With the shocking news that James Gunn and Peter Sagan are stepping down as co-chairmen of DC Studios, a lot of the plans for the future of the DCU are left up in the air.
Presumably DC’s most popular character, Batman will play a large role in that future. It got me thinking that if they do introduce a new Caped Crusader (assuming Robert Pattinson isn’t folded into the main timeline), what could set this new take apart from the character’s previous big-screen adventures?
A Gothic Gotham
Batman’s hometown is as much as character in his story than any of his allies or enemies. Gotham City is called that for a reason; it’s always been conceived as an old, East Coast urban center filled with dark gothic architecture and gargoyles. However, in the recent big-screen outings, the setting has been considerably more real-world.
In Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, real-life iconic cities like Chicago, New York, and Pittsburgh stood in for Gotham with little change to their modern aesthetics. Matt Reeves's 2022 film The Batman found a middle ground by using CGI to alter the streets of London into a slightly more shadowy downtown.
We haven’t seen a truly foreboding and gothic playground since Tim Burton’s films from the late 80s/early 90s. The new DCU Batman should look to the fan-favorite Batman: The Animated Series as inspiration. Presenting a mix of art deco design with retro futurism tech, the Gotham of that show exploded from the pages of a comic and gave us a setting where the costumed heroes and villains felt right at home.
Better gadgets
Perhaps the most notable thing about Batman is his lack of superpowers. As a member of the Justice League, he spends his time in the company of individuals with godlike powers, yet he is just a mortal man (okay, yes, a genius billionaire, which certainly helps). This forces Batman to rely not only on his smarts and masterful knowledge of hand-to-hand combat but also on technology. Batman is never without his trademark utility belt that the comics have filled with a menagerie of advanced crimefighting tools and weapons.
Recent films do feature the belt, though they rarely show gadgets beyond the classic Bat-a-Rang and grappling hook gun. A lot of the fun of the comics is the constant surprise of what impressive new gadget Batman will pull from the pouches of his belt. From tasers to night vision goggles, laser cutting tools, smoke bombs, breathing masks, and even shark repellent (fans of the 60s Adam West TV series will remember that famous one). Batman always has an ace up his sleeve, or more specifically, a gadget in his belt.
DC needs to introduce Batman's sidekicks
Aside from, perhaps too old, Chris O’Donnell as Robin in the Joel Schumacher films of the 90s, Batman has waged a lone war on crime in the films. Despite the fact that his family of sidekicks has grown exponentially during the same time in the comics. Batman only spent one year of his comic book history without Robin, The Boy Wonder at his side; yet live-action cinema seems to be actively scared of the character. Both Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan laughed off the idea of their dark hero joining forces with a green and red costumed acrobat.
As a lifelong fan of the Batman comics, this attitude seems baffling. Robin is just as iconic and beloved by readers as Batman himself. Even more than that, he is far from the only sidekick that has shown up over the years. Open a modern issue of Batman, and you will not only find the fourth iteration of Robin but also Nightwing, Batgirl, Red Hood, Spoiler, Batwoman, Huntress, Batwing, Red Robin, The Signal, and even Catwoman has graduated from villain to ally. So maybe it’s time for film to reflect even a small portion of them and give Batman some friends to help him in his crusade.
These are just a few suggestions that the new leadership at DC Studios could implement not only to differentiate their take from previous films but also to go a long way to entice longtime fans with a movie closer to the comics.
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