Bat-Family

[Invader Joker]

How many members of the Bat-Family should DCU Batman have? Who should be in the mantles? What should be their ages? What'd be their history?

 

[Arachnerd]

Gotta have Nightwing and Batgirl in there at least.

 

[BobJM]

I don’t know about Batgirl, but definitely Nightwing.

Maybe just a mention of Barbara.

 

[WatchProtect]

If Damian is Robin, Barbara is probably already Oracle. Im someone who hates Red Hood so Jason can stay dead at least for now. I'd be fine with just Nightwing, Oracle and Damian.

 

[ArmsHeldOut]

About a month back, I noticed that Gunn liked a direct tweet stressing the importance of Nightwing and Red Hood in the DCU. I don't know if it was deleted since then or what, as I can't seem to find it anymore, but yeah. Maybe that means something; maybe not.

 

[BobJM]

BATMAN - early 40s
NIGHTWING - 25ish
BATGIRL - 25-30
DAMIAN - 8-12 years old

JASON TODD is dead (until he isn’t).

 

[WatchProtect]

BATMAN -35-37
NIGHTWING -21-23
ORACLE -23-25
TIM -15-16
DAMIAN -10

JASON -DEAD (for as long as possible)

 

[NotNickFury]

I'd be fine if Nightwing was already off doing his own thing, whether in Bludhaven or otherwise. Maybe Bruce's path crosses with Dick's and we get a brief team-up like in Under the Red Hood.

 

[Iceman]

Dick Grayson
Barbara Gordon (Batgirl, later Oracle)
Tim Drake
Helena Bertinelli

 

[AndrewGilkison]

Dick Grayson/Nightwing
Barbra Gordon (as either Batgirl or Oracle)
Damian Wayne as Robin

 

[HydraSith12]

I hope Damian is not DCEU Batman First Robin

 

[HydraSith12]

I heard some rumors that they are planning to make a Titans movie so Dick Grayson probably already being Nightwing must exist i mean Damian Wayne should not be the first Robin that would be awful im sure DCU Batman will be an experienced Batman having at least 1 Robin and maybe a Bat Girl before

 

[godisawesome]

There's what I think is needed, and what I think would be better but more difficult to pull off.

What I think is needed:

40ish Batman - Veteran patriarch who's mellowed out a bit, but still has his temper and is still rather grim, marked by the injuries and deaths he and his family have suffered. Still, definitely more mature than Reeves's Battinson.

25-30ish Nightwing - Also a veteran crime fighter, but in the prime of his career and an example of Bruce having helped someone come out more well-rounded than he is.

25-30ish Oracle/Batgirl - Another veteran vigilante, albeit one still going through physical therapy for injuries suffered while fighting, and making do by being the Queen of the Internet. Getting close to suiting back up.

Jason Todd is definitely part of the backstory, but *could* be just dead and "haunting" the family if you're worried about "bloat." The loss of a Robin still has a major impact on everyone regardless.

10-14ish Damian Wayne - Younger Damian is better, especially if they can cast a younger actor with a non-American accent; I think he should feel as removed form the "American boy audience surrogate" archetype as possible and definitely come off like a blue blood even compared to his father, even to the extent of seeming posh... partially so that he can "ambush" the audience when his deeply messed up childhood and interest in regular child stuff comes out to break our hearts. (I'd use Bryan Q. Miller's approach to him overall.)

What I think would be even better: As much of the family as you can squeeze in, but listed in order of what I think would work best and be most useful for a story featuring Damian, like a ranking.

1. 18-20ish Cassandra Cain - "The Big Sister Damian is insecure about wanting to impress, and a little jealous of, resulting in bratty behavior from him." Really emphasize how she was raised to be a weapon for Damian's maternal family, and is objectively more intimidating than Damian... but also already integrated into the healthier Batfamily dynamic compared to Damian, being one of Bruce's closest "kids" and having a very strong relationship helping Babs through her recovery. Damian acts out and is a little mean around her, but in a heartbreaking way that helps make them both dramatic.

2. 18-20ish Stephanie Brown - "The Beleaguered Babysitter who turns out to be shockingly good at handling Damian and helping him act his age in a healthy way." Basically, she's the character who most emphasizes how Damian is a brat, but because he doesn't know how to act his age and is confused and benefits greatly from someone figuring out how to get his "kid" side active. I think she might be the best to make Damian work for all audiences, even those who find him trying.

3. 20-25ish Red Hood - "The antagonistic brother going the opposite way." I think Red Hood works best with the older Batfamily dudes, but he has a lot of potential if reworked specifically to foil Damian, particularly if he's working with Talia (though not banging her, because that was just weird, Judd Winick!) Think of him as maybe being the Nebula to Damian's Gamora.

