DCU Batman Needs To Take A Very Different Approach To The Caped Crusader

There’s nothing wrong with a grounded Batman, his lack of powers and many unpowered villains lend themselves to that approach as Christopher Nolan proved. But the DCU has to escape Nolan’s shadow. This is doubly true if the Robert Pattinson version of the character continues separately from the rest of the universe with its similarly grounded modern detective approach. 

While embracing the fantastical would help set a new tone for Batman himself, it would also allow the DCU to use a wider range of villains. Whether it’s the gothic monster Man-Bat, the zombie Solomon Grundie, or the shapeshifting mutant Clayface, Gotham City has a rogues gallery full of fantastical villains. Because of their inability to fit into more realistic versions of Gotham, these villains would also be new to movie audiences.

Villains are the most obvious area where the DCU could implement the fantastic, but Batman lore is full of such elements. One of the most notable is the Lazarus Pit, a supernatural spring that gives Ra’s al Ghul immortality and is often used to resurrect dead characters. Even Gotham City frequently takes on a fantastic quality as a larger-than-life gothic setting, something Tim Burton embraced with his films.

While these more fantastical elements seem to lend themselves to a lighter, potentially campy tone, they don’t have to. One of the most well-regarded literary stories in modern Batman comics is “The Court of Owls,” which features a conspiracy of Gotham’s elite who use an army of undead soldiers. These undead soldiers are thematically resonant, representing Bruce fighting against the history of Gotham itself, but they wouldn’t appear in a grounded version of the story. 

If Robert Pattinson’s version of the character is a revival of Batman’s detective roots, the DCU should revive his gothic roots. Many of Batman’s villains, from Man-Bat to Doctor Death, have one foot in gothic horror, harkening back to Frankenstein, Dracula, and Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. Focusing on these gothic elements could allow the character to feel distinct from earlier film versions while embracing one of its primary influences. 

Fantastical elements would help Batman fit into the larger DCU more seamlessly. Characters like Superman and Swamp Thing, both of whom will be introduced in the first chapter of the new universe, are fundamentally fantastical. The Nolan version of Gotham City would feel out of place in a world with alien champions and living elementals.

Whether it means fully embracing the supernatural or simply pitting Batman against mutates like Killer Croc, the DCU needs to put the caped crusader into a more fantastical world. With so many great characters and concepts in the comics being distinctly unrealistic, it would be a mistake to keep striving for a grounded take on the character. Rather than yet another story focused on The Joker or Two-Face that could theoretically happen, it’s time for Batman to get weird again.