Superman’s death is already set up to be a reality for Batman‘s next movie based on how comic-accurate it seems set to be when looking at everything we know about the DC film thus far. Superheroes dying in the comics and films is always a big event, though few heroes have as dramatic a roster of demises as the Man of Steel himself.
As the hero who’s often held up as DC’s most powerful mainline figure, Superman’s death is never not a big deal for whatever storyline it comes in – so much so that 1992-1993’s The Death of Superman comic story was a huge historical event, which sold a staggering amount of copies, and brought comicbooks into the mainstream media’s eye in a major way once more.
The Death of Superman is set to become relevant once again thanks to the next upcoming Batman movie, which has notable ties to the DC comic narrative that mean the Man of Steel should canonically be at least believed to be dead during the time of its story. Indeed, referencing this particular detail should be a solid way to make the movie’s plot even more dramatic than its core events are by themselves.
Batman: Knightfall’s Comic Source Material Is Set After The Death Of Superman
Thus far, Batman: Knightfall‘s movie adaptation seems set to follow on loyally from the comic source material it draws from. Tim Drake has been revealed to be the trilogy’s Robin – in line with the comics, which are set after Jason Todd’s death and Drake taking on the Robin mantle – and much of the wider cast of Knightfall’s expanded story are shown in Part 1‘s trailer, including less well-known but crucial figures like Azrael.
The fact the movies appear to be adapting the comics so authentically and loyally means it seems very likely the comics will also follow one fascinating detail that’s true in the original: that Knightfall is set just after The Death of Superman.
While the comic avoids addressing the matter much at all, The Man of Steel’s battle with Doomsday and its aftermath can be seen to have had its own impact on Batman and his capacity to handle the chaos that breaks out in Gotham, with its demoralizing effects providing him another disadvantage when it comes to him facing off against Bane and his other foes during the course of the story.
Given the Batman: Knightfall trilogy appears to be a self-contained story – and even if it weren’t, Superman is eventually resurrected – there seems to be no reason to not keep this detail as canonical in the movie adaptations, even if this is only in as much as a passing line or reference to the ordeal that another of DC’s greats ends up going through around the same time.
Batman: Knightfall Referencing The Death Of Superman Would Help Set Up A Key Part Of Its Story
Batman: Knightfall’s story of its titular hero facing one of the most famous losses of his entire superhero career works best with the context that all the cards seem stacked against him up until he has his infamous back-breaking fight with Bane.
In the comic timeline, Batman is still dealing with the death of Jason Todd and his grief around it, and is also forced to confront the idea that the strongest hero he knew has faced a cruel fate because of his efforts to protect others, meaning Bruce has a lot to deal with psychologically outside of the personal war Bane has dragged him into.
Though Knightfall’s story still works without The Death of Superman having happened before it – and indeed, it would make sense if Batman: Knightfall Part 1 didn’t mention it, whether that’s to leave this detail for later parts or to avoid it altogether – there are clear narrative benefits around making this a reality for the Batman movies, if only to shock those who weren’t aware of this part of DC’s comic timeline.
