The DCU is eventually going to introduce its take on Batman, and when this happens, the franchise really needs to take a note from how the MCU is handling Spider-Man. Batman and Spider-Man are two of the most iconic superheroes of all time, with both heroes getting multiple film adaptations across the decades. However, the future of the DCU’s Batman is uncertain, while the future of the MCU’s Spider-Man is bright.
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Superman is the first feature film in the DCU, kicking off the cinematic universe by featuring heroes like Hawkgirl, Guy Gardner, Mister Terrific, and the titular Man of Steel. While other DCU characters have been teased and introduced since, the most glaring omission is Batman. Thanks to the existence of Matt Reeves’ The Batman series, it seems like it may be a while until the DCU’s The Brave and the Bold comes out. Luckily, this gives the DCU plenty of time to learn from Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
The DCU’s Batman Needs To Make As Much Use Of The Hero’s Rogues’ Gallery As The MCU’s Spider-Man Is
Cinematic Batman adaptations have had a problem for a while now: the villains. Batman has arguably the best rogues’ gallery in comic book history, with the city of Gotham having more recognizable villains than any other superhero. However, if you were only familiar with the movies, you wouldn’t know it. The various Batman adaptations have overused the same handful of A-list villains, leaving all kinds of other iconic characters to the wayside.
For example, the Joker appeared in the Batman films by Tim Burton, Christopher Nolan, Zack Snyder, and Matt Reeves, not to mention Todd Phillips’ Joker series. Two-Face appeared in the Burton-adjacent Batman Forever, Nolan’s The Dark Knight, and is now appearing in The Batman Part II. The Penguin was in Batman Returns and The Batman. The Riddler was in Batman Forever and The Batman. Bane appeared in Batman Forever and The Dark Knight Rises. Catwoman appeared in Batman Returns, The Dark Knight Rises, and The Batman. Clearly, the franchise is familiar with repeating villains over and over again.
Compare this to how the MCU has handled Spider-Man villains. Spider-Man: Homecoming featured Vulture and Shocker, neither of which had been in a movie yet. Far From Home‘s main villain was Mysterio, who was never in a Spider-Man movie. No Way Home is the big exception, with it featuring the return of previous iterations of Green Goblin, Doc Ock, Sandman, The Lizard, and Electro as part of its multiverse story. Now, Brand New Day will feature Tombstone, the Hand, Scorpion, Tarantula, and Boomerang, none of whom have been in a previous live-action Spider-Man movie.
The MCU’s Spider-Man films have intentionally stayed away from reinventing previously adapted villains, and the DCU’s Batman needs to do the same thing. Villains like Clayface, Man-Bat, the Court of Owls, the Mad Hatter, Solomon Grundy, and more still haven’t appeared in live-action Batman movies. So, instead of repeating villains like Joker or Two-Face for the millionth time, it would be a breath of fresh air for the DCU to give these lesser-known villains some time in the spotlight.
If The DCU Abandons Iconic Batman Villains, Some Fans Won’t Be Happy
One of the big selling points of the DCU is that it is more accurate to the comics than previous DC movies. So, it would be difficult to keep this mission in mind while ignoring some of Batman’s most iconic villains. Characters like Joker, Two-Face, Catwoman, and the Penguin have been adapted so many times because they are part of so many beloved Batman stories. So, if they are excluded, then the DCU won’t be able to adapt a big chunk of Batman comic book arcs.
So, this puts the DCU in a difficult position, as they are going to be criticized no matter which way they go. If the DCU doesn’t include these villains, then fans of the comics will be upset that the definitive DC Cinematic Universe doesn’t feature things like Batman’s rivalry with the Joker. However, if they do feature these villains, then some fans will be upset that the DCU’s Batman is just rehashing material from the previous films.
So, the best solution is to do a mix of both. Like what the MCU is doing with Brand New Day, the DCU’s Batman films need to include multiple minor villains alongside their main antagonists. This would allow for the best of both worlds, giving lesser-known villains some time to shine while still including Batman’s most iconic antagonists. It’ll be interesting to see how the DCU approaches this issue, as it is undoubtedly being discussed behind closed doors at DC Studios.
What Batman villain do you want to see in the DCU? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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