Why The Batman Can't Ignore The Dark Knight's Bat-Family
Robert Pattinson's The Batman will be the latest incarnation of the Caped Crusader on the big screen and the reboot needs to include the Bat-Family.
The Batman reboot needs to become the first live-action Batman franchise to properly bring in the Bat-Family. Robert Pattinson will be the next actor to bring the Dark Knight to life on the big screen. While The Batman was originally intended to be Ben Affleck's film focusing on his Bruce Wayne in the DCEU, it was retooled into a reboot with director Matt Reeves at the helm. The latest reimagination will follow Bruce in his early days as Gotham City's infamous crime fighter.
The film will center on Batman trying to stop the serial killer supervillain known as The Riddler, with Paul Dano's version looking to be the darkest take on the iconic villain thus far. Given that it won't be set in the DCEU, Reeves has the opportunity to shape his own take on the bat-mythology in what's meant to be a trilogy. One of the driving elements that he's bringing to The Batman is that it'll be a noir-driven story that essentially puts Bruce's detective skills in the spotlight. With a new continuity, the new franchise will have a clean slate especially by depicting Batman in his early days.
But one of Batman's biggest aspects that have yet to be told on screen is the concept of the Bat-Family. For decades upon decades, Batman's extended family has been incredibly crucial to Bruce's journey, whether it's in the comics, TV shows, or even video games. From the many Robins that have come and gone to the Batgirls, Spoiler, Oracle, Orphan, and more, the Bat-Family provides amazing characters that not only stand with Bruce but also live as their own unique heroes. The Batman will, undoubtedly, add something new to the Dark Knight's legacy in media, but the Bat-Family should be part of that.
When it comes to the Bat-Family, past Batman franchises have either not given them their due, or horribly represented them. Tim Burton's Batman films never got the chance to have Dick Grayson, but they intended to bring Robin in. Originally, Batman Returns would have featured the first Boy Wonder after Burton had cast Marlon Wayans as Grayson. But the character got cut from the final script and Burton had instead planned to introduce Wayans's Robin in Batman Forever. However, once Burton had left the third project, as had Michael Keaton, Joel Schumacher cast Chris O'Donnell as Robin instead. This depiction of Dick was one of the sequel's struggling parts and given how more comedic Schumacher's Batman films became, it never allowed those movies to seriously explore the creation of the Bat-Family.
Batman & Robin didn't make it any better, with Alicia Silverstone's Barbara Pennyworth giving Batgirl a strange portrayal as well. Robin's angsty conflicts with Batman also didn't do them any favors, and that became the last time Bruce had any sidekicks on film. Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy never once explored the idea of Bruce taking people under his wing. The Dark Knight Rises did, however, introduce Joseph Gordon-Levitt's John Blake character, who seemingly was based on three different versions of Robin. But the trilogy's final story didn't give the proper development that was needed in order to buy the idea of Bruce choosing Blake to become a new protector of Gotham City.
While previous Batman films have struggled with the idea of those characters, DC TV has actually been giving them a platform for the last few years. On Titans, Brenton Thwaites' Dick Grayson was finally given an opportunity to be portrayed in a more serious manner. The first two seasons followed him struggling with getting out of Batman's shadows while also seeing him trying to break away from becoming exactly like the Dark Knight. As Dick became Nightwing, Titans have also brought in Jason Todd as the second Robin, exploring how he dealt with his own identity issues. The third season is also set to introduce Tim Drake, as well as Barbara Gordon (who is the GCPD commissioner), while seeing Jason take on the Red Hood identity.
Titans might not always be the cream of the DC franchise crop, but the show is giving the Bat-characters an opportunity to be explored and depicted in a more modern and compelling way. While the Arrowverse has restrictions around using Batman, it has allowed a show like Batwoman to become a thing. Even though Ruby Rose's time was short in the Arrowverse, the character of Kate Kane still proves that there are other interesting players in Batman's mythology. What would it be like if Bruce had a family member, that was his own flesh and blood, fighting crime in Gotham City as a caped vigilante? Even the Arrowverse exclusive Ryan Wilder is giving the Bat-legacy a new perspective, having taken over the Batwoman mantle. Titans and Batwoman demonstrate that the Bat-Family characters enhance the overall world of Gotham when given the chance to be spotlighted.
It's unrealistic to expect Reeves to bring in every Robin, Batgirl, and external Bat-Family member in the same The Batman trilogy. However, it's not too much of an unreasonable demand to see them begin to be introduced, seeing that Bruce will definitely need at least one partner by his side in this initial film series. When Bruce takes people in to join his crusade, it reflects his desire to find souls who have gone through similar traumas like him. Almost any iteration of Bruce knows what Gotham City's corruption can do to people and how difficult it can be to escape that darkness once they're trapped. But it's not just Batman who is giving people like Dick, Jason, Tim, Barbara, and more a chance to fight for their city, they give Bruce something too.
While they are all different characters, the Bat-Family stops Batman from fully getting swallowed by his own darkness. As much as Batman stands for good, there's no debate that he's one of the most damaged heroes in the DC Universe. There are incarnations of Bruce where he's so stuck in his own Batman mentality that he is almost entirely disconnected from his humanity. All these people that he has surrounded himself with ground him to some extent. If Alfred Pennyworth and none of the Bat-Family members existed in his life, Bruce's darkness would not only consume him, but it would make the Dark Knight a less interesting character. Since The Batman seems explicitly crafted to show Gotham at its darkest, it's vital to have the likes of a Robin supporting the Dark Knight, as this allows him a tie to his own humanity that would otherwise not be afforded the character.
The idea of Bruce having at least one Robin by his side in The Batman trilogy shouldn't be difficult to make. If they want to bring something new that other Batman franchises haven't done, the extended family is one of the best ways to do it. The Batman will already be tackling other aspects of the character that haven't been on screen before, and introducing these characters would only help the new reboot stand out.