There is a long history of Batman on the big screen. There have been many different actors who have donned the cape and cowl, as well as plenty of writers and directors who have told stories involving their own unique take on the character and the world. Yet, somehow, Hollywood seems hesitant to approach the fantastical side of Batman.

There’s a trend with Batman movies in which they’re made grounded and realistic, like with The Dark Knight trilogy and The Batman. Even some of the more “comic booky” films like the ones directed by Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher mostly focus on grounded characters like the Penguin, the Riddler, Two-Face, and Catwoman. Sure, the Joker’s appearance changed due to falling into a vat of chemicals, but that’s not enough. Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze fit the bill but, like the rest of Batman & Robin, had their own shortcomings in terms of how they were adapted. Ben Affleck’s Batman fought alongside superpowered heroes against an alien threat in the DCEU, but there still was never a Batman standalone movie in that whole franchise. 

There have even been instances in which characters’ origins or other important details have been changed or removed just to fit them into a story that’s grounded in realism. This is seen with Bane in The Dark Knight Rises and Ra’s al Ghul in Batman Begins. Even Heath Ledger’s Joker, while incredible, is reduced to a guy with scars and makeup rather than someone who had their appearance altered and their mind further twisted by falling into chemicals.

Matt Reeves, the director of The Batman, recently stated that he doesn’t want his series to delve into the fantastical elements of the comics, which is a decision that does work for that version. Grounded Batman stores can obviously work extremely well. It’s just disappointing that it’s all we’ve been getting on the big screen.

In the comic books, Batman battles a slew of fantastical supervillains. From Clayface to Poison Ivy to Bane and even Dr. Phosphorus, there are a lot of baddies with powers that Batman faces. It’s about time the movies reflect that. Other comic book adaptations have proven that superpowers can accurately be portrayed well on the big screen. The same could and should be done with Batman. Plus, fans want to see the source material they love so much adapted in a way that matches it.

It’s also worth noting that seeing someone without superpowers overcome threats that have them can be interesting to see. It makes it more of an underdog story and can be captivating.

It’s also about time that we see Batman interact with the Justice League more on the big screen in a more cohesive shared universe. If he’s going to be interacting with aliens, demigods, and metahumans, it makes sense for him to be doing so in his own movies as well.

It will absolutely be welcome when more live action fantastical Batman movies become the norm.

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