonstrating that they've been working as crimefighters for a while — after all, Batman had to fill out that 20 year career somehow. It'd also be interesting to see other faces, like Stephanie Brown, Tim Drake and maybe even Carrie Kelley, join the ranks in future instalments. Heck, throw Selina Kyle in there — I'd love to see another take on Catwoman (besides, I prefer her as an ally than an enemy).
Bruce's allies are rich characters that can be utilised in a variety of ways; distanced friends that regroup the Bat-Family, long-serving partners of Bruce, strong heroes working their own missions only to rejoin the Bat's crusade… the list goes on. To reduce these characters to easter eggs or cameos would be a terrible waste. Put them at the forefront, have them stand alongside Batman, rather than shun them to the back of the film.
3. Beware the Court of Owls
My final point is to utilise a group of rogues unlike anything we've seen in a Batman film: the Court of Owls. Hardly a revolutionary idea, I know. Including Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's brilliant New 52 creation is one of the most common fan suggestions for the Batman solo, up there with an adaption of Under the Hood. That's not an accident — the Owls are the best addition to the Dark Knight mythology in years, and truly deserve to be brought to screen.
The exciting thing about the Court is that they symbolise something entirely different than what we've witnessed in a Bat-film. They represent the deepest, darkest fears in Gotham, the idea that someone "watches all the time". The 2011-12 Court of Owls storyline showed Bruce in his prime, believing Batman was the unstoppable symbol of Gotham, and the Court's arrival pushes him like never before. His faith not only in himself, but in the strength of Batman serving as the city's foundation, is tested, and his over-confidence in representing the entirety of Gotham is called into question.
While Nolan's trilogy took elements of famous Dark Knight tales, it rooted itself in a cinematically realistic world, a far cry from the gods and monsters stomping about in the DCEU. But as the major movie companies start incorporating more and more of the source into their films (see: the Infinity Gauntlet in the MCU, Fox with Deadpool, X-Men: Days of Future Past and Apocalypse), I think Warner Bros.' new movie world will follow suit. There hasn't been a Batman film that has served as an adaption of a comic book arc, but I'd like to see a film that, overall, sticks to the Court of Owls storyline.
The first act would share a similar feel to the first four issues of the comic book plot, putting Batman's cunning detective skills in the spotlight as he (alongside his allies) uncovers the mystery of the fabled Court of Owls. In the second act, Bruce would be captured and forced to survive in the Court's maze, taking the group head-on, then barely escaping with his life. The final act would see the Owls spread through the streets of Gotham, with Batman and his partners working together to kick some owl-shaped ass. Bat-fam vs. the Court of Owls. That sounds pretty damn amazing to me.
Well, folks, those are just three pointers that I've got drilled into my head, and if DCEU Batman adventures go anything like this, then I'll be absolutely thrilled. Everything we've seen so far has been brilliant, and I have full confidence that Chris Terrio, Zack Snyder and Affleck will introduce a thrilling new take on the character come March.
As always, those are just my thoughts, and now I'd like to hear yours. Should there be an emphasis on the Bat-family? Are there villains besides the Court of Owls you'd like to see on screen? Sound off below!