Summary
Matt Reeves’The Batmanis in danger of limping to his next mission as years pass without development. Despite this, anticipation is still sky-high for Batman’s next adventure. One might assume that more Batman is good Batman, especially at the blockbuster level, but James Gunn’s take on the caped crusaderhas instead been met with some skepticismfrom fans, largely due toThe Batman’s success. James Gunn’sThe Brave And The Boldis set to provide a suitable counter to Reeves' Batman for Gunn’s DCU.
According to Gunn, Reeves' Batman has been relegated to Elseworlds, the DC category for all films that do not belong to the main DC Universe canon. This decision complicates the Batman situation over at DC Studios, especially given the fact that Gunn sees Batman as DC’s most valuable property by far,according to a Rolling Stone Interview with Gunn. Considering the DCU’s architect honors Batman as his empire’s holy grail, it’s safe to assume Gunn knows how necessary a brand-obscuring doppleganger would be. In Gunn’s eyes,The Batmanis the DCU’s Batman’s gritty real-world clone, and Prime Batman is merely waiting on his bat signal.
The DCU Batman Situation Can Be Confusing
So, let’s establish the DC Universe vs. ‘Elseworlds’. James Gunn’s DCU is essentially an analogue to Marvel’s MCU. The ‘Universe’ moniker denotes a canon trajectory for all stories told underneath these umbrellas. Any properties operating outside the DC Universe are considered auxiliary, or ‘Elseworlds’.
Don’t look now, but Ta Nehisi Coates and JJ Abramsare also working on aSupermanscriptto exist alongside Gunn’s Superman that would also fall underneath the Elseworlds banner. Past DC Elseworlds projects include Joaquin Phoenix’sJokerandJoker Folie A Deuxfilms.
The interesting note here is that Robert Pattinson’sThe Batmanand Phoenix’sJokerboth exist in dark, grounded, hyper-realistic worlds. In these worlds, actual aliens such as the Kryptonian Superman would kill either of them with an unruly sneeze. As jarring as it might initially feel, an alternate Batman, such as the one Gunn is readying withThe Brave and the Bold,provides an essential addition to the DCU.
The Brave And The BoldFurther Complicates Things
The Brave and The Boldwill likely be a welcome boon to Gunn’s arsenal once it hits, but it doesn’t help in the meantime that the upcoming film’s title is shared with a Batman cartoon despite the film’scomplete tonal departure from the animation. Cartoon Network’sThe Brave and the Boldaired to critical praise with 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, and depicted a more campy Batman a la Adam West’s take on the hero inBatman(1966).
The Cartoon Network show was a love letter of sorts to the comedically-forward Batman show from the 60’s and silver-age Batman as a whole. It highlighted the more quirky and zany elements of 60’s Batman with his quippy remarks and ridiculous villains such as Clock King and The Music Meister.
The film’s departure also stands to include characters and substance as well, as Gunn has already technically introduced hisBrave and the BoldBatman inCreature Commandos, the first property to debut within Gunn’s DC Universe.
The DCU’s Batman Must Coexist With Superman
Batman’s appeal is that he’s a human being with an (unlikely) attainable profile. Clark Kent is not human. Superman is for all intents and purposes, a god on Earth. This is supported by Gunn’s implementation ofGods and Monsters, the first chapter of his DC Universe plan.
There is no honestly conceivable way that the Bruce Wayne presented in Matt Reeves’The Batmanwould be able to hold his own fighting with, or God forbid, against, Clark Kent of Krypton. James Gunn is aware of this, and is working to position a Batman alongside Superman who will fight the more fantastical villains in Batman’s rogues gallery. This effort would display the ways in which Batman could believably wrestle with relative titans and mages, forecasting his on-screen meeting with the red-caped superhero.
As the two heroes currently stand cinematically, Superman soars above the Earth’s atmosphere, with super strength, radiating auras, and a super-powered dog. Batman, on the other hand, peaks on rooftops, spending most of his time on the dirty streets of Gotham City. He fights teenage thugs with an able-bodied man’s power, a brooding aura, and a super-human bank account.
Batman’s cameo debut in Gunn’sCreature Commandoswas a promising one, as it implied that Batman can, and does, live and operate in a world where creatures, gods and monsters exist. As filthy, and crunchy, and dark as Matt Reeves’The Batmanis, we need to be sure that Batman can not only compete against high-powered adversaries, but dominate them, as we all know he is capable of doing. Pattinson’s Bat is great, and his delayed return is further complicated by the introduction of a new crusader, butSuperman’s arrival calls for a new Bat Signal - one that Reeves' Batman simply can’t respond to.
