The 2005 release of wasting several Batman characters in its run, it is hard to deny that several components, including Batman's origin, were done perfectly.
Some of the criticize The Amazing Spider-Man's origin story, both for how it makes Peter special, and also for how it revisits too much of the original Sam Raimi trilogy. While origin stories used to be necessary for each new filmic iteration, shared universes have begun to do away with that. Ben Affleck's Batman and Tom Holland's Spider-Man were both already introduced into their careers, and it worked wonders for their respective films.
Batman Begins Is The Defining Batman Origin Story Movie
It Is Hard To Imagine Bruce's Origin As The Dark Knight Being Done Any Better
While previous iterations of Batman saw his origin story being told through dimly lit flashbacks, especially in Batman Forever, the definitive origin story for the hero was finally told well in Batman Begins. The film examines Bruce's childhood trauma of his family being killed, but it especially allows him to develop as an adult and to find his path to heroism. This is shown through extended sequences with The League of Shadows, and how he was forced to disagree with many of their methods.
From there, Batman was built. We got to see the origins of his name, of his technology, and of his abilities in an incredible story that reached the heart of the character. While the story of Batman's origin does not need to be excessively complicated, Batman Begins took the time to explore Bruce's growth, his darkness, and his motivations. All of this contributed to an excellent film that saw the best version of Batman's origin that I have ever—and likely will ever—see put on screen.
Any Dark Knight Origin Story Film Is Bound To Be Compared To The Biggest Batman Trilogy Of All Time
Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy Has Some Of The Most Celebrated Superhero Films Ever Made
Following a nearly perfect origin film, The Dark Knight took Christopher Nolan's Batman origin story to the next level, becoming one of the most critically acclaimed superhero movies of all time. This story took many of the character details and explorations of morality and power from Batman Begins and expanded on them successfully, making an incredible sequel. Unfortunately for further iterations, this sequential storytelling would force any new iterations that attempted to retell Batman's origin to be compared to these films.
Christopher Nolan is one of the best filmmakers working today, and his iteration of Batman is something truly special. As a result, I believe it is important that future versions of the character shy away from copying the stories that he has already told. It is not impossible to tell more grounded stories of Batman and even his origin, but any attempt will surely have a difficult battle to fight, inviting in comparisons to some of the best superhero movies ever made. Batman has a high standard, and it is important for new iterations to do new things.
I'm Glad James Gunn Has Said The DC Universe Will Avoid Focusing On Batman's Origin Story
The DCU Seems To Be Making The Right Choices With Origin Stories
One of the Superman was revealed by James Gunn, informing that the film starts in the middle of the action. Following this ethos, it seems that the new universe is launching fully formed, already populated by all kinds of heroes and villains and all kinds of different places in their careers. I believe this is the right choice for a new universe in the 2025 cinematic landscape, and allows heroes like Hawkgirl and Mr. Terrific to already be working at the beginning of the franchise.
More important, especially after Batman's recent DCU reveal, is that it seems Batman will be entering the universe already deep into his career. Gunn spoke to Rotten Tomatoes about Batman's recent appearance in Creature Commandos, saying "We don’t need to hear the origin story again. That’s just a way to introduce that Batman is a part of this universe." This speaks well to the future stories in this universe, and where Batman will appear. We already know Batman's origin, and Batman Begins will always exist.
Batman's Latest DC Cameo Proves James Gunn Understands Batman In Mere Seconds
James Gunn has proffered the first look at the DCU’s new Batman, neatly demonstrating that Gunn truly understands the Dark Knight’s characterization.
Details of Batman in the DCU seem to be coming out, and it may not be long before Batman's DCU casting is revealed. Fortunately, it appears that the hero will already be established in the universe, and we will not need to sit through an origin movie before moving on to new stories. The future of the DCU seems to be filled with all kinds of exciting and promising choices, and I am relieved that the new series will not attempt to trod the same ground that Batman Begins has already done so perfectly.
Batman Begins
- Release Date
- June 15, 2005
- Runtime
- 140 minutes
- Director
- Christopher Nolan
Cast
Bruce Wayne / Batman
Alfred
WHERE TO WATCH
Batman Begins is the inaugural film in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, featuring Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne. Released in 2005, it follows Wayne as he transforms into Batman to combat the pervasive corruption in Gotham City, creating a new identity to fight crime outside the system.
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