The DCCU Batman is always going to be compared to previous versions. The Bale/Nolan Batman will be a hard act to follow. Nonetheless, there are various facets disregarded by Nolan that are yet to be depicted. The new take has to be fresh in order to stand apart from the last interpretation. Even with that in mind, there is still an intrinsic and synonymous psychology that has to remain at the core of the character. Batman’s psyche has always been compelling and it is what spurs his personal brand of vigilante justice.
The subject of this article is to suggest a new version that is hopefully agreeable amongst fans. Whilst the new take has to be fresh, it does not necessarily have to be radically different, but rather relevant to the DC cinematic universe for the upcoming Justice League movie.
In order to derive an applicable delineation of Batman for the DCCU, we must look not only to various controls for comparison but also understand the psychology of Bruce Wayne.
THE PRECURSORY DEPICTIONS OF THE DARK KNIGHT
Fans were not happy when Michael Keaton, who was better known as a comic actor, was cast in Tim Burton’s 1989 adaptation. This film and its depiction of Batman were far darker and more serious than the whimsical Batman of the 1960s that starred Adam West. Burton’s foreboding noir style was a strong departure from the campy West version which was very much a product of the time. The Keaton/Burton version brought the character back to the mysterious, dark and brooding vision of Bob Kane’s early runs. This Batman is part myth and situated in a staunchly gothic world that mirrored the intense physiological nature of the film’s protagonist.
Batman is very much the Phantom of Gotham, a parallel to that of the Phantom from Phantom of the Opera, intimidating with silence and presence. Keaton’s Bruce Wayne is a reclusive, socially awkward figure who spends a lot of time in a shroud of melancholy. Likewise, his alter ego spends his time shrouded in the mystery of the shadows. Unrelentingly haunted by the murder of his parents, this Bruce Wayne is driven by revenge. At the end of the film, he kills the Joker out of revenge and takes gratification in killing more criminals in the sequel, Batman Returns. But ultimately, there is more to this Bruce Wayne than simply eking out revenge against Gotham’s lowlifes.
Keaton brings dual personas to his role with the rather mundane Bruce Wayne and the foreboding Batman persona. When Bruce enters the Batcave via an iron maiden in his study, we realise that he is haunted not only mentally but also physically. His mental state is apparently very fragile as he teeters on the edge of insanity. In one scene, after glimpsing himself in a mirror, Bruce Wayne states: “I mistook me for somebody else”. This is truly an indication that he could easily go crazy. Director Tim Burton paints Batman as a stoic hero who is seen as part myth and part villain.
If Burton’s films were a departure from the campy Batman of the 1960s, then Joel Schumacher’s attempt was a return. Burton took Batman back to his dark psychological roots whereas Schumacher elected for a much lighter approach. Schumacher’s 2005 Batman Forever saw Val Kilmer, who looked more like Bruce Wayne than Keaton did, don the Batsuit. Kilmer arguably seemed more like a natural fit for the smooth billionaire playboy persona than his predecessor did. While being less intimidating than Keaton as Batman, Kilmer still brings a lot of physicality to the role.
We also still see a lot of the conflicted Bruce Wayne character from the Burton films but Kilmer nevertheless holds back on the level of brooding intensity that Keaton did. Kilmer's incarnation had repressed memories of the event (of his parents’ murder) and was subconsciously driven by guilt he didn't fully understand. The movie showed him confronting these memories, finally deciding that he was Batman not because he felt he had to be but because he chose to be. (ComicBookResources).
"Poor Edward. I had to save them both. You see, I'm both Bruce Wayne and Batman, not because I have to be, now, because I choose to be."
Source: http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/6of13/news/?a=94395
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