Just when we we’re starting to accept the upcoming Robert Pattinson’s Batman. Just recently, some very exciting news has surfaced about another former movie Batman. Yes, if you’ve been keeping up with the news about DC, you probably know about Michael Keaton’s possible return, but we’ll get back to that one later. I’m talking about the guy who supposedly hung up the cape and cowl barely two years ago. He’s the only movie Batman to fight Superman and he’s also the only one to fight with the Justice League. I’m talking, of course, about the one and only Ben Affleck Batman, more commonly known as Batfleck. According to several reliable sources, Affleck is going to reprise the role in the upcoming Flash movie. As someone who was a massive fan of the Batfleck, I have to say that this news made my day.
First of all, I just want to say that Affleck’s Batman is probably my most favorite live-action movie Batman. He was big, intimidating, resourceful, cunning, and represented the darkest side of Batman’s personality. Unlike the other movie Batmen, Batfleck has been fighting crime in Gotham for twenty years. Yikes, that’s a long time and that actually explains a lot about him. Ever wonder why he was so violent and actually killed? I’m convinced that in his early days of fighting crime, he was actually a young, idealistic Bruce Wayne who truly believed he could save Gotham from the criminals that plagued it. Somewhere down the road, he realized that crime is something you can never totally destroy, and that realization changed him.
Let’s also not forget what he’s lost. For those who remember the Robin suit with the graffiti on it from Batman vs. Superman, that was up there for a reason. Comic fans will know that Joker killed Jason Todd, the second Robin (although Zack Snyder claimed he intended it to be Dick Grayson), and Batman never really recovered from it. After Jason’s death, Batman became more brutal with criminals and acted more out of anger and vengeance, rather than a pursuit of justice. The sense of loss, grief, anger, guilt, loneliness, is all what I see in Ben Affleck’s Batman. When he lost his Robin, he began to lose his perspective on what he was fighting for. A once idealistic and noble hero slowly turned into a vengeful vigilante fighting out of anger.
The most vital aspect of Batfleck is that he embodied what really makes the character who he is: Bruce Wayne is the mask and Batman is his real identity. When he was Bruce Wayne, he was an isolated loner, but when he was Batman, he was actually doing something. Sure, he wasn’t doing exactly what we fans are used to seeing Batman do, but personally, I understood his reasons. Criminals are like weeds, so all he could do was continue to pluck them. What struck me most was that he was no longer fighting for a cause he once believed in, he was just fighting and didn’t care. Yes, his perspective changed a bit once he encountered Superman, but these darker qualities is what separates him from the other Batmen.
I loved this version of Batman and once I heard Ben Affleck was bailing, I was immensely disappointed. I always had hope that he would return, but I’ll admit, when I heard Robert Pattinson was casted to replace him, I was intrigued. The Twilight guy as Batman? Hey, in case you didn’t know, he hates those movies more than we do. The man actually has made a name for himself outside that series and moved on from it. The bottom line is we should too and I’m actually adamant that he will deliver.
Hold on, what about the news about Michael Keaton’s supposed return? Well, I’ll admit, he’s not my favorite movie Batman, but if he is indeed coming back, I’m all for it. Why? The last time we saw his Batman, he was rather young, but now, he would be an old man. Theoretically, this would make him the wisest and most experienced Batmen of them all. He probably won’t be able to fight much physically (unless he wears the Kingdom Come armor), but his strongest weapon will be his wisdom. I remember reading an article that described him of being the Nick Fury of the DCEU. The older, more experienced mentor who operates behind the scenes, knows everything about everybody, and stays one step ahead.
This is the kind of Batman the DCEU can really work with, because if the Flash movie is Ben Affleck’s last ride, then the other heroes need their Batman. An older Batman would’ve had a lot of time on his hands to accumulate his wealth and obtain an insurmountable amount of resources. With his technology and knowledge, he can rally the DCEU heroes and be the “general of the army” type of leader. He might not be much more pleasant than Batfleck when it comes to talking to people, but he can certainly get them moving. That’s just part of the Michael Keaton charisma.
Let’s go back to Robert Pattinson for a minute. Based on what I’ve read about his upcoming movie, I picture him as the Telltale and Scott Snyder version of Batman. He’s a younger Batman, not an experienced crime fighter, but not exactly a rookie either. Unlike Christian Bale’s Batman, he’s not much of an idealist; he’s more concerned with fighting. Sounds a lot like Batfleck, except this Batman wouldn’t be shooting people left and right. Snyder’s younger Batman wasn’t a killer by any means, but he wasn’t the calm and collected Batman we’re used to seeing. This Batman was haunted by the death of his parents, and while he didn’t fight for them, he was a bit misguided. He was impulsive, reckless, vulnerable, fallible, and had too much anger.
I believe Pattinson’s Batman will have all of those qualities. He won’t begin as a noble hero, but he will make many mistakes due to his flaws. The development comes when he realizes the depth of his mistakes and decides to change for the better. To make it better, he could have a more contentious relationship with Alfred and bicker over which direction to take on fighting crime. I believe Pattinson’s Batman will be the more tangible and grittier Batman than we’re used to seeing. This will separate him from Keaton and Affleck’s Batmen, and that’s crucial to seeing all three Batmen next year.
Batfleck is the most “superheroey” of the Batmen, the kind that can take on alien invaders and make average criminals poop their pants. Keaton is the old and wise mentor that won’t be doing much fighting, but can offer guidance to the younger heroes. Pattinson will be the hot-headed, but well-meaning Batman that will learn how to be a true hero. These three Batmen encompass the best and worst qualities of Batman and next year, we get to see all three of them. That means we’ll get to see how each Batman is different and how their differences shape them. What if they were somehow able to meet? Then they could look in the mirror and learn from each other. Hey, it is a comic book movie universe after all.
Anyone else super excited to see all the Batmen on screen next year? All we need is Christian Bale and the circle would be complete.
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