Today, I wrote an article questioning why Clayface is getting his own DCU adaptation before The Brave and the Bold even has a release date set which you can read here. My train of thought led me to the idea that James Gunn and Peter Safran might be concerned that general audiences could suffer from Batman fatigue, something similar to superhero fatigue as a whole, but specifically felt towards Batman. If there are two different versions of Batman on screen in two separate universes, general audiences may become tired of the character. I know I won’t, but I do not represent the general audience. Since I wrote that article, I’ve been wondering how this potential problem could be avoided and I’ve come up with three different solutions.
The DCU’s Batman needs to be different from those that came before it. We have already seen many unique versions of Batman that represent different parts of his history and diverse storytelling. Starting with the 1989 movie Batman and continuing through the nineties, we saw a Batman that had a comic book like combination of seriousness and silliness. Let’s ignore Batman and Robin and move on to the 2000s with Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises. This version of Batman was very grounded, realistic, and gritty. In 2016, we were shown a Batman in the wake of The Dark Knight Returns in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. Despite your feelings about that movie, it’s safe to say the warehouse scene gave us one of the best Batman action sequences ever filmed, if not the best. That version of Batman continued in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, then was replaced by The Batman. Pattinson’s Batman is the dark, demented, detective version of the character we hadn’t seen before. Ultimately, there’s really only three ways the DCU’s Batman can be different from the rest.
A Batman Who Isn’t Alone
Luckily, we already know this is happening, so I won't spend a ton of time here. The Brave and the Bold will feature not only Batman, but his son, Damian Wayne taking the mantle of Robin. The existence of Damian Wayne as Robin implies the existence of Dick, Jason, and Tim as well. Coincidentally, Gunn has confirmed an animated project about the first two Robins, called Dynamic Duo, which I’m very excited for. Giving Batman his entire Batfamily can differentiate the character from the version that came before it as well as from Robert Pattinson’s Batman. His Batman is entirely alone unless you count Catwoman or Commissioner Gordon. The Batfamily definitely changes the character of Batman to a degree unlike anything we’ve seen in live action before.
The High Tech Ninja
I have been wanting to see this version of Batman on the big screen forever. In The Dark Knight Trilogy, we saw a bit of this, but it was so grounded and based in reality that it’s difficult to say that Batman really fit into this category. Yes, he was indeed literally trained by ninjas, and, yes, he did have some pretty high tech gear like the Tumbler and the Bat, but I want a movie to dive into it even more. I want to see a Batman that fights like a character from John Wick: quick, snappy movements that hit hard. Craft a Batman in his prime that can take down a doze goons without taking a single hit. Give Batman an arsenal of batarangs that do all sorts of ridiculous things, give him gauntlets that are hacking devices, tasers, and an explosive launcher all in one, give him a handheld welder, give him a voice synthesizer, and for the love of God give the man detective vision! The Dark Knight gave Batman detective vision very briefly, then immediately did away with it. A Batman that is both a ninja and a genius scientist with billions of dollars at his disposal is an opportunity studios have missed.
Merge The Batman With the DCU
This is my least favorite out of the three ways to avoid Batman fatigue, but it certainly would work. There’s been a bit of speculation that Gunn has convinced Reeves to merge his Batman Epic Crime Saga with the DCU which would just be a shame. The universe works so well on its own. Unless Gunn is going to hand Reeves his job as overseer of the DCU, something I would be on board for, I think The Batman should stay standalone. I just can’t see Pattinson’s Batman staring down the likes of Vandal Savage, Mongul, or Darkseid with a Justice League of super powered individuals. I feel like Reeves’ Batman would be entirely out of his depth. It is possible that Pattinson’s Batman could have some serious character development and become someone who could work with a group, maybe even eventually turn into that high tech ninja style Batman, but I don’t see it. On top of that, it would require scrapping plans for Dynamic Duo which was just barely announced.
How do you think DC Studios can avoid Batman fatigue or do you think it won’t even be an issue? Let me know!