Why the DC Cinematic Universe needed a new Batman

The Dark Knight Trilogy is one of those series of films that has it's die-hard fans and it's very vocal critics. While I personally like the films and accept them as what they are, which to me is just a different take on Batman if he was the only Superhero in the world, I also understand that just because a character or actor is loved for the role it doesn't mean that it is the smartest option to keep them around.

This is especially true for me when it comes to Christian Bale and his take on Batman. Christopher Nolan did an amazing thing for comic book fans. He took a believed to be dead franchise in Batman (Thanks Joel Schumacher) and made it into the most successful franchise DC has ever had so far. His realistic and gritty take on Batman was unlike anything the mainstream characters were doing and it payed off. However, there was a drawback to his concept: his Batman could never be involved with anyone with powers because he would not be able to compete.

Let's look at this realistically. Nolan's Batman was not anything remotely comparable to the comic book version. He was in shape but not at the peak of human physical limitations. He was clever and had some cool gadgets to deduce clues but he was nowhere near being the world's greatest detective. He had a brutality about him when he fought but he was nowhere near the martial arts expert that comic book fans are used to. Now does this mean that he was a bad version of Batman? Absolutely not. The Dark Knight Trilogy will go down in history as the franchise that put DC back on the map when other franchise like Green Lantern and Superman Returns fell short. But could this version of Batman be involved in a shared universe with Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and others? No way!

If Christian Bale was to have returned for the shared DC Cinematic Universe, we wouldn't be getting "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" because that Batman would be nothing for Superman to stop, especially since we now finally have a Superman that shows his true abilities and will only grow more powerful as the universe progresses. We needed a new Batman. We needed a Batman that can become what a shared universe needs. Batman is the only normal human in the Justice League so he must have these great comic book style qualities to make his inclusion relevant.

So now we have Christian Bale done with the character and Ben Affleck as the new Batman. Affleck is 42 and has already previously played a Superhero in "Daredevil" for FOX, a franchise that is considered a failure, getting no sequels, barely breaking even at the box office, and getting an even worse spin-off movie in "Elektra". Because of this, and also because some people just overall think he's a dick, the outrage from his casting announcement is still felt over a year later, although much calmer now that we have seen him in the new Batsuit and seen the Batmobile in pictures and leaked video. Let's look at some stats. Like I said, he's 42 years old so that actually plays against him in many people's eyes, but he's also 3 inches taller than Henry Cavill's Superman and has been steadily working out since the day he was announced as Batman. He's also one of the biggest Batman fans in Hollywood, so if anyone is going to give this character his all, it's Affleck.

Is Affleck the answer for the DC Cinematic Universe version of Batman? That is still up in the air and will be a question that will be brought up for years, even after the his first couple of movies as Batman. But with Affleck, we have a big name star, regardless of being hated or loved, and the opportunity to have Zack Snyder create a more comic styled Batman for us to all enjoy along with giving us our first Cinematic versions of Aquaman, Flash, Cyborg, and Wonder Woman and a reboot of Green Lantern. This is a great time to be a DC fan or even just a comic fan in general.

Warner Bros' Trinity of Directors and Why it's a Brilliant Strategy

Warner Bros and DC have their 2016 and 2017 Directors set with Zack Snyder directing "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice", David Ayer rewriting and directing "Suicide Squad", Michelle MacLaren directing "Wonder Woman", and Snyder returning for "Justice League: Part One". Let's take a look at each director and see just why these are not only fantastic choices overall, but extremely smart choices for this shared DC Universe and how is will all blend in together.

Zack Snyder Leading the DC Charge with "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" (2016) and "Justice League: Parts One and Two" (2017 & 2019)

We already know that Zack Snyder has a flare for making movies look amazing. His work on "300" and "Watchmen" are proof of that. Even "Sucker Punch" was visually pleasing even if the story itself wasn't well received by the general audience. When Snyder was announced to return for what we had assumed was going to be a sequel to 2013's "Man of Steel", it was a no-brainer. Although reviews of "Man of Steel" were mixed, it was still the most successful Superman movie to ever be made and is now established as the launching point for a shared DC Cinematic Universe.

