Why Batman: The Brave And The Bold Deserves Another Look

James Gunn's upcoming DC Universe slate is an exciting mix of superhero movies, including a Superman, Supergirl, and Swamp Thing movie. Among them is a Batman reboot titled The Brave and the Bold, which promises to be a dark and twisted father-son story. In this version, a new Bruce Wayne takes his estranged son, Damian Wayne, under his wing, who was raised by killers and is a sadistic teenage assassin. However, it's not just the previous Batman franchises that the new film needs to differentiate itself from. It also has to stand out from the current Batman movies, as Matt Reeves' The Batman saga will continue to run alongside it under the "DC Elseworlds" label. While some are concerned that this may be confusing for casual audiences, there is a precedent for it, as seen with the animated Spider-Verse movies and Tom Holland's Spider-Man movies. To make The Brave and the Bold distinct, the film could opt for a silly, lighthearted tone to contrast with the dark, gritty nature of The Batman.

The Brave And The Bold Should Have More Fun

It's time for the Batman franchise to lighten up and have some fun. While past adaptations have taken a darker turn, The Brave and the Bold should embrace the campy elements of the Batman mythos. After all, these are stories about a billionaire who dresses up as a bat to fight crime - there's no need to take it too seriously. The series doesn't have to go as far as the zaniness of Adam West's 1960s TV show, but it shouldn't be a humorless and self-serious affair either. As a comic book adaptation, The Brave and the Bold should embrace the fun and more comic-booky aspects of the character to co-exist with other comic book characters like Superman and Swamp Thing.

Making Fun Of Batman's Darker Side Could Actually Work

The Brave and the Bold has the potential to not only lighten up the tone but also satirize the darker tone of other Batman films. The Lego Batman Movie and its other on-screen iterations successfully achieved this with witty self-parody, such as the iconic line, "I only work in black... and sometimes very, very dark gray." Though it's uncertain whether Gunn will be involved as the writer or director for The Brave and the Bold, he's confirmed to be a producer and has a proven track record of incorporating self-deprecating humor into comic book adaptations. Incorporating self-parody could further differentiate this Batman franchise from others, which lack this element of humor.

Batman's Villains Should Be At Least A Little Bit Silly

Both Nolan and Reeves’ iterations of Batman have attempted to bring classic Batman villains into the real world, but many of these villains were originally designed to be whimsical and outlandish. For instance, the Riddler wears a green spandex suit covered in question marks and leaves puzzles at the scenes of his crimes, while the Penguin wears a monocle and commands an army of penguin henchmen to do his bidding. Despite this, Nolan’s Catwoman is simply a standard cat burglar, and Reeves’ Penguin is a low-level mobster. Similarly, Nolan’s Joker is a straight-up terrorist with a clown motif, while Reeves’ Riddler is more akin to a Zodiac-style serial killer. The Brave and the Bold should embrace the silliness inherent in these characters and allow the villains to truly embrace their wacky origins.

The creators of The Brave and the Bold should embrace the zanier side of the Bat’s villains, opting for a more cartoonish approach. Rather than giving Poison Ivy a noble cause as an environmental activist, let her be the eccentric plant enthusiast. Similarly, instead of portraying Mr. Freeze as a tragic hero with scientific prowess, let him revel in his love of ice-themed puns. Previous Batman movies have tended to downplay the more whimsical aspects of characters such as Two-Face and the Scarecrow, and have avoided the likes of Clayface and Killer Croc altogether. By whole-heartedly embracing the wackier side of these villains, The Brave and the Bold has the potential to stand out from the crowd.