DC’s new Batman movie The Brave and the Bold has to bring one aspect of Ben Affleck’s Batman back. In a relatively short yet impactful Dark Knight run, Ben Affleck played Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, Justice League, and the upcoming The Flash movie. Still, Affleck never got to star in a solo Batman movie, and a new Batman reboot ended up happening six years after Batman v Superman.
With great reviews and a strong box office run, The Batman (2022) appeared to be the future of DC films. However, while The Batman is getting a sequel and an expanded universe, DC will have a new interconnected DC Universe as part of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Studios. DC Universe’s upcoming slate includes a brand new Batman movie with no connections to either Ben Affleck’s or Robert Pattison’s Batman.
The Brave & The Bold’s Batman Needs A Comic-Accurate Suit (Like Affleck’s)
The Brave and the Bold’s Batman should go for a more comic-accurate Batman suit rather than the classic Bat-armor used in the vast majority of Batman’s theatrical appearances. From Tim Burton’s Batman (1989) to Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, Batman films are used to giving Bruce Wayne a suit of armor that works within the relatively grounded tone of those movies but that does not really look like anything Batman wears in the comics. It was only in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice that Batman finally got to wear a more classic gray vest, which looked great onscreen and offered Ben Affleck’s Batman a lot more mobility.
One of the biggest problems with the “Bat-armor” is how it limits Batman’s movements, which by itself limits not only the actor and stunt actors’ performances but also how much of Batman’s skills the films can really portray. Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, for example, despite being a great adaptation, struggled with uninspired fight scenes. Another problem with the Bat-armor is how it makes different Batman versions look way too similar, as if the Dark Knight had not evolved since the Tim Burton Batman movies. Affleck’s main Bat-suit as well as his additional suits for Batman v Superman and Justice League avoided that problem.
A Comic-Accurate Bat-Suit Can Set The DC Universe’s Batman Apart From Pattinson’s
A comic-accurate Batman suit for The Brave and the Bold can set DC Universe’s new Batman apart from Robert Pattinson’s, which is essential considering that DC will have two different Batman franchises going on concurrently for the first time in history. The Batman, unlike the DCEU, went for a realistic approach to the Dark Knight in a movie that brought Batman back to his detective origins. There was nothing too fantastical or sci-fi in The Batman’s world, and such realism was translated into a return to the Bat-armor. In fact, Pattinson’s Batman suit was even more realistic than Bale’s, as the former appeared to have been crafted by Bruce himself.
Launching a new Batman iteration right after The Batman could be a risky decision, which is why the DC Universe’s The Brave and the Bold should lean into all the aspects of the caped crusader that The Batman did not. That includes more comic-bookish Batman costumes and gadgets, which might not work in a realistic Batman story but fit perfectly fine as part of a more fantastical DC Universe. DC’s new Batman will get to interact with Damian Wayne’s version of Robin, the Bat-family, and other Justice League-related characters, meaning that incorporating more stylized, less realistic suits and gadgets in The Brave and the Bold is a must.
Key Release Dates
