Summary
- Bat-Family movie hints at more familiar faces like Batgirl & Robin joining Damian Wayne.
- The obscure Bat-Mite, a quirky character with a high potential, may be making a return in the DCU.
- With James Gunn’s fondness for Bat-Mite, a potential cameo or standalone series is not out of the question.
The Bat-Family is ready to spread its wings in the DCU, and while fans know Damian Wayne is suiting up alongside his father in The Brave and the Bold, the mention that it’ll be a ‘Bat-Family’ movie suggests more familiar faces will be along for the ride. Staples like Dick Grayson/Robin and Barbara Gordon/Batgirl seem like likely inclusions, but what about some of the more obscure members of the Bat-Family making their mark on the DCU?
It’s easy to forget that over the years, the Bat-Family has included everyone from Harper Row/Bluebird to Duke Thomas/The Signal, Henry “Hank” Clover Jr./Gotham to Ace the Bat-Hound. When it comes to the most obscure member of the Bat-Family, Bat-Mite takes the crown. Although the DCU is only in its formative days, there’s already been a nod to Bat-Mite that could be setting up a bright future for the character.
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Who is Bat-Mite?
Introduced in 1959’s Detective Comics #267, Bat-Mite is an imp-like creature that has magical powers and heraldds from the Fifth Dimension like Superman’s Mister Mxyzptlk. Unlike Mister Mxyzptlk being considered an enemy of Superman, Bat-Mite is billed as the Caped Crusader’s No.1 fan – getting himself into weird and wonderful adventures while trying to get into Batman’s good books. Bat-Mite is typically considered more of an annoyance more than anything else, and often leaves of his own accord. Considering the Bat-Family’s high mortality rate, that’s probably for the best.
Sadly, Bat-Mite’s annoying temperament led to him being shelved in 1964, when editor Julius Schwartz wanted a ‘new look’ Batman that was more serious. Bat-Mite was largely missing in action following the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, although he made a fleeting return for 2000’s World’s Funnest Elseworlds special. After nearly 42 years of gathering dust, Bat-Mite was finally returned to main continuity for 2006’s Superman/Batman #26. During Grant Morrison’s run Bat-Mite also appeared to a hallucinating Batman after he lost his sanity.
Despite being sidelined, the legacy of Bat-Mite has continued. He appeared as a background photograph in Batman: The Killing Joke and was a possible moniker for Dick Grayson before he settled on Robin. It was worth the wait, as in July 2024, DC Comics finally made Bat-Mite an official member of the Bat-Family when Batman/Superman World’s Finest gave the character some much-needed backstory. As well Bat-Mite confirming he left DC history because it changed too much for him, he was inducted into the Bat-Family with his suit put on display after helping defeat the Sixth Dimension villain known as Doom-Mite.
Despite his underground popularity, Bat-Mite has failed to break into the mainstream. Lou Scheimer voiced him in The New Adventures of Batman, an animatronic version popped up in the acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series, and he popped up as a playable character in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham. As Bat-Mite appeared in Batman: The Brave and the Bold (voiced by Paul Reubens), the fact Andy Muschietti is directing The Brave and the Bold seems like the perfect opportunity to lean into the wacky of the character.
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Could Bat-Mite Really Appear in the DCU?
Even though the DCU has delivered the suitably out-there Creature Commandos, it might be hard for some to see how Bat-Mite could fit into something like The Brave and the Bold. Then again, with the Superman trailer showing off a giant fire-breathing kaiju, it’s clear franchise overseer James Gunn isn’t afraid to have a little fun. With Creature Commandos marking the official start of DCU canon, Bat-Mite has already been given the nod.
January 2’s “Priyatel Skelet” was largely remembered for a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo from Batman himself, meaning some might’ve missed the Bat-Mite Easter egg. After Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo) was left in a coma following an altercation with Clayface, one scene focused on John Economos (Steve Agee) and A.R.G.U.S. Director Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) learning the news. They’re told that “some type of monster’ took Flag to the emergency room, and even though the ‘moster’ is David Harbour’s Eric Frankenstein, Waller asks, “What kind of monster?” Economos suggests several potential villains when he says: “Reptaloid? Amphibious? Simian? Mite? Poltergeist?”
The Bat-Mite reference isn’t as unusual as it might seem, as posting on Threads in 2024, Gunn wrote:
“Everyone knows I love Bat-Mite. I have statuettes in my house. Imagine having a little imp that dresses up like you and worships you but is creepy as hell and then puts you in jams just to see you get out. Great character. Fell in love with him through this book when I was in 6th grade or so. I got it and the Superman one for Christmas and I STILL think of these as the best Christmas gifts I ever got.”
Given Gunn’s fondness of the character, it’s no surprise he’s at least being referenced. Waller’s Non-Human Interment Division at Belle Reve has already given cameos to Orca, Vegetable-Mineral Man, Congorilla, and more. Even if Bat-Mite might seem too obscure to appear as part of the Bat-Family in The Brave and the Bold, he seems made for a cameo in the already-confirmed Creature Commandos season 2 – presumably set up by season 1’s post-credit scene.
This isn’t the first time Bat-Mite has been mentioned. In Peacemaker season 1, Economos referenced a “two-foot-tall interdimensional imp who stans Batman,” which can also be considered canon thanks to Gunn clearing up what bits of DCEU canon have been carried over to the DCU. Sadly, Gunn has confirmed Bat-Mite won’t be appearing in Peacemaker season 2. If Gunn was willing to take a gamble on Creature Commandos, the idea of a Bat-Mite standalone also isn’t out of the question. Imagine an adult animation in the vein of Creature Commandos with a bit of the ‘90s The Tick cartoon thrown in.
There’s a more unified vision for the DCU, and even if Bat-Mite were to lead his own cartoon series, he could also pop up in live-action and finally share the silver screen with the Dark Knight. If used correctly, Bat-Mite might actually help simplify the DCEU x DCU problem even more easily. While there are theories that Barry Allen’s timeline tinkering in The Flash is what led to the reset of the DCU, Bat-Mite’s ability to travel dimensions and break the fourth wall can also be used as meta joke. A mischief-making imp like Bat-Mite seems made for Gunn’s more comedic side of the DCU, but for the time being, the pint-sized hero is another of those tantalizing teases that the DCU looks to be saving for a rainy day.
