The Batman Comes Under Criticism for Insensitive Scene

The Batman had a successful opening weekend and seems to be an overall hit with fans – however, one scene from director Matt Reeves’ reboot is now sparking debate among viewers. (WARNING: SPOILERS for The Batman Follow!) One of the opening sequences of The Batman sees an ordinary Gotham citizen trying to take the train home on Halloween night, only to be swarmed by a face-painted gang of thugs looking to pull off a murder initiation ritual. Batman arrives and beats down the gang before they kill the man – but Batman is far from being a sympathetic savior, arguably frightening the citizen as much as the gang does. 

This early sequence of The Batman has been upsetting to some viewers of Asian of Pacific Islander descent, as the gang targets an Asian man for their deadly rite of passage. At a time when Asian Americans have been seeing a particularly high spike in violence directed toward them, some viewers – and even critics – felt the scene was insensitive at best, offensive at worst. 

Critic David Chen sparked a particularly big discussion on the subject, after posting some of his thoughts on social media in a detailed thread. Here’s a sample:

“I’m not inherently opposed to the concept of using loaded imagery in a film. Invoking real life events is something that is up to the prerogative of any filmmaker. But it’s my prerogative as a viewer to evaluate the efficacy of it. And was it ‘worth it?’

My personal bar: It’s okay for a movie to use triggering imagery if it has something to say about the topic! But #TheBatman has absolutely nothing to say about #StopAAPIHate other than: White people need to do more than just beat the shit out of assailants (see: the ending)”. 

Now here’s a sample of what Twitter is saying about this moment in The Batman: 

I’m Hoping For A Batman

Some viewers saw Batman’s intervening as the sort of fantasy wish-fulfillment the character is based in: A shadowy guardian angel in the night. 

That’s The Choice?

Here’s a prime sampling of the divide in opinion here: some see the Asian man’s scene in The Batman as representation – others question why that particular depiction would be what is ostensibly the only Asian character role in the whole film.

This Wasn’t Made In A Bubble

This viewer correctly points out that The Batman was made in the crucible of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting increase in Asian hate crimes it inspired. Did this subtext of this scene not resonate with those changing times? 

It Was Heroic

Some viewers simply view a scene of Batman saving a Gotham citizen from being horribly murdered as being classic heroism. 

Real Life With Benefits

Others are going so far as to argue that Matt Reeves is in fact speaking to real-life struggles of the Asian community by depicting the threat they’re under – within the more comforting framework of superhero fantasy. 

It Definitely Stood Out

Others came away from The Batman feeling like there was more subtext to that sequence – that the race of the man on the train was a big (if unspoken) factor in the gang’s choice to target him. At the same time, it being the ONLY Asian presence in the movie made it awkwardly distinguishable. 

Total Cringe

Even fans who understand why Matt Reeves and co. may not have altered the scene still feel the cringe of it all. 

My One Negative

Really? The ONLY one? Okay. 

The Batman is now in theaters.