Matt Reeves "The Batman" Focuses on Younger Batman's Origins

[Svifnymr]

I think it's a great idea, I've always been curious as to WHY Batman became the person he is, and I don't think it has ever been addressed in any live media. An origin story is long overdue, IMO.

[Shadowferal]

If it's related to this,

[Deleted]

Pretty much confirms that Affleck is running out his contract then bailing on the dumpster fire that is the DCU.

Shame, he was the best thing about Batman v Superman.

[s_bushido]

I think it's a great idea, I've always been curious as to WHY Batman became the person he is, and I don't think it has ever been addressed in any live media. An origin story is long overdue, IMO.

I'm sorry, what? "WHY Batman became the person he is" is in literally every movie that includes a scene of his parents being shot. The guy was unhinged by the death of his parents in that cesspit of a city.

Honestly, if they're going to make more Batman movies (because of course they are) I'd rather them just forget the origin crap and do more "a day in the life of Batman" stuff, as opposed to the usual "fate of the city/world hangs in the balance" crap. Kind of like Dredd...only with a cape...and slightly less wanton murder execution.

[Gallahadd]

Oooh a young Batman? Cool! It's an in depth story, lots of twists and turns. Hope he's making more than one film to cover the whole plot.

Tbh, I think a TV series would probably be better than a movie, to cover a story like that. Maybe spread the viewpoint a little, focus on some of the other characters, show them growing too, that would be really cool. I'd totally watch that.

[tankbug]

Heath Ledger was the only good thing about that entire trilogy.

Everything else is meme levels of trope.

Nah, they first two were great, the last one was ok.

[tyrlaan]

Heath Ledger was the only good thing about that entire trilogy.

Everything else is meme levels of trope.

Eh, I enjoyed the first movie, but it wasn't amazing. And Christian Bale was only better than Katie Holmes, which isn't a compliment.

I think it's a great idea, I've always been curious as to WHY Batman became the person he is, and I don't think it has ever been addressed in any live media. An origin story is long overdue, IMO.

Imma go ahead and assume you forgot the "/s"

[jimboa24]

I think it's a great idea, I've always been curious as to WHY Batman became the person he is, and I don't think it has ever been addressed in any live media. An origin story is long overdue, IMO.

I take it you never got around to seeing Batman Begins. Because, you know, it pretty much focuses on exactly what you just described...

[Shadowferal]

I take it you never got around to seeing Batman Begins. Because, you know, it pretty much focuses on exactly what you just described...

Yah...I recall Wayne's little chat with the gangster at that restaurant...that was telling.

[Svifnymr]

Pretty much confirms that Affleck is running out his contract then bailing on the dumpster fire that is the DCU.

Shame, he was the best thing about Batman v Superman.

I liked Affleck and Gadot in BvS, and overall I liked Justice League, except Superman. I just realllllllly don't like Cavill as Superman. Even the elements of the Superman Mythos involved in the movies were bad. Lex, "Jimmy", Lois Lane, all meh. The only thing worse than Superman's lack of emotion in BvS was his attempt at emotion in JL. Flash was okay, nothing great, nothing bad. Aquaman and Cyborg were good I thought.

I'm also in the minority in still liking Nicholson as Joker the best. Didn't like Ledger or Leto much at all.

I think DC's CU got off to a rough start, lacked a cohesive vision and now has had so much trouble that it won't be an actual CU anymore. Just a bunch of DC movies with individual stories and wildly varying story lines.

[GennGreymane]

just do batman beyond

Terry is best batman

[Sunseeker]

I'm also in the minority in still liking Nicholson as Joker the best. Didn't like Ledger or Leto much at all.

THANK YOU. I'm really not sure what the obsession with Ledger's joker is.

I mean, they're all obviously going for vastly different takes on the Joker. Nicholson nailed the more classic "mobster whose jokes end with death". Ledger did that more "Psycho who wants to watch the world burn." which...was never a take on the Joker I enjoyed, but I know that element certainly resonated with all the scene kiddies. I haven't seen Leto's joker though..

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just do batman beyond

Terry is best batman

I'd be down for a Batman Beyond movie. Not sure if audiences would be up for it.

Also, can we dump Dana as a character? She's a worse girlfriend than Lois.

[s_bushido]

Ledger did that more "Psycho who wants to watch the world burn." which...was never a take on the Joker I enjoyed, but I know that element certainly resonated with all the scene kiddies.

I have no idea what a "scene kid" is, but seeing as that portrayal of the Joker received almost unanimous praise, implying that it just appealed to some niche group seems...disingenuous. For the record, I've always liked Begins more than either of the other Nolan Batman movies, if for no other reason than it seemed lighter on his patented pretentious twaddle. Ledger's Joker was probably so interesting to people because there was a pretty sharp contrast between it and Bale's bland Batman in that movie, though.

Not sure if audiences would be up for it.

"Iron Man with a Batman coat of paint" sounds like something audiences would gobble up (or would have before DC set fire to all their good will and benefit of the doubt).

[Sunseeker]

"Iron Man with a Batman coat of paint" sounds like something audiences would gobble up (or would have before DC set fire to all their good will and benefit of the doubt).

The parallels between Batman and Iron Man are undeniable. Though I think, even with all their paralells, their stark (bah dum tish!) -est contrast is in who suffers in their origin stories. Tony starts out as a billionaire playboy with no concern for any one or any thing, he drinks, he fucks he spends money like the average Joe could never imagine. And then that life gets taken away from him. In his older origin stories, he becomes paraplegic, unable to do anything without the Iron Man suit.

