The DCU Doesn’t Need Batman (& Superman Proves It)

Superman is the hero of the hour. His latest solo movie, which just so happens to be the DC Universe’s first big-screen project, is now in theaters, once again bringing his rivalry with Lex Luthor to life in live-action. Lex can’t stand the Man of Steel because he does good things – not for himself, but for others. Feeling small, Lex launches a multi-step plan in Superman to kill the Man of Steel and make his own metahumans seem like the only ones worthy of protecting the United States. However, Lex bites off more than he can chew, opening a rift in Metropolis that threatens to swallow the world.

The residents of Metropolis have to evacuate to survive, and they start looking for somewhere safe to hang out while Superman and Co. get to work. One of the signs on the freeway mentions Gotham, Batman’s hometown. The Easter egg isn’t there by accident, teasing the Dark Knight’s arrival in the DCU. However, the franchise should think twice before bringing Batman into the fold because Superman already has the ideal crime-fighting partner.

Superman‘s Mister Terrific Is Everything That Batman Is & More

The Justice Gang shows up pretty early in Superman to help the titular hero take down a kaiju in Metropolis. They don’t care much about collateral damage, which ticks off Superman, but he appreciates the help. Later on, after Superman turns himself into the government, Lois reaches out to his allies for help, and despite their working relationship, they turn her down initially. Mister Terrific has a change of heart, though, and agrees to help Lois find Superman and stop Lex. When they arrive at Lex’s base, Mister Terrific makes quick work of the Raptors using his T-Spheres and hand-to-hand combat skills and sets his sights on the pocket dimension portal.

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Mister Terrific and Lois travel inside the portal and help Superman and his new friends escape in the nick of time. Unfortunately, there’s no time to celebrate because the portal goes haywire and starts to tear the world apart. Superman comes back to the city to help, and while he does a lot of the heavy lifting, taking out Ultraman and the rest of the Raptors, Mister Terrific is the one who shuts the whole thing down and restores Metropolis. Despite claiming that he only helps Superman to make Green Lantern mad, by the end of the movie, it’s clear that the two heroes have a great rapport and respect one another. It’s possible that Batman and Superman could build the same kind of relationship in the DCU, but he has bigger fish to fry in the Bat-Verse.

Matt Reeves’ Batman Should Be the Only Movie Version of the Character (Right Now)

There are big plans for Batman in the DCU, with The Brave and the Bold set to feature both the Dark Knight and his son, Damian Wayne. Having Batman already have a teenage son means he’s been active for a long time, protecting the streets of Gotham and putting villains in prison. By utilizing an older Batman, the DCU could easily differentiate itself from what Matt Reeves is cooking up. After all, Bruce Wayne is only two years into his superhero career at the start of The Batman. However, just because the DCU can do something doesn’t mean it should. Maybe Batman is present but never shows himself, paving the way for Reeves’ iteration to reach his full potential without unfair comparisons.

Taking this route would also allow for Superman to team up with characters that he doesn’t spend a lot of time with in the comics or movies. In just one movie, James Gunn has shown that the Man of Steel can have chemistry with just about anyone. He should explore that for a while and not jump right into Batman, who’s bound to steal the spotlight from all of DCU’s other heroes. There may be a time half a decade from now that it makes sense to have Batman take the reins of the DCU, but it’s not right now.

Superman is in theaters and IMAX.

Do you think the DCU would be better off without Batman? What other heroes would you like to see team up with Superman? Let us know in the comments below!