The Batman’s Style Repeats Nolan's Villain Problem For The Sequels
The Batman is rightfully being praised for its realistic take on the Caped Crusader, but this stylistic decision risks repeating a villain problem that Christopher Nolan had with his own Batman trilogy. Away from the shared universe of the DCEU, Matt Reeves’ The Batman delivers the same energy as Todd Phillips' Joker, placing a host of comic book characters into an intimately realistic world. Rather than focusing purely on its heroes and villains, The Batman is more concerned with the people behind these facades and how they navigate the crime and corruption of a sleazy Gotham City.
It is undeniable that The Batman has been a success both commercially and critically. Framing Batman as a great detective rather than solely a crime fighter has ensured Reeves' film harkens back to popular comics such as Batman: Year One — while The Batman's deleted Joker scene has already prompted talks of a sequel. Yet although the film is a welcome departure from Ben Affleck’s joyless DCEU Batman portrayal, the stylistic change for the hero does not come without its challenges.
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The harsh reality with which Reeves’ Gotham is realized results in an environment where superpowers would now appear jarringly out of place. This is not a world where Superman or Wonder Woman cameos can be expected, but rather one that tones all its comic book characters down to situate the film in as realistic a setting as possible. Much like how Nolan handled his Batman adaptation in The Dark Knight trilogy, this strict realism means that Reeves' burgeoning franchise is limited in how it handles its future villains. By creating a world in which the film's events seem that they could
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