I've been thinking about why Smallville has been such a success and will likely continue to be a success in the future. Along the same lines, I couldn't help but wonder if a "Bruce Wayne" origin series would be as successful as Smallville. In the end, I think having Batman Begins as a movie and Smallville as a series is a perfect medium for telling both stories which have some very strong and similar central themes.
What has always been great about Superman is that he is the ultimate "what if I was born with super powers, what would I do?" character, who has the ability to act purely on instinct and morals. On the other hand, Batman is a character that is driven to action, and must achieve a level of skill through extreme dedication and will to act. If Batman ever lost the desire to act, he would not be Batman for he would abandon his training or cut it short. Mask of the Phantasm is an interesting take on this because we see Bruce tempted at the 11th hour to abandon his will to act and settle down with a wife.
Coming to the question of what would make a better TV show -- showing someone intent on learning the skills to be good enough to act upon them (Batman) or showing someone learn the moral courage to use his innate skills to act (Superman). In the end, I think Smallville is the better choice for the TV series, because we can all relate to it as "what would my heart tell me to do in that situation" and "what would have to happen to me to force me to help others" without worrying about the ability to do so at the same time. A "Bruce Wayne in Training" TV series, on the other hand, would be difficult to relate to -- a rich kid going around and becoming the best at a grab-bag of skills.
However, what is compelling is a Batman movie, like Batman Begins. Just like Smallville, we can now see Bruce Wayne learn about the will to act. His training can then be summarized more quickly than a multi-season television show, and by doing so Nolan could introduce some more complex plots. For example, one of the main themes in Batman Begins is how fear plays a role, fear of the criminal, fear of Batman to act, conquering fear, etc. This was tied in very well to his training and ultimate acting to stop crime.
In the end, I think the WB executives knew what folks would relate to and what would be the most successful medium for launching both Batman and Superman origin stories. They wanted to tell both stories on how Superman became motivated to be a hero, and how Batman became motivated to be a hero. A long running series set in the heartland of America dealing with morales is just about as close as you can get to "a sure thing", while an exciting and dark Batman movie will help jump start a franchise that was left in ruins by rubber nipples.
I really hope we have the opportunity to see the development of both storylines well into the future, through new movies, new TV series, comic books, etc. Both Batman Begins and Smallville have taken some unique perspectives on the character and mythology, and like Milton Fine said -- it's all about context, and it would be great to see the histories of Batman and Superman pan out in these new contexts.
What has always been great about Superman is that he is the ultimate "what if I was born with super powers, what would I do?" character, who has the ability to act purely on instinct and morals. On the other hand, Batman is a character that is driven to action, and must achieve a level of skill through extreme dedication and will to act. If Batman ever lost the desire to act, he would not be Batman for he would abandon his training or cut it short. Mask of the Phantasm is an interesting take on this because we see Bruce tempted at the 11th hour to abandon his will to act and settle down with a wife.
Coming to the question of what would make a better TV show -- showing someone intent on learning the skills to be good enough to act upon them (Batman) or showing someone learn the moral courage to use his innate skills to act (Superman). In the end, I think Smallville is the better choice for the TV series, because we can all relate to it as "what would my heart tell me to do in that situation" and "what would have to happen to me to force me to help others" without worrying about the ability to do so at the same time. A "Bruce Wayne in Training" TV series, on the other hand, would be difficult to relate to -- a rich kid going around and becoming the best at a grab-bag of skills.
However, what is compelling is a Batman movie, like Batman Begins. Just like Smallville, we can now see Bruce Wayne learn about the will to act. His training can then be summarized more quickly than a multi-season television show, and by doing so Nolan could introduce some more complex plots. For example, one of the main themes in Batman Begins is how fear plays a role, fear of the criminal, fear of Batman to act, conquering fear, etc. This was tied in very well to his training and ultimate acting to stop crime.
In the end, I think the WB executives knew what folks would relate to and what would be the most successful medium for launching both Batman and Superman origin stories. They wanted to tell both stories on how Superman became motivated to be a hero, and how Batman became motivated to be a hero. A long running series set in the heartland of America dealing with morales is just about as close as you can get to "a sure thing", while an exciting and dark Batman movie will help jump start a franchise that was left in ruins by rubber nipples.
I really hope we have the opportunity to see the development of both storylines well into the future, through new movies, new TV series, comic books, etc. Both Batman Begins and Smallville have taken some unique perspectives on the character and mythology, and like Milton Fine said -- it's all about context, and it would be great to see the histories of Batman and Superman pan out in these new contexts.
