I was shocked to realize that Tom Holland’sSpider-Manand Robert Pattinson’sBatmanshare a controversy that plagues both theMarvel Cinematic UniverseandThe Batman’s ElseworldsDC Universe. While there have been manylive-action Batman actors, Pattinson’s performance as Bruce Wayne in 2022’sThe Batmanhelped him become one of my favorites to have ever donned the coveted cowl. While I am disappointed thatit is taking so long for Matt Reeves to getThe Batman 2’s storyright, I’m excited about where the franchise could go, though I have one issue with the overall story.
Recently, I came to notice how my one problem with Pattinson’s Batman extends itself to Holland’s Spider-Man. While I could not possibly be more excited about whatSpider-Man: Brand New Day’s story and castcould look like, I think the MCU has dropped the ball with the hero in one key way after the franchise’s latest project.Pattinson’s Batman and Holland’s Spider-Man are two of the most popular versions of their iconic comic book heroes, so I hope Marvel and DC come up with a satisfying way of making up for how they were part of a similar controversy.
Robert Pattinson’s Batman Did Not Stop Gotham’s Gang War
The Batman Universe Has Expanded Into The TV Realm
WhileThe Batman 2has been delayed multiple times, now set to arrive in 2027, the franchise has already released a new chapter after its original installment. Instead of a movie with Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne as the lead,The Batmanfranchise’s second release wasThe Penguin, the prestige HBO series that followedColin Farrell’s Oz Cobb as he worked his way up in Gotham City’s criminal underworld. After Carmine Falcone died inThe Batman, I was interested to see how the franchise would explore that power vacuum, andThe Penguindid so with a major Gotham gang war.
Oz orchestrated a war between the Falcones and the Maronis, roping in other Gotham crime families. While I was thrilled byThe Penguin’s dark storyline, one aspect of it held the show back in my point of view. That would be Batman’s absence. Despite Gotham being in the midst of a gang war, which included several deaths and a major explosion in the city, the only inclusion of Batman came at the very end, with the Bat-Signal lighting up the sky after Oz became Gotham’s new crime boss.The Penguinpromo teased that Batman might not have been in Gotham.
Tom Holland’s Spider-Man Did Not Show Up When Kingpin Took Over New York
The MCU’s Street-Level Corner Has Been Thrust Into A Major Event
Tom Holland’s latest MCU appearance came in 2021’sSpider-Man: No Way Home.The MCU’s Peter Parker will next be seen next year, with the hero expected to appear inAvengers: Doomsday, even though he has not been announced yet, and confirmed to star inSpider-Man: Brand New Day. However, while Spider-Man’s MCU future is exciting, I can’t help but think of how the hero would have been perfect for a 2025 Marvel project he was even mentioned in but never showed up.Disney+‘sDaredevil: Born Againseason 1 completely changed the landscape of the MCU’s street-level corner.
In the past, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige claimed that Charlie Cox’s Daredevil and Holland’s Spider-Man would be the faces of the MCU’s street-level heroes moving forward.Daredevil: Born Againseason 1 laid the groundwork for that to happen through Kingpin’s plans. In the Disney+ series, Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk became the Mayor of New York City, increasing his influence throughout the show’s first nine episodes. By the end ofDaredevil: Born Againseason 1, Kingpin managed to become the most powerful he has ever been,outlawing New York City’s vigilantes and putting New York under martial law.
Echo
Alaqua Cox
While Marvel has many heroes that operate in New York, Spider-Man is the one that has become synonymous with the city. As such, I was disappointed when he never appeared as Kingpin took over the city, nor did Marvel explain his absence. Early inDaredevil: Born Againseason 1, Wilson Fisk even mentioned Spider-Man alongside Daredevil and the Punisher as vigilantes who had to be stopped. At the end of the season,Daredevil revealed that he would need an army to stop Kingpin, and while I hoped Spider-Man would be part of it, no heroes were revealed for the team.
Why Did Batman & Spider-Man Not Appear in The Penguin And Daredevil: Born Again?
The Reasons For The Major DC And Marvel Absences Are Very Different
When it comes to Spider-Man’s absence fromDaredevil: Born Again, I can be a bit more understanding than Pattinson’s Batman being missing fromThe Penguin. The reason for that is the complicated rights situation involving the character. Marvel is only able to use Holland’s Spider-Man through an agreement with Sony, who owns Peter Parker’s live-action rights. Speaking withPhase Hero, Marvel Studios’ Head of TV, Streaming, and Animation, Brad Winderbaum, explained that it seems likeSony has the rights to use Spider-Man in long-form TV shows, which would rule out him appearing inDaredevil: Born Againor other MCU series.
As for Pattinson’s Batman absence fromThe Penguin, there were no rights issues that made it difficult for him to appear. It all came down to a creative choice. The HBO series played with a few different concepts of how Bruce Wayne could appear, witha scene where Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne meets Rhenzy Feliz’s Victor Aguilar being scrappedbefore ever making it to filming. In the end, the creatives feltThe Penguinneeded to stand on its own feet, as Batman’s appearance would have overshadowed Oz Cobb’s story, withMatt Reeves claiming it would have thrown “things off too much.”
How Pattinson’s Batman & Holland’s Spider-Man Can Correct Their Mistakes
Marvel And DC Have The Perfect Way To Make Up For The Characters' Controversial Recent Absences
While I was disappointed by how Batman was missing fromThe Penguinand Spider-Man did not show up inDaredevil: Born Againasthe heroes' cities were taken over by villains, Marvel and DC already have the projects to make up for that. IfThe Batman 2ever gets going, the film is the natural stage to address Os Cobb’s rise to power. Farrell’s Penguin is confirmed for the movie, and the Bat-Signal at the end of the HBO series hints that Bruce Wayne is aware of Oz’s actions and will go after him, so Batman can finally stop Oz.
The Devil’s Reign storyline with Kingpin and Daredevil’s army could build up to a major all-out war in New York City.
As for Holland’s Spider-Man, the rights situation makes it hard to imagine him appearing inDaredevil: Born Againseason 2 or any future season of the MCU series. Instead, the Devil’s Reign storyline with Kingpin and Daredevil’s army could build up to a major all-out war in New York City. That story would have the necessary high stakes for a movie, which could end up beingSpider-Man: Brand New Dayor a future film for the wall-crawler in the MCU. As long asSpider-ManandBatmanget to be involved in those storylines in some way, I will be happy.
