The Batman cleverly incorporates a part of the famous "I am vengeance" Batman line into its story, and a fan theory claims that this could be the first of a three-act character arc. With a solid box office and near-universal praise, The Batman getting a sequel announced was no surprise. While Matt Reeves had expressed his desire to make a film that could work on its own, the director will now have the opportunity to continue to develop this new, younger version of Bruce Wayne that he and Robert Pattinson created.
Contrary to what Christopher Nolan had done in Batman Begins, Matt Reeves chose to skip the Dark Knight origin story and placed audiences in Batman's second year in Gotham. However, that did not mean that this Batman still did not have a lot to learn. On the contrary, Robert Pattinson's Batman started the film acting as a symbol of revenge and violence - something that hurt what he was really trying to achieve. This is made clear during the Riddler's interrogation scene, in which the villain reveals that Batman was his inspiration to seek revenge on Gotham City. In the deleted Joker Arkham scene now revealed to the public, this is also evident, with the Joker making fun of Batman being scared of the idea that the Riddler was inspired by the vigilante.
The script element that best symbolizes how this Batman was walking the wrong path is the fact that he calls himself "vengeance", a direct callback to an iconic Batman line from Batman: The Animated Series that goes to say "(...), I am the night, I am Batman." While those last two parts are not said in the film, one fan theory (via Reddit) claims that "I am the night" and "I am Batman" will be the symbolic themes of The Batman 2 and The Batman 3, respectively, just like "I am vengeance" was the theme behind The Batman.
Batman's "I Am Vengeance" Line Origins Explained
The "I am vengeance, I am the night, I am Batman" line originated from "Nothing to Fear", the tenth episode of Batman: The Animated Series season one. In the story, after being infected by Scarecrow's fear toxin, Batman starts having hallucinations in which his father, Thomas Wayne, says he is disappointed in what Bruce has become. In addition to the fear toxin, these visions were also a consequence of an old friend of Thomas Wayne's questioning Bruce and saying that Thomas would be ashamed of how the Wayne name was being used. At the end of the episode, after being reassured by Alfred that he was not a failure, Bruce rises above his insecurities and claims himself not to be a disgrace, followed by him using the line. Kevin Conroy, who played Batman in Batman: The Animated Series, would get to say that line again on two other occasions: in the Arkham Knight game and in the Arrowverse Crisis on Infinite Earth crossover event.
How The Batman Flips The Vengeance Line
Although The Batman does pay homage to Batman: The Animated Series with the "I'm vengeance" line, the movie also flips the meaning of it. In the show, saying those words served as a moment of self-assurance for Batman after everything he had been through in "Nothing to Fear". Being Batman was the main and perhaps only source of strength for The Animated Series' Bruce Wayne at that point in the episode, so it made sense for him to proclaim himself as being vengeance, night, and Batman.
For Pattinson's Batman, however, the "vengeance" line was a symptom of a much larger problem. Matt Reeves' version of the character had yet to realize that Batman could also be a symbol of hope and that simply acting out of revenge could inspire more violence in the city - which it did, as proven by the Riddler's plan in the movie. For a younger Batman who had yet to find the real meaning of being the Dark Knight, being nothing but vengeance would not be helpful. This concept goes full circle at the end of The Batman, with Bruce finally realizing that he could be much more than just a tool for vengeance.
The Batman 2 Could Focus On "I Am The Night"
With the vengeance plotline already resolved in The Batman, its sequel can explore the second part of the Batman: The Animated Series famous line, at least according to this fan theory. Just as "I'm vengeance" was the focus of The Batman, The Batman 2 can dive into the idea of Robert Pattinson's Batman evolving to become "the night" on a symbolic level. While Batman states in The Batman's opening sequence that he is in the shadows, this version of the character is still far from being the stealthy, almost elegant figure that reigns over Gotham's nights. For example, Pattinson's Batman knocked at the Iceberg Lounge and later had to walk through a hall of armed criminals instead of finding more discreet solutions. Even his suit, with boots that announce his presence, works against him being the Batman that audiences know from other versions. However, now more experienced and aware of his role in a flood-ravaged Gotham that risks being taken over by the city's villains, The Batman 2 could see Batman truly become the night – a mythical hero who is always watching over Gotham.
The Batman 3 Could End With "I Am Batman"
With The Batman dealing with "I am vengeance" and The Batman 2 with "I am the night", The Batman 3 would be left with the final part of the Batman: The Animated Series line, "I am Batman". In the event that Matt Reeves' Batman franchise becomes at least a trilogy, it would be most fitting that its final chapter ends with the formation of a full-fledged Batman. As with the MCU's Spider-Man, who only truly became the Spider-Man audiences have known for so long at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Batman 3 could be when Robert Pattinson's Batman puts aside all of his insecurities, learns how to better deal with special Gotham villains like Riddler and Joker, becomes open to having a Robin, and emerges as the true Batman. On top of the symbolic use of the identity storyline, The Batman 3 could also be when Robert Pattinson's Batman actually gets to say: "I'm Batman".
Batman: The Animated Series is one of the best interpretations of the Dark Knight, and it makes sense that it inspires or is at least referenced in other adaptations of the character like The Batman. With a Batman still in year two, Matt Reeves has a blank canvas of possibilities as to where he can take the character. It remains to be seen whether The Batman 2 will prove the "I am vengeance, I am the night, I am Batman" theory right.
