Batman & Robin is seen as one of the worst superhero films in existence, but the movie secretly turned out to be one of the best things that happened to DC and Warner Bros. A sequel to Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever, the first Batman and Robin movie saw George Clooney step into the role of Bruce Wayne. The film received largely negative reviews and became a box-office disappointment, earning $238 million worldwide against a $125 million budget, a stark contrast to Batman Forever’s global take of $336 million. Following that, the Batman franchise went dormant for nearly a decade, until the release of Batman Begins in 2005. Yet, despite its failure, the 1997 feature was actually quite beneficial for DC. The film marked the culmination of Warner Bros.’ desire to present a lighter take on the Dark Knight.
The Matt Reeves' The Batman franchise starring Robert Pattinson — it's the perfect time to look back at how 1997's Batman & Robin was the catalyst for DC's mainstream blockbuster success.
Why Batman & Robin Is Worse Than Batman Forever
It could be argued that, even before the first actual Batman and Robin movie, the demise of Batman’s big-screen career began with Batman Forever. The film did away with the somewhat mature tone of its predecessors in favor of a vibrant color palette and an overall campier interpretation of its source material. Yet, the project with the most to blame for the property going dormant is Batman & Robin. Batman Forever, which starred Val Kilmer, lacked the style that made Tim Burton’s films popular. However, it had enough promising elements that could have theoretically sustained the franchise for more installments, provided some adjustments to its story and characterization were made. Batman & Robin, on the other hand, leaned into Forever's negative traits, killing Joel Schumacher's third Batman movie before it even left the ground.
Batman & Robin sacrificed story in favor of whimsicalness and spectacle. Many of its characters were extremely campy, which made it feel as though the project wasn’t meant to be taken seriously. Overall, Batman & Robin had few redeeming qualities, unlike Batman Forever, which had some promising elements. As such, though both can be seen as culprits in the downfall of the Caped Crusader's movie ventures, the 1997 project is arguably the worst of Joel Schumacher's two Batman movies. Warner Bros. intended the movie to be as universally appealing and marketable as possible, but doing so resulted in a product that audiences had little interest in. In fact, Batman & Robin's Bruce Wayne himself was disappointed by his own performance — the real reason why George Clooney quit as Batman and has since distanced himself entirely from superheroes.
How DC Movies Would Be Different If Batman & Robin Found Box Office Success
Batman & Robin's failure led to a major shift for Warner Bros. and DC. Thus, the movie finding financial success could have resulted in a similarly interesting outcome. Had Batman & Robin been a hit, the studio may have decided to continue with the tone and style of the film, regardless of its critical reception. But, if that had been the case, the franchise's tenure would have probably been short-lived, given how it would have likely elicited an even more significant decline in popularity for the property than what Batman & Robin ended up prompting. While this may have resulted in the development of another Batman and Robin movie early on, it could have also led to the same decline that Christopher Reeve's Superman series experienced.
Following the release of Superman II, Reeve returned for Superman III. The film leaned into comedy far more than the prior two installments, presenting a more absurdist take on the Man of Steel's universe. Superman III did not resonate with audiences, earning $80 million worldwide (compared to Superman II's $190 million) and receiving generally negative reviews. Despite that, the franchise continued with Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. The movie grossed only $36 million globally, and the Superman franchise went dormant for nearly 20 years, before Superman Returns was released in 2006.
Superman III's box office signaled significant franchise fatigue, an outcome that would have likely been shared by any potential Batman & Robin follow-ups (one of which would have been a Batman Unchained movie). Even if the 1997 film had found success, its low critical rating could have weighed the franchise down, and would have probably not allowed it to continue past one or two sequels. Had that happened, it's reasonable to assume the Batman property would have remained inactive much longer, which in turn would have probably resulted in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy never coming to fruition. Though Batman & Robin remains one of DC's biggest failures, its disappointing outcome ultimately helped steer the company into new and profitable territory.
The Brave And The Bold Will Do The Dynamic Duo Justice
Not only is James Gunn's The Brave and the Bold going to be the first Batman and Robin movie since Schumacher's 1997 film, it may finally deliver the Dynamic Duo that comic book-savvy viewers have long been waiting for. Based on the work of Grant Morrison - hailed by many as the greatest Batman writer of the 21st century — the DCU's The Brave and the Bold will introduce Damian Wayne, Bruce and Talia al Ghul's son. Talia secretly raised Damian as one of the greatest assassins in the League of Shadows. Beginning in Morrison's Batman & Son, Batman agrees to make Damian his new Robin, but struggles to contain Damian's murderous impulses. When a fight with Darkseid kills Bruce, Dick Grayson assumes the Batman mantle and - though reluctantly at first - Dick and Damian become the new Dynamic Duo.
Apart from being the official DCU introduction of the new canon, live-action Batman, The Brave and the Bold may just pave the way for the first solo DC Robin movie. This is further ed by Gunn and Peter Safran's noted focus on bringing deep-cut DC characters and stories into the fold, which likely also means that more of the Bat family are on the way to the DCU. As the DCU's first chapter - Gods & Monsters - is yet to officially begin, The Brave and the Bold's Batman and Robin actors have yet to be chosen. While topping Batman & Robin will be easy enough, whether The Brave and the Bold can truly do the Dynamic Duo justice remains to be seen.
