Fans are massively hyped for next year’s newest film portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman, Matt Reeves’sThe Batman. It’s got astar-powered cast of actors like Robert Pattinsonin the titular role, Zoe Kravitz as the infamous Catwoman, and Colin Farrell as Penguin. However, with all of the excitement, there also seems to be some pushback for a few reasons. The most notable one being that we’re in a huge superhero boom right now, and people aren’t wanting another superhero universe. Especially since there is currently the DCEU, of which an interpretation of Batman already exists.
Part of why people are wary of this iteration of the character is because he’s just been done so often. The character has existed for decades, with many versions of him existing in live-action film, with some good and some bad. He’s also been done multiple times in recent years, with Christopher Nolan’sThe Dark Knight Trilogyand the DCEU both coming out in the last 20 years.That’s a lot of Batman contentforThe Batmanto live up to. This makes it perfectly acceptable to be sick of the character, however there are waysThe Batmancould stand out. One of those is by existing in its own universe.
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This version of Batman is said to be very adult and very dark. It’s not supposed to be the over-the-top and comic book-like version of superheroes that are dominating the media in the MCU and the DCEU. Despite how successful those universes are, ifThe Batmanwants to be good and stay true to its intentions, it should shy away fromindulging in any universes or crossovers. Though it might seem appealing based on how these universes dominate the market, it’s necessary forThe Batmanto stand out. This is what Christopher Nolan did with his Batman trilogy, which also had a serious and dark tone, and it worked beautifully.
The Batmanwill have a very, very hard time living up toThe Dark Knight Trilogy. It’s highly loved and highly regarded, and generally thought of as one of the best trilogies of all time. People latched on to the dark and sometimes scary portrayal of this character and his villains, especially in the second filmThe Dark Knight. To avoid seeming likea worse version ofThe Dark Knight Trilogy,The Batmanwill have to differentiate itself in some ways. However, it would be silly to not acknowledge the things Christopher Nolan has done right and take on some of those aspects.
The darker takes of superhero characters just don’t really fit in in the universe and crossover setting. A darker version will often have a more deep and intense backstory, and its own world-building and sometimes scary vibe.Looking into the MCUand the DCEU, that just doesn’t really work. It also would detract from the chance to really developThe Batmanand the world and tone they’re going for in that film, because filmmakers would need to account for a whole other world and its characters as well.
The MCU is kind of universally loved, and the DCEU has its fair share of fans as well. These films are also (almost) always huge box office hits. The temptation to make another superhero universe will be real. However, they have been done and they dominate and for as many fans are there are, there are also so many people who are sick of them. In a lot of spaces, they’re seen as “lesser than” compared to other films because of the huge money behind them, as well as the huge money that they make. This is a little silly, and the money involved shouldn’t really take away from how much someone likes a film. However, it has been done so much thatThe Batmanbeing completely its own thing would make it stand out and give it a good opportunity to do what it wants.
Luckily it seems thatThe Batmanwill remain its own universe. There are two planned sequels to come out, so this will be a franchise, and another trilogy. However, that doesn’t mean that it must venture into “universe” territory. With the amount of Batman villains being portrayed in the first film, at least three of his major foes, there is more thanenough material to work with within Gotham.
When the film comes out and more information is known about its sequels, more about the intentions withThe Batmanwill be known. Of course, this includes any info on whether it’ll be part of a universe or a crossover. The majority of people who see this movie though, will not want that. The universe way has been done, and to be honest it wasn’t the most wonderfully received. Truly,there has been so much Batman in the world. He’s a complex character and there are a lot of ways to portray him. To stand out, in the midst of huge productions and universes, smaller and more simple might be the best way to make an impact.
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