Batman’s arc beginning from a psychopathic killing spree, turning into a reformed leader of Snyder’s Justice League
Now that the 4 hour cut of Zack Snyder’s Justice League is out, it is very fascinating to delve deep into the character arc of Ben Affleck’s Batman right from Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice. Snyder and Ben Affleck conceived Batman in DCEU to be more on the cynical side. Furthermore, Affleck was supposed to act and direct in his solo movie. All plans came to a hault after the 2017 Joss-tice League. However, after the Snyder Cut there are hopes and calls to Restore the Snyder-verse. Here’s the first of our four-part story about Batfleck’s character arc.
Batman’s introduction in Batman Vs Superman
The introduction of Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne in BvS is a really well-worked scene. It shows how Bruce is shaken by the destruction of lives and properties caused by Superman’s (Henry Cavill) fight with Zod. When he sees a young girl point that her mother was killed in the destruction by Superman, Bruce vengeance surfaces! As his own parents were killed for no reason, causing him years of trauma. This version of Batman is a mature, experienced, and grittier vigilante, inspired by Frank Miller’s Dark Knight Returns.
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A Batfleck Full of Vengeance
Already fed up with fighting crime for more than 20 years, Affleck’s caped crusader has lost his moral code. This can be seen when Batman goes on to brand criminals who are then killed by other inmates. He is fueled by rage and then decides that ending Superman will be his legacy. Even though both Superman and Batman are being set up against each other by Lex Luthor, Bruce chooses to cast a blind eye to it.
Batman was already on a self-destructive path, shown as a very unstable version of himself. One who couldn’t come to terms with Superman or even his presence on the planet. Then Luthor devises an incredibly subtle plan which forces an already paranoid Batman to hate Man of Steel even more.
But by his virtues, Superman never changes who he is. He still hopes he can make Batman understand his problems. In the end, he even sacrifices himself to kill Doomsday for all of humankind.
Batfleck’s Redemption Arc
Batman almost ends Superman by using a Kryptonite spear but Lois Lane stops him by telling him that Kal-El was just trying to save his mother. At that moment Batman realizes that he was becoming a killer like Joe Chill who killed his parents.
Realizing his mistakes, he starts redeming himself. First, he saves Clark’s Mother from a room full of criminals and then helps the trinity to defeat Doomsday.
Corrective Arc in Zack Snyder’s Justice League
Moved by Superman’s sacrifice to save the earth, Batman takes it upon himself to form an allaince to save the planet when Steppenwolf arrives.
Bruce feels like it was his fault that Superman is dead and that he should do all he can to make sure the earth survives. He goes on to recruit Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and Flash (Ezra Miller) with the help of Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot). And then forms the league to fight against Steppenwolf. He strongly believes they should resurrect Superman because there is no Justice League without him. He is the key to defeating Steppenwolf as evident by the final battle in which the League starts to go down but is saved when Superman arrives.
And then arrives the Knightmare a post apolokyptic world where Steppenwolf won and Superman is evil. Furthermore, we see Joker salting his wounds by mentioning he sent ‘Boy Wonder to do a man’s job.’ This was in synch with fan theory that Joker killed Robin and set fire to the Wayne Manor. Paying off BvS easter Egg with Robin’s costume in Bat cave, much like the comic book storyline ‘A Death in the Family.’
There are answers to these mysteries in Snyder’s plans for Justice League 2 & 3 where Ben Affleck’s Batman comes full circle with his guilty conscience and more. Stay tuned!
