Matt Reeves' The Batman is finally in theaters, and saying that it's a success would be a huge understatement. After several delays due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, The Batman has been a major hit in terms of both fanfare and critical acclaim. Focusing on a younger Batman, played wonderfully by Robert Pattinson, the movie is a neo-noir murder mystery that takes place in a separate universe from the DCEU.
The DCEU was created in 2013 with Zack Snyder's Man of Steel and added Batman to the sequel, Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Ben Affleck was excellently cast as an older Bruce Wayne and Batman, however, his arc in the DCEU was too inconsistent and felt rushed. The DCEU has had its ups and downs but will continue into the future with upcoming Aquaman, Flash, and Shazam movies that will release in the next year. However, Matt Reeves decided he wanted to focus on a singular Batman universe and The Batman clearly ignores the connected DCEU.
10 There Was No Mention Of The Justice League Or Other DCEU Characters
The Batman focuses on a younger Batman and makes no mention of any of the established DCEU characters. Connected universes such as the MCU and the DCEU began building their shared worlds in their first films, even if it was just a small easter egg.
The MCU began at the ending of Iron Man when Nick Fury showed up and the DCEU was hinted at in Man of Steel with the presence of a Wayne Enterprises satellite. While The Batman features plenty of easter eggs, they are all Batman related and don't hint at any Justice League members. Matt Reeves recently commented on Superman in his universe, saying it's not his intention to bring him into his Bat-Universe and plans to keep it grounded.
9 Its Darker & Realistic Tone Overshadowed The Violent Snyderverse & DCEU
While Zack Snyder's and the DCEU Batman were a violent representation of the character, it still doesn't hold a candle to Reeves' Batman universe. The Snyderverse is considered to be one of the grittier takes on the Dark Knight, however, Reeves brought a whole other level of intensity to the character. The Batman's dark and dreary Gotham was expertly crafted, serving as the background for a perfect neo-noir detective story. Both The Batman and the DCEU touched on elements from the comics, however, Reeves decided on a more practical take and added the feel of thriller films like Zodiac and Se7en.
8 Batman, Alfred, & Gordon Were All Played By Different Actors
Although there have been established characters in comic movie universes that have been recast, The Batman hit the reset button on everything. Ben Affleck was originally slated to write, direct, and star in The Batman, but opted out after his rough experience filming Justice League. Affleck commented that playing Batman was an enduring experience and that he was going through a lot of personal matters during filming.
After rewrites and the removal of Deathstroke as the main villain, Matt Reeves took up the reigns of the film and Robert Pattinson was cast as a younger Bruce Wayne/Batman. Additionally, Andy Serkis was cast as Alfred and Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon, completely changing Ben Affleck's original story and building a completely new Bat-Universe.
7 Reeves Followed Several Graphic Novels That Focused On A Solo Batman
While the DCEU and Reeves' Bat-Universe both took elements from Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, The Batman focused heavily on more solo graphic novels. Reeves followed Christopher Nolan's path by taking pieces of The Long Halloween and Year One, two of the best graphic novels of all time. Reeves also took parts from Batman Ego, a story that focuses on a Batman who feels hopeless and believes he's not making a difference for Gotham. Also, The Batman combined elements from several pieces of media in addition to the novels, including the animated film, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and the video game, Arkham Asylum.
6 Superpowered Characters Like Superman, Wonder Woman, & Aquaman Would Never Work In The Batman's Universe
Fans love superpowered characters like Superman and Wonder Woman, however, they would have stood out like a sore thumb in The Batman. Reeves' Batman universe is based in reality and incorporates real-world issues, such as politics and gun violence in America. While it's fun to watch or read about Superman or Wonder Woman easily dismantling violent criminals, sometimes it works better if it's a non-superpowered character like Batman. Additionally, Jason Mamoa has done a solid job playing Aquaman in the DCEU, but a guy who talks to fish wouldn't fit in Reeves' Gotham.
5 The DCEU Flash Movie Has Confirmed Affleck & Keaton's Batmen But Not Pattinson's
The upcoming DCEU movie, The Flash, will take the Scarlet Speedster into the Multiverse of DC comics. As fans saw in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Into the Spider-Verse, it's possible that any character from any universe could make an appearance. Ben Affleck will seemingly make his final appearance as the DCEU Batman and hand the role back over to the legendary Michael Keaton. The Multiverse usually opens doors to every world in that specific universe, but it's clear that Pattinson's Batman is focused on his own world and is not slated to appear.
4 Todd Phillips' Joker Standalone Success Inspired Reeves & Warner Bros. To Do The Same With Batman
Todd Phillips' Joker from 2019 was an extremely violent origin story for the Clown Prince of Crime, yet, it was critically acclaimed and was a financial success. The ending of Joker featured the titular villain killing a talk show host and the death of the Wayne's, both moments pulled from graphic novels. However, even with a possible sequel rumored to be in the works at Warner Bros., it will continue to exist in a separate universe and not connect to Reeves' Bat-World or the DCEU. Warner Bros. commented that they want to explore several different avenues when it comes to DC, which may be confusing to casual viewers but will be enjoyed and studied by DC fanatics.
3 It's A Standalone Film But Sets Up Sequels & Spinoff Shows To Create Their Own Universe
While Joker may get a sequel someday, Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix have both stated that they were happy telling a singular story. The Batman is a movie that works as a singular story as well, however, HBO Max spinoff shows and sequels are currently in development at Warner Bros. Robert Pattinson and Matt Reeves have both stated that they have a map they want to follow and hope to tell new stories within their universe. Direct sequels to The Batman have been discussed but not made official, however, HBO Max shows about Colin Farrell's Penguin and Arkham Asylum have been confirmed.
2 Warner Bros., Matt Reeves, & Producers Of The Batman Confirmed It Outright
The Batman not only ignored all aspects of the DCEU but it was confirmed outright by the studio and Matt Reeves himself that it lives in its own world. Matt Reeves has stated multiple times that he's focused on just a single Bat-Universe and mythological characters such as Superman wouldn't work. He smartly added "never say never", but it's clear his main focus is on Pattinson's Dark Knight and other characters introduced in The Batman. Additionally, Warner Bros. realizes how big the DC universe is and claims they want to take advantage of having multiple universes that don't overlap. The studio and Reeves are focused on pushing Pattinson's Batman to the limit and not connecting with other things.
1 Pattinson's Dark Knight Is Too Young & Inexperienced To Work With The Justice League
Robert Pattinson's take on Batman was dark and delightful, portraying the most realistic Dark Knight to date. Additionally, The Batman featured the hero in his second year and showcased both his strengths and weaknesses. This served as an important element throughout the film, with the hero realizing hope can serve Gotham City just as much as vengeance. Pattinson's Dark Knight is still learning as a crimefighter, so the Justice League has no place at this time or even in his world.
Comics and animated films involving the Justice League tend to feature a more experienced Batman, who serves as a de facto leader of the group on occasion. Pattinson's Caped Crusader is too young to lead a huge group of Meta-Humans and is solely focused on protecting his city. However, just because the Justice League won't be involved with The Batman universe, that doesn't mean characters like Robin and Nightwing couldn't appear.
Source: Trendz OH
No comments:
Post a Comment