2023 is set to be yet another year of transition for theDC franchise, with many of the upcoming projects, such asThe Flash, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and more making way for the expected ‘new’ universe, labeled the DCU. Superman will be recast, as confirmed by James Gunn, and other reliable sources within the film industry have said that the rest of the Snyderverse crew will ultimately receive the same fate (even Jason Momoa, such a popular figure in his role as Aquaman, is expected to depart).
The new DCU will be run by James Gunn and Peter Safran, with the former individual taking the majority of the responsibility regarding creative decisions. As some of the most famous comic book heroes gear up for yet another change, the DCU should go in a particularly bold and unique direction with the character of Batman and opt to have the person underneath the suit to be someone other than the regular Bruce Wayne.
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Even if it’s not a complete reboot (although most fans expect it to be a fresh start at this point), yet another DC universe comes with a certain amount of familiarity from audiences due to the sheer amount of times these characters have been depicted on screen. For Superman, for example, Brandon Routh, Henry Cavill, and Tyler Hoechlin have all played the hero across different mediums in the last few years alone. Some other characters, such as Wonder Woman or Aquaman, have not been utilized as much, yet the popularity of their current iterations means that the new DCU will have to stand apart (and firmly on its own) from that.
This is true especially for Batman, who has existed and appeared in within the Snyderverse universe and isolated worlds as well. Since the 90s, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, and Robert Pattinson have all played the Caped Crusader. Keaton’s Batman was a darker, gothic take on the character, whereas Kilmer and Clooney were placed within more light-hearted, family-friendly films. Christian Bale was in a story where writer-director Christopher Nolan focused heavily on realism, and Ben Affleck played a slightly older Dark Knight,and one that existed in the same world as Superman and other DC characters. Most recently, Robert Pattinson’s iteration of the Batman dove deep into the detective elements of the character, as well as returning to a younger Bruce Wayne.
Obviously, all of these iterations have their points of uniqueness and originality to stand apart from the rest. Bale’s realism, Affleck’s presence within a larger DC world, and Pattinson’sdetective story are all prime examples of this. However, what’s clear is that all of these actors have ultimately been playing the same character, Bruce Wayne. Bruce’s story is one that almost all audiences know by this point, including his origins and how he became a superhero. This means that there’s always an element of the known with this character, and one that fosters a feeling of predictability.
If James Gunn and co. want their Batman to stand out, they would be wise to take a look at some of the other heroes who took on the Batman mantle. In the comics, plenty of others have put on the suit, including Bruce Wayne’s own butler/father figure, Alfred Pennyworth. There are plenty of choices, but Tim Drake, Terry McGinnis, and Damian Wayne represent three of the best options available. Drake was once Robin the comics and was described in many stories as having excellent detective skills, so much so that even Bruce Wayne himself once labeled him as the world’s greatest detective. Terry McGinnis was Batman/Batman Beyond, withBruce Wayne still alive and existing in the background, whereas Damian Wayne was the son of Bruce who then went on to put on the cowl.
All of these represent the second generation of Batman, but there’s a precedent in more recent comic book films to skip out on the first iteration. For example, inAnt-Man, Paul Rudd’s lead hero Scott Lang was the second person to acquire the mantle, with Michael Douglas’ character the very first in the 1980s and beyond. Obviously,Batman is a hero that holds a far greater significancethan Ant-Man, but it’s still clear that it’s not exactly unheard of to move in this direction.
Doing this would also give Robert Pattinson some space to continue doing his best as Bruce Wayne,while also still having Batman in the wider DCU. It would arguably be unfair on Pattinson to just have another Bruce/Batman at the same time as him, something that none of the other actors have had to deal with (and he’s already had to contend with that after the release ofZack Snyder’s Justice Leagueand the upcomingThe Flash), so choosing another hero to wear the Batsuit would also give the added benefit of removing any unnecessary competition or pressure.
