The Missed Opportunity of Batman in the DCEU

The Misuse of Ben Affleck's Batman

The DCEU has officially concluded, but in doing so never gave Batman a chance to face one of his own villains. Ben Affleck's Batman appeared in several movies throughout the DCEU timeline, however, he was never given a solo movie, and only ever faced other hero's adversaries. Consequently, Batman felt rather misused in the franchise.

Batman (Ben Affleck) in armor confronting Superman (Henry Cavill) in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

With the DCU reboot, James Gunn has an opportunity to address elements from the franchise that did not work. This bodes well for the future of the DCU, and could hopefully fix certain franchise elements that proved underused or unpopular. One of the most prominent examples of this was Ben Affleck's Batman, which while positively received, was not especially effective within DCEU. At times, he felt like a passenger alongside the other Justice League members, besides bringing the superhero team together, and scrapped plans to give Affleck his own movie ultimately robbed fans of the chance to see him being his own hero.

Batman (Ben Affleck) about to punch Superman (Henry Cavill) in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

The DCEU Ended Without Giving Batman His Own Villain

During the DCEU, Batman never once faced one of his own adversaries. Batman boasts one of the most iconic pantheon of villains ever, many of whom are celebrated characters in their own right. The Joker was designed to function as Batman's antithesis, but in the DCEU, this role was filled by Superman. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice pitted the heroes against each other as each other's opposite, exploring the clash of their philosophies. Consequently, there was no place for a real Batman villain to appear in the DCEU before the escalation to a Justice League level threat.

Batman in his armored suit in the DCEU's Batman v Superman

As the likes of Doomsday, Lex Luthor, and Darkseid gained power, Batman was relegated to assisting other superheroes defeat their villains, rather than battling any of his own. With Batman's introduction as an older hero who was partly retired, many of his famed villains had already been apprehended. However, a solo movie with Ben Affleck was planned, which would have explored the various inmates at Arkham Asylum. Unfortunately, Affleck stepped down from the role, and the Arkham Asylum project was repurposed for an upcoming television series in the DCU reboot.

Henry Cavill as Superman in the DCEU's Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice

Why The DCEU Ignoring Batman's Rogues Gallery Was A Mistake

Batman is such an effective character because of how succinctly he is balanced by his formidable adversaries. The Joker himself claims that the Dark Knight completes him - a concept that works both ways. Batman needs the Joker, and his fellow Gotham villains, in order to accurately portray Batman's unique position in superhero narratives. Without providing a proper sense of Batman's motivation, the Dark Knight felt like a supporting character and didn't even feel like the star in his own movie. Throughout Batman v Superman, the Dark Knight only battled Superman, which sidelined him in the greater conflict against Luthor.

Batman and Superman face each other by the crashed batmobile in Batman v Superman

Additionally, Batman's lack of powers made him seem out of place among the Justice League members. Batman seemed incredibly out of his depth battling gods and superpowered aliens. Fighting one of his own villains would have provided a story on his level, while also adding stronger context to his heroic potential through facing a more human villain. Though Lex Luthor was a distinctly human villain, he worked primarily as Superman's adversary - and was also quite an underwhelming presence in the franchise. Ultimately, Batman was never allowed to shine in the DCEU, which could have been easily remedied by having him fight someone from his rogues' gallery.

Heath Ledger & Jared Leto as Joker in front of The Batman's Joker