Batman just made his DCU debut in Creature Commandos, and we need to know one thing

If you’ve been keeping an eye on James Gunn’s nascent DCU, you probably know there are rumors that Batman is in trouble, and it’s not the sort he can fix with his utility belt.

Supposedly, the script for the Dark Knight’s DCU debut, The Brave and the Bold, has issues, and Gunn’s not willing to officially greenlight the project until those issues are resolved. Fans are concerned that the Batman movie will be delayed… even though it never had a release date in the first place.

Gunn’s actually gone on record to say it’s not been delayed, but rumors are like the Flash; they’re halfway around the Earth before the truth’s had time to pop on its trousers. Still, if you’re desperate to see the DCU’s Caped Crusader, you don’t need to wait for The Brave and the Bold; you can just watch Creature Commandos.

That’s right, Batman made a brief cameo in the penultimate episode, ‘Priyatel Skelet’, during a flashback to Doctor Phosphorus’s time as a crime lord in Gotham. Sadly, the Bat’s appearance has left us with one big question: does he wear trunks?

Batman’s briefs

HBO

Yes, I know you thought this conversation was dead after we saw David Corneswet rocking the red budgie smugglers. Yet, just because the Man of Tomorrow wears his underwear on the outside doesn’t mean Bruce will. In fact, it’s not that outrageous to claim Bats shouldn’t.  

After all, the logic in universe for the scarlet skivvies, according to Gunn and Corenswet, is that Clark’s trying to put kids at ease by dressing like a wrestler [Via ScreenRant]. In the DCU, though, it’s expected that Batman – like other vigilantes in the universe – will have been active for years, certainly longer than Clark, who seems relatively new to the whole hero thing. 

Indeed, Gunn describes The Brave and the Bold as a “strange father and son story,” which suggests we’re dealing with an older Batman in the DCU. By that logic, then, you could argue that Bruce’s Batsuit won’t have trunks because Batman, in theory, doesn’t care about putting people at ease. 

Instead, he’s focused on intimidating superstitious and cowardly criminals. Would a pair of navy knickers over grey leggings do that? Probably not. Nor will Bats have been inspired by Superman’s costume, who in the DCU clearly emerged after Bruce began his one-man war on crime.

Yet, honestly, I think Bruce will be sporting some blue briefs. Why? Well, because the idea that Batman doesn’t care about kids is an outrageous one. In fact, I’d argue that Batman’s love of children is at the core of his character, and it has been reflected in almost every adaptation of the Caped Crusader. 

In the comics it’s revealed he puts candy in his belt to put kids at ease; in the DCAU, he stayed with a dying teenage supervillain just to put her at ease, and even in Nolan’s trilogy, he gave that kid a gadget from his utility belt. 

DC comics

Beyond that, think about the reason Batman exists. The Dark Knight is essentially a creation of a young Bruce Wayne to ensure that no child ever has to go through what he did. From his inception, he existed to protect children. 

So, of course, the DCU’s Batman will wear trunks and for the exact reason Superman does: because the world’s finest don’t care about being seen as cool, they care about helping people. I think that’s something Gunn understands, speaking of which if you’re after more hot takes why not check out my article arguing what James Gunn understands about Superman that Zack Snyder doesn’t?

We’ve also broken down the debate about Nathan Fillion’s Green Lantern and even done a ranking of all the best superhero movies.