4. 18-20ish Tim Drake - "The other well adjusted Robin after Nightwing... but Damian's 'sitcom arch nemesis' instead of supporter". He's my favorite Robin, but if Damian is the star, he probably works best as the Newman to Damian's Seinfeld, with enough bickering, biting, and just plain meanness to supply massive amounts of comedy. Would work best if Steph's there too.

 

[HydraSith12]

There's what I think is needed, and what I think would be better but more difficult to pull off.

What I think is needed:

40ish Batman - Veteran patriarch who's mellowed out a bit, but still has his temper and is still rather grim, marked by the injuries and deaths he and his family have suffered. Still, definitely more mature than Reeves's Battinson.

25-30ish Nightwing - Also a veteran crime fighter, but in the prime of his career and an example of Bruce having helped someone come out more well-rounded than he is.

25-30ish Oracle/Batgirl - Another veteran vigilante, albeit one still going through physical therapy for injuries suffered while fighting, and making do by being the Queen of the Internet. Getting close to suiting back up.

Jason Todd is definitely part of the backstory, but *could* be just dead and "haunting" the family if you're worried about "bloat." The loss of a Robin still has a major impact on everyone regardless.

10-14ish Damian Wayne - Younger Damian is better, especially if they can cast a younger actor with a non-American accent; I think he should feel as removed form the "American boy audience surrogate" archetype as possible and definitely come off like a blue blood even compared to his father, even to the extent of seeming posh... partially so that he can "ambush" the audience when his deeply messed up childhood and interest in regular child stuff comes out to break our hearts. (I'd use Bryan Q. Miller's approach to him overall.)

What I think would be even better: As much of the family as you can squeeze in, but listed in order of what I think would work best and be most useful for a story featuring Damian, like a ranking.

1. 18-20ish Cassandra Cain - "The Big Sister Damian is insecure about wanting to impress, and a little jealous of, resulting in bratty behavior from him." Really emphasize how she was raised to be a weapon for Damian's maternal family, and is objectively more intimidating than Damian... but also already integrated into the healthier Batfamily dynamic compared to Damian, being one of Bruce's closest "kids" and having a very strong relationship helping Babs through her recovery. Damian acts out and is a little mean around her, but in a heartbreaking way that helps make them both dramatic.

2. 18-20ish Stephanie Brown - "The Beleaguered Babysitter who turns out to be shockingly good at handling Damian and helping him act his age in a healthy way." Basically, she's the character who most emphasizes how Damian is a brat, but because he doesn't know how to act his age and is confused and benefits greatly from someone figuring out how to get his "kid" side active. I think she might be the best to make Damian work for all audiences, even those who find him trying.

3. 20-25ish Red Hood - "The antagonistic brother going the opposite way." I think Red Hood works best with the older Batfamily dudes, but he has a lot of potential if reworked specifically to foil Damian, particularly if he's working with Talia (though not banging her, because that was just weird, Judd Winick!) Think of him as maybe being the Nebula to Damian's Gamora.

4. 18-20ish Tim Drake - "The other well adjusted Robin after Nightwing... but Damian's 'sitcom arch nemesis' instead of supporter". He's my favorite Robin, but if Damian is the star, he probably works best as the Newman to Damian's Seinfeld, with enough bickering, biting, and just plain meanness to supply massive amounts of comedy. Would work best if Steph's there too.

Its going to be a little strange that in the DCU cinematic universe Superman could be in the same age as Dick Grayson or Barbara Gordon i know that Henry Cavill Superman he was supposed to be younger than Ben Affleck Batman but i think Bruce shouldnt be twice Clarks age one of the most difficult things about creating a cinematic universe is making the universe more consistent and realistic than in the comics

 

[BobJM]

Bruce would easily be 35 and have a 10-13 year old child.

Bruce trained with the League of Assassins during his time away from Gotham City after college (approx. 21-25 years old) where he met/fell in love with Talia. He returns to Gotham at 25 to become Batman, recruits a teenaged Dick Grayson when he’s 30.

Now 35-40, Bruce has been operating as Batman for 10-15 years. Dick Grayson, now approx. 20-ish, is now in college and using the moniker Nightwing. Barbara Gordon operates as Batgirl (no Killing Joke), approx 25 years old.

Bruce Wayne - 35-40 years old
Dick Grayson - early 20s
Barbara Gordon - mid-20s
Damian Wayne - 10-13 years old

 

[Invader Joker]

I find those sort of timelines kinda pointless since the actual actor's age doesn't matter as much as whether or not they can play a convincing patriarch figure; and there are very few actors in their 30s that can do that. And even the ones that are can't do it as convincingly as someone in their 30s. If you have to pull up a timeline to justify the casting choice of an actor you're already starting wrong.