"Man of Steel" had only been in theaters for a month when San Diego Comic-Con came around and another movie was announced, but instead of getting a "Man of Steel" sequel or a different superhero movie entirely, we were presented with a Superman/Batman logo and a quote from "The Dark Knight Returns" read by Harry Lennix, which has made everyone assume that the new movie would be based off of Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns" graphic novel from 1986. I'll get to that whole issue another day.

Some people have issues with Snyder, saying that he can't give us a great story or that he cares too much about how the movie looks and not enough about overall quality with a balance of visuals, good acting, and script. To those people I say this. "Get over it." Movies are about an entire crew, not just the actor you hate or the director that you think screwed up. Hundreds, if not thousands of people come together to bring these characters to life for us.

Most of the issue with "Man of Steel" were a direct influence from Producer Christopher Nolan and writer David S. Goyer. This is NOT the "The Dark Knight Trilogy". It isn't supposed to be this extreme realistic take on the characters, because no matter how much science is thrown in to explain these heroes, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and Aquaman are NOT realistic. It's fantasy and to an extent supposed to be fun. That's where Nolan and Goyer misstepped. However, with Geoff Johns taking over as Executive Producer and Chris Terrio rewriting Goyer's screenplay, "Dawn of Justice" I believe is heading in the right direction and will be a great set-up for the "Justice League" movies.

This is not a bash on Nolan, Goyer, or "The Dark Knight Trilogy" in any way. I appreciate what they did for DC movies, but this is a new movie universe and should be treated as such. The tone and the stories need to feel different than Nolan's Batman. We need to be able to believe that this human character can coexist with super-powered beings and it not look too far fetched, which is why Snyder staying on board to reintroduce us to this universe's Batman is a smart choice. His "Watchmen" fighting scenes with Nite Owl are a great example of what to expect from the new Batman played by Ben Affleck, and that is something to get excited for.

David Ayer Rewriting and Directing "Suicide Squad" (2016)

Ayer is a writer and director who has been involved with a lot of great movies. Most people know that he directed "Fury" which has received a great deal of praise since it's release, but he was also the writer of "Training Day" and "End of Watch". Needless to say that David Ayer is a talented story teller and his directing efforts have been very high profile lately as well. This is why he was the perfect choice to bring the Suicide Squad to life for their first ever live action movie.

The story and script is unknown, especially since it's currently in the middle of a rewrite with certain face painted characters being rumored to be now written in and being cast as well. With no official word from Warner Bros but many "Inside Sources" claiming that Harley Quinn and The Joker have been cast with Margot Robbie and Jared Leto, there's still many unanswered questions about the story and cast. It's a given that Deadshot will be involved somehow and most likely the lead character along with Robbie's Harley, but who else will we see? Hopefully we get some official casting news soon, but until then I am content knowing that the movie about villains being forced to work for an off-the-books government agency is in the hands of a director who thrives on gritty stories like this.

Michelle MacLaren Set to Direct "Wonder Woman" (2017)

I think this ultimately was the best choice for director. They went with a strong female presence in Hollywood to give us a strong female presence on the big screen. With MacLaren's experience with Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones combined, I think Wonder Woman is in great hands and this makes me even more excited for the project. Imagine if this is in fact a 1920's era movie like the rumors are saying. Now imagine all the great visuals and story telling we've seen on Game of Thrones. Now give it a big movie budget. The potential for Wonder Woman is there to be very successful, and now all we need to know is basically everything else besides the star and director.

Given what we do know though, which isn't much yet since the movie is two and half years away, I think it's going to be a cross between "Captain America: The First Avenger" (2011) and "Thor" (2011), a dated time piece with legends of the Gods thrown in, but in Wonder Woman and Warner Bros' case, I don't think Amazons will be explained like Asgardians were as aliens because we already have Superman for that. Also, coming off of "Dawn of Justice" and "Suicide Squad" in 2016, 2017's "Wonder Woman" and "Justice League: Part One" could be exactly what DC/WB needs to solidify their shared movie universe.

Do you think that Warner Bros have made the right choices in directors for their 2016 and 2017 DC films?