Should DC retire Batman?

[Kahran Ramsus]

A lot of Marvel fans have brought up the issue that when RDJ, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, etc. leave their respective roles that Marvel should retire or kill off those characters permanently rather than recast. They would then continue the MCU with new characters instead.

Personally, I think it is a ludicrous idea to kill off iconic characters (not to mention your cashcows), but the idea has seemed to have gained some traction on the Marvel forums on the Hype.

So I'm curious if there are a lot of DC fans that feel the same way. Should DC retire Superman when Henry Cavill leaves the role? Should Ben Affleck be the last Batman on-screen...EVER? Or should WB and DC do what they've always done so far and just recast when these actors are done with the characters?

I'm curious as to all of your thoughts.

 

[OcStat]

Anyone who thinks any of these characters are going to be retired from the big screen permanently for any actor, is fooling themselves.

I also don't think the idea of legacy characters would work as well on screen as it would in the comics. And most of the time it doesn't work well in the comics either.

We're at the point where most of these guys have had enough exposure, and we can make room for other characters, but Iron Man, Captain America, Batman, Superman, are always going to be the heavy hitters. I don't think any of the actors are bigger than the characters they are playing to the point where someone else can't offer a new spin on it.

 

[Rocketman]

These characters look different every couple of months in the comics when new artists take over, I don't see why they can't look different on screen with new actors.

It would make just as much sense as retiring the characters from the comics when a new artist takes over, but that's just my opinion.

 

[Boom]

Absolutely not.

Recast.

 

[Rowsdower!]

Retire. Come on, who wasn't hoping for a movie where Robin John Blake takes over for Batman after TDKR?

 

[Rocketman]

Retire. Come on, who wasn't hoping for a movie where Robin John Blake takes over for Batman after TDKR?

... I still think that would've been cool.

 

[Rowsdower!]

It probably would have been better than BvS, to say the least.

 

[OcStat]

I agree with both of the posts above.

 

[C. Lee]

Recast. Actors leave series....it happens. So when one leaves....get another actor to take the role.

 

[The Joker]

Recast. People thought Sean Connery was irreplaceable as Bond back in the day.

 

[Rowsdower!]

LOL, to be fair, some people still believe that.

 

[metaphysician]

Retire. Come on, who wasn't hoping for a movie where Robin John Blake takes over for Batman after TDKR?

I saw plenty of people hoping for a movie where John Blake Batman gets killed on screen, though!

 

[Val_Zod]

It doesn't have to be an either/or situation. Some can be recast, while others are retired and replaced in universe wise. Example, you can recast Batman, while retiring/killing off Barry Allen to be replaced by Wally West.

 

[Batmannerism]

Nice thread title, definitely sucked me in !

Okay, if anything the enormous success of Batman on the big screen is a strong indicator that recasting works extremely well.

Batman is a perpetual character: Keaton, Kilmer, and Affleck have been good Batmen, Bale has been great (IMO) and Clooney was rubbish - but the character is still a huge draw and has lost none of his mystique and box office power.

I would say Batman's ability to go on, despite recasting (and often helped by recasting) is even greater than Superman's ( as critics and audiences have been split on Superman being played by anyone other than Christopher Reeve).

Batman's story is so powerful, that it can be retold over and over, and still pull in the crowds. Batman '89, Batman Begins and even B v S have explored his origins (the murder of his parents) and its something people never seem to tire of.

I would say the same holds true for Spider-Man (I know, this is a DC thread).

These characters are so iconic that so long as a decent actor pulls on the cowl, it will work out - the character is just so much bigger than any casting ( almost - I would struggle with Adam Sandler or Peter Dinklage as Batman).


So, in conclusion, DC should never retire Batman.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

Nice thread title, definitely sucked me in !

Sorry, I didn't mean to post a clickbait title or anything.

It was merely meant to be a DC counterpart to this thread:

http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=493825

Since a lot of DC fans never go into the Marvel boards, I was wondering what the opinion was among the primarily DC fanbase about killing off/retiring top level characters (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, etc.) permanently, since quite a few Marvel fans seem to want to kill off Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man, etc. rather than recast.

 

[Zarex]

Folks aren't talking about killing off Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man, etc. What is being discussed is whether it is best to:

A) Abandon MCU continuity and reboot established characters into younger versions of the same character or

B) Maintain continuity and feature legacy characters as replacements as original characters grow old, retire and yes, even die.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

Folks aren't talking about killing off Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man, etc. What is being discussed is whether it is best to:

A) Abandon MCU continuity and reboot established characters into younger versions of the same character or

B) Maintain continuity and feature legacy characters as replacements as original characters grow old, retire and yes, even die.

Same thing. Bruce Wayne is Batman. Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Another guy in the same suit is not.

 

[ernesth100]

This thread...makes zero sense.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

This thread...makes zero sense.

I tried to be as clear as possible. Anything in particular you need clarified?

 

[C. Lee]

Is it only the new generation of movie goers that can't accept change in the characters they watch? I have watched movies and TV shows with around 14 different actors playing Tarzan, 7 (over 10 if you count the 60's CASINO ROYALE) play James Bond, 4 play Captain America, 7 play Batman.....should all of those characters been retired after the first actor stopped playing them?

 

[Zarex]

Is it only the new generation of movie goers that can't accept change in the characters they watch? I have watched movies and TV shows with around 14 different actors playing Tarzan, 7 (over 10 if you count the 60's CASINO ROYALE) play James Bond, 4 play Captain America, 7 play Batman.....should all of those characters been retired after the first actor stopped playing them?

The situation with Tony Stark is a tad different due to the continuity of the MCU. When Tarzan, Bond, Batman, et all were recast either A) There was little to no continuity from one film to the next and/or B) The entire universe was rebooted to correspond with the actor change. Folks may not like RDJ being swapped out for Bob Odenkirk, but the ongoing cinematic reality of the MCU would continue along with the new guy.

The problem comes when you attempt to make Tony (or Steve, or Natasha) eternally youthful by stripping away a couple of decades in a casting change. It negates the prior in-universe stories involving the character, and you end up with a cinematic universe that doesn't make a whole heck of a lot of sense when viewed as a whole. I would prefer that the MCU doesn't adopt the most hated aspects of FOX's X-Men series.

 

[Primal Slayer]

Last Batman ever? The new movie DCU isn't going to last forever. If anything, when Ben is done with Bats, retire him for the current universe (just as Marvel should do the same) then reboot the universe and bring him back. Unless they have a new character take over (Batman Beyond anyone!)

 

[Zarex]

Same thing. Bruce Wayne is Batman. Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Another guy in the same suit is not.

Terry McGuiness is Batman and Miles Morales is Spider-Man. The Flash is Barry Allen and Wally West. Green Lantern is Hal Jordan, and John Stewart. Folks have embraced alternate versions in the comics and animation. I see no reason why they wouldn't do so on the big screen.

 

[NHawk19]

The answer is it depends.

MCU has developed an interconnected universe where at some point the evolution of the characters and their stories may require moving on to 2nd gen characters as the title superhero. DC is still working out their kinks. If they can create an interconnected universe where it makes sense to say move from Bruce Wayne to Terry McGinnis then I'd say that is the right call.

If they continue to re-boot every few years though I'd say re-cast.

 

[Slade W]

No IMO. If the replacement is good and does well, most people will get over it and move on.