Summary
- Batman makes his surprise DCU debut in Creature Commandos, setting the tone for a fresh take on the Dark Knight.
- James Gunn avoids another Batman origin story, focusing on new adventures and avoiding worn-out territory.
- The DCU will explore unique dynamics with the introduction of the Bat-Family and potential for fresh character origins.
James Gunn has lit the Bat-Signal in the sky, as Batman is already on the way to the DCU. Despite Gunn and Peter Safran only just getting their plans for a new cinematic universe underway toward the end of 2024, the DCU is expanding at an exponential rate. While there’s no sign of the Justice League yet, one of its most important members is already here.
Although there was originally some confusion about what fits into the canon of the DCU, Gunn’s Creature Commandos officially marks the start of the franchise. The adult animation has already served as a springboard for several DCU projects, but most recently, it revealed the franchise’s very own Dark Knight. Batman is suited and ready for action, with Gunn assuring fans they won’t have to sit through another rehashed origin story.
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Batman Just Made his DCU Debut
While audiences expect Batman to make his live-action debut in Andy Muschietti’s The Brave and the Bold, he unexpectedly popped up in Creature Commandos episode 6, “Priyatel Skelet”. In addition to fleshing out the backstory of Alan Tudyk’s Doctor Phosphorus, there was a surprise glimpse of the Dark Knight. Featuring Batman’s silhouette against a stormy backdrop, Gunn has since said he purposefully gave the character a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it inclusion because he didn’t want to spoil the suit.
Creature Commandos gave a similarly fleeting glimpse of Batman earlier in the series when Circe’s apocalyptic vision of the future showed various members of the (presumed) Justice League having met a gruesome end. Even though Gunn has said the Justice League hasn’t yet formed in the DCU, mainstays including Superman and Batman are already active. This alleviates the problem of having to deliver another origin story, which is something Gunn told Rotten Tomatoes TV was always his plan:
“He already exists in this universe, just like when we come to the Superman movie and we see that Superman already exists, he’s already known by the people in Metropolis. We don’t need to hear the origin story again. That’s just a way to introduce that Batman is a part of this universe.”
When pressed on which Batman appeared in Creature Commandos, Gunn reiterated it’s the DCU’s Batman, meaning this was a first real look at the hero who will be leading The Brave and the Bold alongside Damian Wayne. Gunn has given another tantalizing tease of what’s to come, and following his upcoming Superman, it sounds like the Dark Knight and the Metropolis Marvel could soon be crossing paths. As well as saying he’s loved Batman since he was a little kid, Gunn gushed:
“We’re going to do great things with him…He’s the most popular superhero in the world and I can’t wait for people to see more of him along with Superman. And together…”
Having seen so many Batman origin stories and flashbacks to Crime Alley over the years, it’s refreshing that Gunn is moving forward with his own vision and isn’t getting bogged down in following in everyone else’s footsteps. He’s taken a similar path with David Corenswet’s Superman, with its first trailer and Gunn’s comments confirming he’s been the Man of Steel for a while.
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Batman Doesn’t Need Another Origin Story
When it comes to Batman origin stories, there have been plenty. As far back as Tim Burton’s Batman, there were traumatic flashbacks showing how the orphaned Bruce Wayne grew up to be Gotham’s tormented savior. There are too many actors to count who’ve played young Bruce, while David Mazouz famously played him in Gotham – serving as one giant origin story for the Caped Crusader. Even Todd Phillips’ Joker gave its own sidelined Batman origin and sparked the wild theory that he’s Joker/Arthur Fleck’s half-brother.
It’s arguably Christopher Nolan who did it best, with 2005’s Batman Begins giving both the childhood backstory and picking up with an adult Bruce taking his first steps into becoming Batman. There’s a case to be made that there will never be a better Batman origin story, and this might be a motivation for why Gunn is steering clear of revisiting the idea. Still, the most likely option is both the DCU overseer and audiences alike are bored of going over the same territory with every new Batman. When someone accused Gunn of ‘skipping over’ Batman and Superman’s origins, he responded on Threads and wrote:
“I’m not telling Batman and Superman’s origin stories again because everyone knows them.”
Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man struggled to step out of the shadow of Sam Raimi’s acclaimed trilogy, with one of its biggest complaints being how much of Peter Parker’s origin story was a rehash of 2002’s Spider-Man. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice picked up with an established Batman and didn’t feel the need to delve too much into the past of, although it did fall into the trap of opening with Thomas and Martha Wayne’s murders. More recently, Matt Reeves’ The Batman spared fans another Crime Alley bloodbath and was arguably even better for it by making the Waynes something of a mystery.
As the trailer for Superman showed, Gunn is cramming a lot of heroes, villains, and storylines into its runtime. The Brave and the Bold is similarly stacked as it’s confirmed to introduce the Bat-Family and suggests it won’t just be Bruce and Damian Wayne holding down the fort. It’ll be interesting to see a different dynamic, especially with the father and son Batman and Robin duo making their cinematic debut. Just because there have been numerous Batman origin stories, it doesn’t mean Muschietti won’t be able to give Damian one. Elsewhere, the cryptic mention of the Bat-Familly means a whole host of characters could have their past dredged up.
The DCU is supposed to be a fresh start for the many characters of DC Comics, and just because Gunn is veering away from origin stories for the two cornerstones of Batman and Superman, it doesn’t mean the entire franchise will avoid them. The success of Jon Favreau’s Iron Man proves there’s nothing wrong with origin stories in comic book movies, but when it comes to Batman and Superman, it’s all been done before. With the Justice League currently out of action, audiences are at least likely to get an origin story for how one of comics’ most infamous teams comes together.
