Batman: The Brave And The Bold Can Hint At This Futuristic Gotham

The new Batman movie coming from DC Studios is Andy Muschietti’s The Brave and the Bold, featuring Batman and Robin. However, this isn’t the Robin general audiences have come to know throughout the years. It’s not Dick Grayson under the domino mask this time around, who is the first Robin and the most commonly seen on the silver screen. This time around it’s going to be Bruce Wayne’s son, Damian Wayne. Unlike the other Robin’s who were under Bruce’s tutelage, Damian’s mother raised him as an assassin in the League of Assassins.

James Gunn told reporters in January of 2023 that they’re heavily influenced by Grant Morrison’s seven-year run with the Batman character, which leads to some potentially exciting stories on the big screen. Most notable is the inclusion of Damian Wayne and everything that happens around him. Morrison used a lot of symbology in his Batman run, which is most highlighted by Damian’s very name. There’s a reason he shares a name with the cinematic anti-Christ from The Omen, which leads to him becoming the new Batman.

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Damian Wayne as Batman

Grant Morrison’s run dealt with a lot of subterfuge, prophecies, and symbols. Hence Batman issue 666 talks a lot about the anti-Christ, with one false Batman literally calling himself the anti-Christ and a villain referring to himself as the Devil. Batman 666 gave fans the first look at an adult Damian Wayne after the prophecy of him selling his soul to the Devil came true. There are no specifics to the details of the deal, but Morrison implies that in exchange for his soul, Damian received a rapid healing factor and ensured Gotham City’s safety. Unfortunately, this gradually brought down Gotham City despite Damian believing he was doing the right thing. In this future, instead of Terry McGuinness becoming Batman, Damian would take up the mantle and try to protect Gotham in his own way. However, Damian’s way was much more violent than Bruce ever was, crossing lines the original Caped Crusader never would.

Damian took to heart some of Bruce’s lessons, specifically his words about preparation being the path to victory. Damian knew he could never be the hero Bruce was with his deductive reasoning skills. Instead of preparing for each individual problem as it arose, Damian booby-trapped every inch of Gotham City, giving himself the upper hand in any bout. His methods of risking the lives of innocent citizens turned former Bat-allies against him.

Batman issue 666 wasn’t the only time fans got a glimpse at this dark future for Gotham City either. Morrison and other creators would visit the alternate reality again in Batman 700, Superman/Batman 75, and Superman/Batman 80, with each expanding on the setting a little more each time.

What Gotham Looks Like With Damian as Batman

Barbara Gordon, daughter of the late Commissioner Jim Gordon, became the new Gotham City Commissioner sometime after Damian became the new Batman. She’s not much of a fan of Damian’s due to the implied role he had in Jim Gordon’s death. Gotham was never the premiere place to live in the DC Universe, even when Bruce wore the cape and cowl, but it dropped on the prosperity scale even more once Damian took over. Damian was always an insecure child who only ever wanted approval from his father. Without Bruce around to give Damian what he wanted, the young Wayne over-corrected, making things worse.

Damian initiated a new Brother-I satellite to act his his surveillance system that sees everything anywhere he aims it at. Destruction followed Damian as Batman everywhere he went. If there’s any doubt that the new slate of Batman films will hint at this potential future, James Gunn told reporters (via ComicBook.com):

This is the introduction of the DCU’s Batman. This is the story of Damian Wayne, who is Batman’s actual son, who we didn’t know existed for the first eight to 10 years of his life. He was raised as a little murderer and assassin. He’s a little son of a bitch. He’s my favorite Robin. It’s based on the Grant Morrison comic book’s run, which is one of my favorite Batman runs, and we are putting that all together right now.

The Return of Zack Snyder

Zack Snyder likes his movies dark, gritty, and violent. Damian Wayne and the 666 future for Gotham City is perfect for him. He can show a Batman who brutally defeats his enemies and does what’s necessary to save Gotham, even if that means excessive property damage. That’s not too different from Ben Affleck’s Batman in Batman v Superman and Justice League. DC Studios greenlighting a spin-off of the main DC movies would give Snyder a big sandbox to play in that would allow him to fully realize his Knightmare timeline in a sense.

Showing the exact future Superman and other heroes are trying to prevent would set DC apart from its competition. Every time an alternate reality is shown in a film, it’s only for a brief period. Only in comics are alternate realities fully envisioned and expanded on. Fans would get to see Zack Snyder’s unimpeded vision for a dark and gritty reality, contrasting the more bright and hopeful universe Gunn and his Justice League are setting up and trying to preserve. Unfortunately, Zack Snyder has already suggested that he has no interest in returning to direct DC films, so the task will likely fall to another director.

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