Back in 2014, Ben Affleck was set to star, direct and write a solo Batman movie, after he was cast in Zack Snyder’s DC Universe, to make his debut in 2016’s Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn Of Justice. This was when the “Snyder-Verse” was seemingly a plan in motion, and Ben Affleck was the new, and here-to-stay Bruce Wayne. In January 2017, he stepped down as writer and director and was only set to star, with Matt Reeves taking the helm of the director, set to focus on a younger Batman, more inclined towards the detective side of the “World’s Greatest Detective.” In January 2019, after the Snyder-Verse had fallen apart, and the DCEU seemingly in shambles, Ben Affleck exited the project, and its connections to the DCEU canon were omitted. In May of the same year, to fairly mixed reactions, Robert Pattinson was cast in his place, in reflection of the plan to showcase a younger Batman. By the end of 2019, further casting had taken place, and the result promising.
Now, after years of development hell, The Batman is set to release in 2022, with Paul Dano as Edward “The Riddler” Nashton, Colin Farrell as Oswald “The Penguin” Cobblepot, Zoe Kravitz as Selina “Catwoman” Kyle and Andy Serkis as Alfred, to name a few. A teaser trailer debuted on DC Fandome, despite the movie not fully wrapped, which showcased the dark tone, and noir aspect that the film was expected to take, which seemed to blow fans away. Now, with the film closer than ever, fans began to form opinions, of what they would like to see in the movie, or not.
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Like To See: Batman’s “No-Kill Rule”
Although the subject of many memes, Batman’s “No-Kill” rule is a big part of his identity, establishing boundaries and rules for him, which plays a big factor as to separate him from the villains he fights. While great emphasis was laid upon this in the comics, big-screen adaptations haven’t been as faithful to solidify this rule, as there have been some situations, as Batman blows a car up, or crushing someone under the Bat-mobile, there has been doubt over this rule, which some fans find could easily be omitted, and be used a plot point to keep Batman true to his purpose, whilst remaining faithful to the comics, something which is a big aspect in every comic book character based superhero movie, ever. Fans want no doubt as to Batman having killed or not killed anyone ever, albeit a villain or an unfortunate passerby.
Would Not Like To See: Paul Dano’s Edward Nashton (The Riddler) Dying in the first movie
Some fans of the Batman see the killing of some of the biggest villains in the “Rogues Gallery” as one of the biggest mistakes in past adaptations of the character. While the fate of the Riddler is out in the open until the movie opens, fans would like to see him survive the inevitable violent interaction with the Batman, and appear in future films as a possible antagonist, as was Thanos to the Avengers, only in a smaller scale. Some fans expect Dano’s portrayal of The Riddler to be one of the best, given his ability to adapt to any role, and the complex character of the Riddler in the comics. Some fans think its a certainty that the characters will not die, based upon Matt Reeve’s statements at DC Fandome, showcasing his focus on world-building and the gradual build-up to many iconic villains being the villainous versions of themselves, based on that which they have gone through , and have yet to go through, pivotal in shaping them as villains such as The Penguin. But, until the movie is released, nothing can be said for sure.
Would Like To See: Batman’s inner struggle, and conflict with his own ego
Some fans want focus on the finer details. Surely spending nights fighting crime dressed up in a bat costume, and waking up a billionaire with a company to run is an arduous task. Fans want to see a conflict, between Bruce, struggling to balance his two identities and the mental toll that conflict takes on him, possibly forcing him to make rash decisions. Maybe a portrayal of Batman as a monster in his head, or even a voice, fans want a defining line between Bruce Wayne and Batman, and conflicts of interests to emerge, with a threat of Bruce being so obsessed and taken over by the identity of Batman, that the identity of Bruce Wayne turns to a disguise for Batman, and the possible avoidance of that, through Bruce fighting a mental battle against Batman.
Would Not Like To See: “Catwoman” as a straight-forward villain
Selina Kyle, AKA Catwoman, is a character widely associated with Batman, with the two having an on-off relationship romantically, and professionally, Catwoman serving as both a villain and a hero depending upon the comics. Fans do not want Catwoman to be a villain, despite any conflicts with Bruce Wayne. One fan describes as wanting Catwoman to be a “reluctant ally”, someone not with fully “good” intentions, but partnering up with Batman, achieving her personal motives, with the “helping people” part on the side. While in previous comic and on-screen adaptations, she has been shown in a variety of roles, villainous, heroic, and even as a femme fatale, something fans encourage to explore, the different parts of Selina.
