Why The Batman Ignores A Major Nolan Trilogy Character Completely
Warning! SPOILERS for The Batman.
The Batman ignores a beloved supporting character from Christopher Nolan's Batman movies, and the comics, but for good reasons. Though classic Batman players like Jim Gordon and Alfred Pennyworth appear in the movie, Batman's version of James Bond's Q, Lucius Fox, is notably absent. However, there are several reasons that director Matt Reeves excluded Fox from Robert Pattinson's first Batman film, and audiences can perhaps expect to see him in the subsequent sequels.
Lucius Fox is one of the few characters who knows that Bruce Wayne is Batman in The Dark Knight trilogy, as he works it out during the events of Batman Begins. Fox is played by beloved actor Morgan Freeman in these films, and his presence alongside fellow veteran actor Michael Caine is often cited as an aspect of the trilogy that elevates it to another level. Fox is instrumental to Bruce Wayne's exploits in these films, as he designs the Batmobile, Batman's suit, and "the Bat": the aircraft the Caped Crusader pilots during The Dark Knight Rises. However, the character is nowhere to be seen in The Batman, as the few glimpses of its more basic Bat Cave seem to hint that Bruce has made his own gear in this universe.
The Batman presents a Bruce Wayne who is still in the early days of his career as Batman, so it makes sense that he hasn't developed relationships with every major iconic Batman character from the comics, including Lucius Fox. Though The Dark Knight trilogy introduces Lucius immediately, many versions of Batman either don't include him at all or bring him into the fold much later on, such as in the 2004 TV series also simply called The Batman. It is therefore possible that Reeves is simply saving Lucius for an appearance later down the line, in the second or third Batman movie.
The story of The Batman also doesn't require Lucius to make sense. Unlike The Dark Knight movies, which saw Bruce Wayne use many gadgets, vehicles, and suit upgrades, The Batman is a noir-inspired detective story that focuses more on the mystery of the Riddler and Batman's brutal fighting style than his use of technology, which was more heavily focused on in the previous movies. As such, The Batman would have little for Lucius to do beyond making improvements to Bruce's gear and helping him and Alfred solve the Riddler's riddles.
Lucius' absence may also be down to a desire to distance The Batman from The Dark Knight trilogy. The new film is notably different, as it presents a much angrier Bruce Wayne with a strained relationship with Alfred, his father figure. Matt Reeves may have made these decisions, as well as the choice to exclude Lucius, specifically to help his movie stand out as different to Christopher Nolan's beloved trilogy.
Lucius Fox isn't in The Batman, as the film series simply doesn't require him yet. Matt Reeves has created a Batman movie that is entirely different to The Dark Knight trilogy, and Robert Pattinson's Bruce Wayne is too concerned with detective work and beating criminals the old-fashioned way to require Fox's advanced technology. However, as Bruce matures and develops into a fully-realized Batman, it stands to reason that he will need the help of one of his most trusted allies, and that audiences will see Lucius in Reeves' trilogy yet.