The DCU's Batman Reboot Can't Use Tier A Villains For Its Own Sake

The DCU’s Batman Reboot Can’t Use Tier A Villains For Its Own Sake


One crucial detail means that the new DCU
Batman movie, The Brave and the Bold
, will not be using a big-name villain in the first entry. The DCU is set to take the first few steps into it’s potential filled universe with shows like Creature Commandos and the Superman movie, but one project that will be key is the upcoming Batman movie. Batman is one of the most important and popular characters from DC, and his role in the larger DCU is expected to be a significant one when he does eventually appear.

However, James Gunn has confirmed that the first movie will be a Batman and Robin story, exploring the relationship between the Gotham Guardian and a young protégé. So, not only will Batman be getting another live-action adaptation after having multiple actors assume the role in live-action since 2005, but there will finally be another Robin story on the big screen. But, by bringing Robin in, there are unique challenges and hurdles that Batman will need to overcome in order to train his sidekick, and leave a legacy behind after he eventually retires from being the Batman.

The Brave & The Bold Will Introduce The First Live-Action Movie Robin In Decades

Robin Is Finally Returning To The Big Screen

Despite Batman having had three separate live-action actors in the 1980s and 1990s, and another three since 2005, his sidekick has had considerably less screentime. In 1997, Batman & Robin saw George Clooney’s Bruce Wayne joined by a stubborn and intense Dick Grayson who was desperate to prove his capacity as a hero. In modern cinema, this is the one and only adaptation of Batman’s sidekick to appear on the big screen. However, another version of Robin was presented in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises, a police officer named John Blake, whose first name was later revealed to be Robin.

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Unfortunately, John Blake is not a character based on the comics, and it appears Nolan likely had no intention to carry his story forward, so it was likely just a nod to the character rather than intended as a version of the hero. Beyond this, several versions of Robin, ranging from Dick Grayson, to Jason Todd, and even Tim Drake have all appeared in DC TV shows like Titans, but none on the big screen. Fortunately, the DCU is set to change that and finally adapt another live-action version of Robin for cinematic release.

The DCU’s New Batman Needs To Avoid Making Villains Look Weak

There Are Plenty Of Powerful Batman Villains To Choose From

A good Batman story needs to have high stakes. Batman is not Superman, he doesn’t have infinite power to draw from the sun, and he doesn’t have an unfair advantage in terms of his physical abilities, but he is incredibly intelligent, relentlessly determined, and on a mission. Batman pushes his body to the absolute limit, but he is still a mortal, fighting man, and that’s an important element of his character. Likewise, the villains he faces are frequently human, but their ambition drives them to extremes, or they are drawn to chaos, corruption and destruction.

Some of Batman’s most powerful villains continually put the hero and the people he loves into extraordinary danger on a regular basis. It’s important for The Brave and the Bold to capture these elements in the DCU’s Batman movie, and avoid making the villains too easy to overpower. But considering the fact that Batman is fighting with a fresh new partner, who is presumably fairly young, it’s important that the villains be well-matched to showcase the teams’ talents together, but not make them appear completely unstoppable. So, it makes sense to have a villain who is less well known, and less of an overall threat.

Who Could Be The Villain In The Brave & The Bold?

The Brave And The Bold’s Best Choice For A Villain

Fortunately, Batman is not short of villains, and Gotham City is overrun with terrifying figures who range in power, popularity, and potential. For a film like The Brave and the Bold to succeed, and to properly establish the Batman and Robin fighting duo without having them be too overpowered, it would make sense to pit them against a smaller rival, such as Firefly or Hugo Strange. In Strange’s case, he could unleash his tormented experiments to fight with the duo, and hide in the shadows to come out at a later point. Or in Firefly’s case, he’s a minor enough villain that could present a threat, and be defeated in the first film with no great loss for the future of the DCU.

Ben Affleck as Batman (foreground) with the comic book poster of the Bat Family (background)

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How old will the DCU’s new Batman be?

The age of the DC Universe’s Batman has yet to be revealed. Previously, James Gunn commented on how Batman could be a few years older than Superman, though nothing was confirmed. However, given how Damian Wayne will be a huge part of the DCU’s Batman reboot movie — The Brave and the Bold — and more members of the Bat-Family are set to appear in the film, a younger Bruce Wayne would not make much sense. Given David Corenswet’s Superman is 30 — the actor’s age — I believe the DCU’s Batman will be in his 40s, with an age-appropriate actor cast as Batman.

On the other hand, there are interesting dynamics that could be explored by making Damian Wayne the villain. Damian is the son of Bruce and Talia al Ghul, which would connect the film to the league of assassins and potentially see Bruce learn about his son, and eventually convince him to fight alongside him. Other interesting considerations could be figures like David Cain and Cassandra Cain, who could have a dynamic that mirrors Batman and Robins, creating a unique and compelling narrative as the two duos compete to outmaneuver each other. Whoever is used as the DCU Batman and Robin’s first villain, they need to set the heroes up for future success.

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