"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" is expected to not only kick off the first major team up/crossover of the DC Cinematic Universe to challenge Marvel's "Avengers" series, but it's also expected to set the stage for the next franchise of Batman movies. What will that series look like?
We already know that Ben Affleck's Batman will be older and more battle worn ala Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns." But will he also be without one of his closest allies and supporters?
(Warning: This may contain possible spoilers for "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Suicide Squad")
Movie Pilot reported that the upcoming film will reveal to Bruce Wayne and audiences alike that Gotham police commissioner and staunch Batman supporter Jim Gordon has been murdered at the hands of The Joker. Not only would this act as a major plot point for Batman storylines, but it could also be a possible connection to David Ayer's upcoming "Suicide Squad" in which Jared Leto will be playing The Joker.
"In The Dark Knight Returns, Batman has been something of a retired vigilante for a while before getting called back into action," Sean Erickson of MoviePilot.com wrote. "Could the death of Jim Gordon be a big reason as to why Batman is still in action after all these years? Is the city of Gotham still recovering from the loss and looking for someone to take the place of the incorruptible Gordon? Is this the kind of reveal that is setting things up for future stories?"
So much Batman-related material has already been covered by Christopher Nolan's recent Dark Knight trilogy. Starting off this new iteration of Batman with a shocking and meaningful change such as Gordon's murder would be a good way to differentiate the two incarnations. It would also be a sensible way for the movie to connect with "Suicide Squad" in the ever expanding DC Cinematic Universe.
"If the rumors of The Joker's escape at the end of Suicide Squad are correct, it would give Batman an even bigger reason to want to bring justice to The Joker and the next Batman solo movie practically writes itself from there," Erickson wrote. "While it might be a little too early to see another Batman movie pitting him against the Joker - the character who killed Jim Gordon could easily be something of a menacing presence in the movie if not the outright main villain."
Perhaps Gordon's murder in "Batman V Superman" is what lands The Joker in prison for "Suicide Squad" in the first place? All of these rumors are still unconfirmed, but you can see that these plot points fit together when you play connect the DC dots.
