So, we’re now months removed from The Dark Knight Rises and the end of the Christopher Nolan directed Batman trilogy. But the legend of the Batman can not end there.
No!
Here are the current facts that I’m thinking could be a HUGE part of the next Batman story to make it to the live action big screen:
- The Gotham City sewers have now been introduced to the audience.
- The city of Gotham needs to be rebuilt and will be in chaos for years to come.
- The most dangerous criminals (and mob members) in Gotham were set free by Bane in The Dark Knight Rises and may not have all been rounded back up.
- Bruce Wayne has left Gotham and will not be back.
- John “Robin” Blake is no longer a police officer and has found the Batcave and all of the toys inside.
Now, if we are to take the facts that we have after The Dark Knight Rises we can start to move forward with a new story and a new chapter in the legend of the Batman.
And I’ve been thinking about it.
Gotham has had a few years to start rebuilding, improving, starting to live again. But things are not at ease. A new criminal has started terrorizing the city. He calls the sewers his home and the Gotham PD can not stop him. Gotham needs Batman. However, I don’t want to see Bruce Wayne back. I don’t want to see Blake as Robin or as Nightwing. I want to see Blake as Batman. A new Batman.
Blake will have had a few years to acquaint himself with the Batcave, the suit, the equipment and the toys. He will have trained and grown stronger and quicker and prepared. He will be ready to take over the mantle of the bat.
And so John Blake will become the Batman. Because Batman doesn’t have to be Bruce Wayne. Batman is the cape and cowl. And what Gotham needs is for someone in the cape and cowl to step out of the shadows and fight the Penguin.
Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot is a mobster. And in the new Gotham, the mob is back. Things are a mess, people are trying to put their lives back together, but it isn’t that easy. It never is.
The Penguin is a shit disturber. A thinker. A man with something to prove and no qualms about hurting people to get what he wants when he wants it.
He is the type of villain that needs to be defeated by Batman.
And that’s exactly what will happen.
But it won’t be without growing pains. Blake’s Batman will have bumps along the way. He will experience hardships in his initial fights with the Penguin’s thugs. He will be both celebrated and questioned. He will have to decide whether he wants to be his own Batman or Bruce Wayne’s Batman 2.0.
The new Gotham still has holdovers to keep things familiar to us. Jim Gordon is still the Commissionaire of Police. Lucius Fox is still running Wayne Enterprises and has never given up on the thought that one day Batman may return. And Father Reilly is still running the boys home, now at the former Wayne Manor.
The pieces are available and largely in place already for this story to happen. And at this point the fans are used to taking a few leaps of faith when comic book movies get made. They need to continue to allow for those changes. They need to relax and enjoy the show.
That’s what I plan to do. Whenever that may be.
I hope it’s not too long.
Fingers crossed.
Be awesome!
