Since I’m all caught up on the cinematic exploits of everyone’s favourite powerlifting detective who dresses like a bat, I thought it could be fun to take a look at where the character can go in the future. Obviously, plans for Batman’s next big screen step are vague at the moment after the downfall of the DCEU and James Gunn’s current attempts to steer the ship in a more crowd-pleasing direction. A new Superman movie is due next year and, like Man of Steel before it, its success is pivitol to the continued life of DC’s other main characters.
Batman is still active, though a sequel to Matt Reeves The Batman is nowhere in sight; though the events of that film will be continued in some form in The Penguin, out in a few weeks. There have also been reports of The Flash director Andy Muschietti helming a separate Batman movie entitled The Brave and the Bold, a name that suggests – from the 2000s cartoon series that shares this title – that it will be a lighter depiction of Batman. What I would like to propose is that either of these versions of the character would greatly benefit from the inclusion of the wider Bat Family.
No, I’m not joking, but I understand why you just scoffed at your screen. The best cinematic Batmen have been those that work mostly alone: Keaton, Bale, Pattinson, they all nail the lone agent against the chaos of Gotham City. Chris O’Donnell’s Robin is the main reason that neither the boy wonder, or any other member of the Bat Family has made it onto the big screen since the 90s. Even Christian Bale said that he would quit the role if he had to look after a bratty sidekick.
What also doesn’t help is the existence of shows like Titans (“Fuck Batman!”) and the short-lived, and utterly appalling, Gotham Knights. These shows showcase older comic sidekicks: Robin, Red Robin, Red Hood, and eventually Nightwing, as well as characters like Spoiler and Orphan from more recent comic runs, with Batman either on the edges of the story or dead. Even the Batwoman (great character in the comics) show just steals all of Batman’s stuff without earning its own voice.
In everything I’ve just mentioned, the problem is the same: all of these characters start off as obnoxious moody teenagers who grow into barely competent heroes – I genuinely think that the writers of these shows hate kids and are taking it out on the Bat Family. Don’t worry though, the solution is where it all began.
The Schumacher Robin was nothing short of a character assassination. This is the downside of cinema being the biggest game in town relating to superheroes: Robin, in the comics, is not like that. Yes, he was introduced as an obvious surrogate for the young boys buy comics in the 30s, but over the years he has proved to be the thing that balances Batman. Take Pattinson’s version, probably the most brooding version of Batman we’ve had yet. His path from vengeance to justice in The Batman was due to the people around him, Alfred, Selina, and Gordon. Robin is the next step in that transformation – to become Robin, Dick Grayson has to come to terms with the murder of his own parents. This serves as a parallel for Bruce, but also a way that he can improve. Just don’t make him moody, and don’t make him a Short Round-style sidekick. Batman Forever fumbled the bag on that so hard that Dick was never any kind of threat to Two-Face. It’s not hard to improve on something that has only been done badly.
As for the wider Bat Family. If The Penguin is successful then why not start building characters through TV? A Batgirl TV show that takes some inspiration from her New 52 comic run, or Rebirth, could give Barbara Gordon time to grow outside the shadow of The Dark Knight. The city is flooded, after all – Batman’s actions at the end of The Batman should be the thing that inspires others to help Gotham. The comics and the exalted Batman: The Animated Series have utilized these characters brilliantly without make Batman seem any less cool. If Christian Bale, and every other Batman before and after, were reading more than The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: Year One, The Long Halloween, and The Killing Joke, they might have been more willing to share that cave.
If you enjoyed this article, please check out the rest of our Batman retrospectiveright here. You can also take a look at our other cinematic universe retrospectives, for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Jurassic Park movies! And, as ever, if you enjoyed this and want to see more stuff like it, please consider supporting us on Ko-Fi.
By Kevin Boyle
(header image via The Verge)
No But Listen 