Charles Roven, the producer of the upcoming superhero flick Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice recently said in an interview with Empire that Batman would be more than a vigilante in his movie. He elaborated on what is clearly a riff of an old cliche, stating that Batman “..has become not only a cop, if you will, but he has also become the jury and the executioner.” The statement has left people wondering how literally they should take the statement, which probably makes the line a good marketing tool for the film. It’s gotten people talking, and wondering if Batman will be redefined in a major way. I’m guessing, however, that he won’t.
I understand the need for such an ominous statement. At this point, I’m willing to wager that a lot of fans already have certain expectations for the film, and they’re expectations that I’m hoping are ultimately subverted when the movie rolls around. Typically speaking, though, when superheroes fight one another, they follow a kind of formula. A difference in politics or ideology leads them to see one another as threats, and somewhere around the middle point of the story, they come to blows in an exciting romp that feels quite a bit like fan service. Then they turn their attention to a larger threat. A common enemy, perhaps a puppet master of sorts, who has been lurking in the shadows. I’m guessing this will probably happen around the time Wonder Woman shows up in the movie and is all like, “guys, let’s be friends.” But that’s only a guess, and I really hope it doesn’t go down that way.
The most recent DC movies have been undeniably dark in nature. Superman kills without much remorse at the end of his last film. Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies strove for a sort of realism to their supervillains which made them a bit unnerving. Is it possible that Batman sets out to kill Superman? Absolutely. It is unlikely that anyone can expect to imprison the insanely powerful alien, after all. But is it likely? I’m thinking not.
There are certain staples of Batman that have been present in comics and film for a long time. He is typically depicted in a black or grey getup with some pointy cowl thing. He has a mysterious sleeping schedule. He has two personas that are, at the very least, partial facades; he’s Bruce Wayne, and acts as people would expect him to act as to not draw suspicion. He’s also Batman, a symbol of fear to the villains of Gotham. Batman also loves Gotham but perhaps the most rigid of his personality traits is his refusal to kill. It’s a slope he doesn’t want to start down.
As for the statement itself, to call Batman a cop is surely a figure of speech. To even liken him to one is questionable, as he, a vigilante, operates in strict violation of the law. Yes, Gotham City Police Department usually lets him get away with this kind of thing as they see him as a necessary figure in the perpetually corrupt and dangerous landscape of their city but, unless I’m missing something, a vigilante is by its nature very unlike a cop. The jury bit, yeah, I get it as Batman makes his own decisions on morality and doesn’t strictly follow society’s laws. As for executioner, well, that could be a play on words. Or maybe he does set out to kill Superman, rationalizing it in some way based on his own judgment. Maybe he sees it as just, but is torn up about it. Maybe he sets out to do it, making him a would-be executioner. Executioners, after all, don’t have to kill someone before being given the title. The title precedes the first execution, and I’m sure this internal struggle will be a major conflict in the film as Batman wrestles with his personal code and what may be necessary.
We’re supposed to be guessing at this point. We’re supposed to get hyped up. And everyone who writes Batman wants to make him their own in some way. But it really seems unlikely that we’ll see Batman kill Superman. It really seems unlikely that we’ll see Batman kill anyone in this movie. At least, not on purpose.