With the release of The Batman just a few months away and the surprising reveal that Robin exists in the DCEU, as of Batgirl, The Illuminerdi looks at how DC should keep these two Bat-franchises separate.
The Batman arrives in theaters on March 4, 2022. The reboot feature film is directed by Matt Reeves, starring Robert Pattinson as the Dark Knight. Joining him are Colin Farrell as Penguin, Paul Dano as The Riddler, and Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman. Even though this film takes place in only the second year of The Bat’s career, Gotham is already beginning to flourish with the criminally insane. Batman plus his rogue’s gallery should be the focus of The Batman and its sequels, while Batgirl and other DCEU Bat-projects should focus on expanding the Bat-family.
The Batman Films Should Avoid The Bat-Family For Now
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Batgirl is directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, and it is scheduled to release on HBO Max sometime in 2022, presumably after The Flash, which arrives in theaters on November 4, 2022. The film will star Leslie Grace as Batgirl, J.K. Simmons as James Gordon, and Michael Keaton as the Caped Crusader. A leaked set-photo indicates that Robin (likely Dick Grayson) will appear in Batgirl. Rumors point to Dylan O’Brien being cast as this version of Robin, but nothing has been reliably confirmed, so take that with a grain of salt. If Robin does have a significant role in Batgirl, that would mark the first relevant appearance of Robin in a Batman film since Batman & Robin.
Batman In The DCEU Should Explore The Bat-Family After The Flash
The DCEU may go through something of a soft-reboot after The Flash. Couple that with the birth of the first real DCEU Bat-Family in Batgirl, and that universe has a promising future for the Gotham franchise. Dick Grayson’s appearance in Batgirl could help make the long-delayed Nightwing movie into a reality after all of these years. That project could introduce us to Jason Todd’s Robin, setting the stage for the DCEU to try the “Under The Red Hood” story after Titans failed to do it justice.
If Warner Brothers really wanted to thrill fans, they could introduce Terry McGinnis, AKA Batman Beyond, into the world of Batgirl. Barbara Gordon has a rich, storied history with the Batman Beyond and The Robins, and with her solo film paving the way for the Bat-Family in the DCEU, she could lead this iconic superteam into the future.
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Since the DCEU is already exploring the angle of the Bat-Family through at least Batgirl, and probably Robin, The Batman franchise should take a page from The Dark Knight Trilogy and create a world without Robin, Batgirl or the Bat-Family at large.
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Robert Pattinson will have a much more central role than Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne, since he will be the star of the show while Keaton will support other heroes. Matt Reeves should take advantage of this and turn The Batman and its sequels into a character study on Bruce Wayne and his enemies, rather than spend time introducing Robin or Batgirl into the fold. There is really no need for the upcoming release to feature Robin when Batgirl and Titans will already supply DC fans with all of the live-action Robin content they could ask for.
If The Batman is an incredibly successful and lucrative iteration of the Batman franchise on the big screen, perhaps Robin could be introduced in a fourth or fifth installment, just to shake things up a bit. But for the foreseeable future, the new franchise should focus on The Bat & The Cat, while Batgirl and the DCEU should focus on the Bat-Family as a whole.
Do you think the Bat-Family should eventually appear in The Batman franchise? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or on our social media!
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