Batman on the other hand loses a "loving family", but we're not really shown much of that loving family. We assume he had a loving family because Bruce appears rather torn up about the whole thing. But in the meantime, Bruce grows up exceedingly wealthy and after his suffering essentially becomes Tony Stark. He then travels the world (something the average Joe can't do). He bangs hot women (something the average Joe can't do). He studies martial arts (read: attends privileged educational facilities) (something the average Joe can't do). He then spends untold amounts of money on himself to get insane Bat-Gear.

The "problem" with Batman is that he seems to have suffered, and then overcome that suffering not through making the world a better place, but by becoming pre-Iron Man Tony Stark. This is starkly (buh dum tish!) contrasted by Tony, who already was an obnoxious playboy (and to some degree still is) who lost everything and then seeks to use his wealth and resources to make the world a better place.

Batman comes off feeling privileged. While Iron Man comes off feeling humbled.

But this is a common thread among the DC holy trinity. Bruce Wayne has "everything a man could want" but he'd rather moonlight as a vigilante. It makes his vigilantism feel a little false because he can (and does) have other people run Waynecorp and essentially make money for him, with little effort. Similarly, Superman has "everything a man could want" (except money). He's attractive, physically powerful beyond all measure, has loving "parents", girls totally dig him for no apparent reason and he's got a moral code that would make Jesus jelly. Diana is a princess literally destined to rule her entire people and also the daughter of a god, she has physical and political power beyond measure, she has incredible good looks and her biggest fault is that she's kinda sheltered. Which of course doesn't make her socially awkward because all those rules don't apply to her!

Which is why, going back to page 1, I'm absolutely kill for a Thomas Wayne Batman movie. We've got a broken man whose child was killed in front of him, whose wife went insane because of it, who spent his whole fortune and ran his company into the ground to get revenge, who does drugs to keep pace with other supers. He's the ultimate "lose cannon cop who doesn't play by the rules", he takes everything you expect from Batman and throws it back in your face. He even fucking kills criminals!

If they could fundamentally reorganize the Batman backstory to come off feeling less like a privileged white kid who has everything in the world but would rather pretend its Halloween every day, I'd be all for it. But I don't think they can push that line far enough and still tell the same story.

Though, at the end of the day,

...Ledger's Joker was probably so interesting to people because there was a pretty sharp contrast between it and Bale's bland Batman in that movie, though.

Batman is pretty bland. But, his villains are not. I'd be happy to see a Batman movie that focused on the "bad guy's story" and used Batman as more of a plot device. They don't need to make the bad guy sympathetic (though most Batman villains are) they just need to say "Hey look ya'll know Batman. What you don't know is this dude who's ice-themed/chick who's plant-themed/ugly actor guy!"

Also, I pay to God (as portrayed by Morgan Freeman) that we never, EVER see Cassandra Cain in a Batman movie. That there is some of the worst shit to ever infest the Bat-Family.

[s_bushido]

The parallels between Batman and Iron Man are undeniable.

My comment was in reference to the Batman Beyond idea. Since the suit Terry wears is more like an Iron Man suit than Batman's typical getup. He would probably even have Old Man Wayne as his Jarvis.

[Sunseeker]

My comment was in reference to the Batman Beyond idea. Since the suit Terry wears is more like an Iron Man suit than Batman's typical getup. He would probably even have Old Man Wayne as his Jarvis.

Oh sorry missed that.

I think Terry improves a lot on the basic Batman premise. We see a relatively poor kid who struggles with balancing school, crime-fighting, home-life and a girlfriend making him much more relatable than Bruce. His villains stick to similar Barman parallels, mostly misguided screwed up folks who basically could have been Terry but for a couple wrong choices. His origin story is also better.

Except Dana. UGH.

[jimboa24]

One of the things I like about Iron Man versus Batman is Tony Stark doesn't even bother to hide who he is. He openly admits that he's Ironman and doesn't care who knows about it. Hell, he even openly challenges anyone to try and take him down.

For me, the whole Batman secret identity is just tiresome. Tired of how obsessive Bruce is about guarding his secret. Like Tony Stark, if anyone wanted to try and take him down as Bruce Wayne, he could handle it. Secret Identities really only make sense to me if you're not rich and can't afford heavy security 24/7.

[Deleted]

For me, the whole Batman secret identity is just tiresome.

Hey, at least Batman wears a onesie and has a mask. Superman just puts glasses on.

[Svifnymr]

My comment was in reference to the Batman Beyond idea. Since the suit Terry wears is more like an Iron Man suit than Batman's typical getup. He would probably even have Old Man Wayne as his Jarvis.

I'd like a Batman Beyond/ pass the torch setup really. Not sure about going FULL high tech like Beyond, but the current movies have a decent amount of tech to the suits already. That way they could keep it in the same universe. I'm not sure BvS or JL really leave it open too much. I guess Affleck doesn't want to be involved so much anymore though, so meh.

[Deleted]

Oh sorry missed that.

I think Terry improves a lot on the basic Batman premise. We see a relatively poor kid who struggles with balancing school, crime-fighting, home-life and a girlfriend making him much more relatable than Bruce. His villains stick to similar Barman parallels, mostly misguided screwed up folks who basically could have been Terry but for a couple wrong choices. His origin story is also better.

Except Dana. UGH.

There is someone like that though, but his name is Spider-Man.

One of the things I like about Iron Man versus Batman is Tony Stark doesn't even bother to hide who he is. He openly admits that he's Ironman and doesn't care who knows about it. Hell, he even openly challenges anyone to try and take him down.

For me, the whole Batman secret identity is just tiresome. Tired of how obsessive Bruce is about guarding his secret. Like Tony Stark, if anyone wanted to try and take him down as Bruce Wayne, he could handle it. Secret Identities really only make sense to me if you're not rich and can't afford heavy security 24/7.

The secret identity isn't to protect himself obviously, it's to protect everyone around him that's dear to him.