It's Iron Man vs Batman: the battle between comic book's two billionaires is something that fans have wanted to see for years now; especially due to the rise in popularity of Iron Man's character thanks to the MCU. While it's one that will sadly not likely happen, there's nothing wrong with a bit of fantasy booking.
Both men are incredibly tech-savvy and have no problem creating as many gadgets and gizmos as possible to help them out in a fight. But both Ben Affleck's Batman of the DCEU and Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man also have had plenty of grit and personality which play a big part in their abilities as well.
Updated on May 11th, 2021 by Melody MacReady: With such a concept as the Invincible Iron Man taking on the Dark Knight Detective, there are a lot of variables and factors involved. These two titans fighting would be on multiple fronts: physicality, mentality, and technological. With each front comes different things to keep in mind as this fight would be far from one-sided. More additions to the variables have appeared over time, including more development of the DC Extended Universe Batman after the release of Zack Snyder's Justice League. Also, some factors from the comic book versions of these characters were implemented since they too would likely play a part in these versions.
Iron Man: Science
Both Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne are rich people who are more than happy to splash the cash in order to make things happen. However, the difference between them is Tony Stark is incredibly scientific and is happy to create different things to help him.
Tony Stark's ability to create different technology in a very short space of time will give Tony Stark an edge in a fight. Even as Tony Stark, he keeps many emergency repulsor and arc reactor weapons on his person.
Batman: Physically Stronger
One major advantage that Batman certainly has over Iron Man is simply his physical strength and conditioning. Bruce Wayne constantly works out, keeps himself in tip-top condition, and develops an impressive fighting style because of that.
Iron Man certainly has an ability to fight along as well, but if the two men got up close and personal, there's only one person coming out on top and that is Batman. Only the likes of Deathstroke have been able to take on Batman and win. He is able to cope with the very best throughout his own movies, and he would be able to beat Iron Man as well.
Iron Man: Hulkbuster Suit
Sure, Batman is physically stronger. In a fight, Bruce Wayne would kick Tony Stark's behind without question as he trains consistently and looks after himself. Even as he grows older, Batman is still physically strong and able to put up a fistfight with the best of them.
But if he was to come up against the Hulkbuster suit, Batman wouldn't stand a chance. The suit was specifically designed to be able to cope with the strength of The Incredible Hulk, so it would be able to crush Batman with ease if the opportunity arose.
Batman: The Bat-Vehicles
Even though Iron Man has an incredible suit to pull out of nowhere, Batman has his own gadgets and gizmos as well. Something that he has which will help him in a fight against Iron Man is his always-iconic Batmobile, Batwing, and other vehicles Batman may have. The vehicles are always kitted out with amazing technology and that could also help him against the Hulkbuster, for example.
Kitting it out with weapons, while also building it to be very defensive would allow this to be both an attack and defense for him. The Batwing would likely be the ideal anti-Iron Man weapon due to its quick speeds and maneuverability.
Iron Man: He Can Fly
One of the big advantages that Iron Man has over Batman is the fact that he can fly. While Batman is able to glide from high places, he can't actually shoot up into the air and fly around whenever he likes as Iron Man can, and that's a major advantage for the MCU character. Even against the Batwing, Iron Man is still faster and more agile.
Whether it's flying away to avoid being attacked by Batman or to get a vantage point and cause damage to him while being away from a close distance, being able to fly is a huge advantage against anybody that cannot fly, and that's what would happen here.
Batman: Fighting Abilities
While we have already covered the fact that Bruce Wayne is physically stronger than Tony Stark, he is also a much better fighter. Iron Man tends to rely upon his weapons where possible, Batman focuses on his fighting abilities, which would give him the edge in a brawl with the MCU hero.
Batman is highly trained in fighting and it is something that Iron Man just can't match him with, no matter how hard he tries. While both men have plenty of gadgets, sometimes a good old-fashioned fight is what's needed, which Batman would dominate.
Iron Man: The Avengers
Iron Man is often considered by many people to be the leader of The Avengers. While Captain America also works as the leader, there's no doubt that Tony Stark is a major part of the group and he would be able to call upon them to help him out if needed.
Having the rest of the heroes come around to join him in the fight will be able to give him a major advantage in the fight against Batman. With a lot of different powers coming together with plenty of skills, it would likely become an overwhelming process for Batman.
Batman: Justice League
While Iron Man is able to bring in The Avengers to help him out where needed, Batman isn't exactly a solo fighter. While he goes about things on his own at plenty of points, the Dark Knight is also able to team up with just as many talented and powerful superheroes with the Justice League.
Even though the group might be a little less experienced in fighting together, they are incredibly powerful. The team also happens to have Superman, who is arguably the most powerful superhero of all time which might just tip the scales in Batman's favor.
Iron Man: He's A Problem Solver
This is probably Iron Man's most underrated trait, but it is also one of his strongest. It might not be a specific power, of which he has plenty, but it is a true sign of intelligence. No matter what the situation is, Tony Stark is always logically thinking about what he needs to do to get out of it.
He managed to escape a terrorist camp by thinking logically which led to the start of Iron Man, and he has continuously done that throughout the MCU. He would no doubt be able to think logically to get him out of this situation as well.
Batman: Another Genius
Something that would potentially give Batman the edge against Iron Man is all of his gadgets. Batman always seems to have something new and innovative up his sleeve every time he appears, and he always gets to go away and create something that will work effectively.
This ties into the fact that Bruce Wayne is not just a tough guy in a suit. Batman is a genius who develops as much of his own technology as characters like Lucius Fox do. This intellect also goes into his fighting style, allowing him to memorize fight patterns, discover weaknesses, and learn much about a person by simply watching them. In a way, he rivals Stark in the brains department.