Would Like To See: A Realistic Take On Some Characters Mostly Fantasy-Based
Attention to detail seems to be a big part of Matt Reeve’s take on the Dark Knight, hinted in the teaser, through the use of the eyeshadow, and modern-day Batman’s obsession with realism, first explored in the Nolan era, while not fully realistic, an applaudable attempt at it, and one which proved to be largely successful, given that the series occasionally pops up in debates of great superhero movies. Fans have given many creative ideas, including Joker having altered skin and chemical burns, along with vocal distortion, originating from his origin by falling into a vat of chemicals, as shown in some adaptations, most prominently, in Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of the Joker. While the matter does not rest on Joker, and many ideas regarding clay-face and even Mr.Freeze have been thrown around, a common aspect of all of these, is the mixture of fantasy with super-realism, something, if executed correctly, could contribute towards the movie being a strong contender in the best Batman movie ever.
Would Not Like To See: The Extended Bat-Family Interfering And Dominating The Batman’s Whole Series.
Given a confirmation of a “Gotham PD” spin-off, a trilogy, and a series looks very likely. Thus, the introduction of the extended Bat-Family, including Bat-girl, Robin, Nightwing, Red Hood and more, the last thing many fans want is to shift the focus from Batman, in a Batman movie. Creative ideas have been thrown around, including HBO Max spin-offs, that allow development and world-building without compromising the Batman movies themselves. While, this is purely based on speculation, and some fans consider it an inevitability that the Batman movies will branch out, and create a universe of their own, there may be fear of a repeat of Batman And Robinsomething which fans didn’t take that well to.
Would Like To See: Arkham Asylum Playing A Larger Role And Housing All The Villains (Backing Up The “No-Kill” Rule)
Fans really want the ‘no kill’ rule to be enforced and applied like never before, and some have suggested many creative ideas, to not only back this up, but also attempt a faithful adaptation to a very iconic site in Batman history, Arkham Asylum. Hosting all villains that Batman has, and is yet to have, defeated, rather than killing them off, many fans have suggested a major villain, to play a role similar to The Calendar Man, in the recent adaptation, Batman: The Long Halloween,some citing even Riddler to play the part in the trilogy, or even the Riddler. Arkham Asylum has been used as a plot point in many iterations of the character, especially in the Batman: Arkham video game series, which have been regarded as one of the best iterations of the character, with Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham Cityand the extremely popular, Batman: Arkham Knight.
Would Not Like To See: A New Suit Immediately
Fans loved the new Bat-suit sported by Robert Pattinson, citing its realistic look, and unconventional logo as the highlights of the suit. From its first look, where it was revealed in a screen test on social media, in a very red room, focusing on the logo, and the new cowl. Feeling like the new design needs time, and is perfect for a Batman who is only in his second year of fighting crime, as has been confirmed by Matt Reeves, fans find that a sudden shift to a new suit, while Bruce is only in his second year, and not confirmed to be a tech genius, or experienced in his escapades, deviates from the realistic tone they expect and the movie seemingly attempts to base upon. After getting a closer look at the suit in its official DC FanDome teaser trailer, fans are hyped up more than ever, as one fan even suggested a new suit being shown nearing the end of the film or in a possible post-credits scene, to preserve a hint of logic in this fantasy world.
Would Like To See: The Batman To “Lose” (And Then Win)
Something which Marvel first successfully executed in Avengers: Infinity War,some fans want the Batman to face defeat against his rivals. Creative ideas such as The Riddler exposing Thomas Wayne as corrupt, or him losing and falling prey to the Riddler’s expected mind games. Given that the Batman is confirmed to be the first of a series, fans can easily see this work, and in an Endgame style, Batman besting his opponents the second time around. One fan described wanting the Riddler to give Bruce a tough fight, and make it hard for him to win and raise the stakes. While Batman is a person who can defeat almost any one with proper preparation, fans want him to experience loss, and through that loss, win the next battle. In short, fans want the Batman to lose some battles but win the eventual war.
Would Not Like To See: An Easy Task For Batman
Keeping up with the seemingly unique perspective these films want to adopt, fans want ‘The World’s Greatest Detective’ to prove his title. Fans want The Riddler to give Batman a challenge, force him to challenge his own abilities to the best he can. Easy solutions, including sonar scans and access to phone calls of the whole world, seem out of the question. Given this Batman is in his second year, fans want him to be rivaled, to the point where he is likely to, and may probably lose. They want Batman to be bruised, hurt, and injured, and not win a fight by throwing three punches, they want him to question himself, come at a standstill, and in the course of the movies, develop, rather than be introduced as a genius detective, who uses complex and out-worldly technology to tackle any and every thing come his way.
A big thank you to the people at r/TheBatmanFilm who responded to my call for opinions in an amazing way, and provided me with excellent material to base this upon.
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