8 Things The Batman Sequels Need To Succeed 

8. A Bruce Wayne Philanthropist Persona

In The Batman, Bruce Wayne is told repeatedly that he is ignoring his responsibilities as Bruce Wayne. Alfred tells him that he needs to watch out for his family’s legacy, and the new progressive Mayor tells him that Bruce has not done enough philanthropy.

Thomas Wayne (Bruce’s father) promised to give a fortune to Gotham City when he was alive, only for that plan to go to ruin once he died. Then, we have the twist with The Riddler: When Edward Nashton was an orphan child in poverty, Thomas Wayne’s promises of funding the city were a dream come true - only for the promise to be unkept. Due to that and the city elite’s corruption, Edward instead experienced a life full of suffering in continued poverty. His experience is one of the driving motivations why he became The Riddler.

The message is clear: it is not just Batman who needs to improve, it is also Bruce Wayne. If Bruce gave some time doing some philanthropy work just like his father, instead of just beating up people to make himself feel better, then Bruce would have made some real social change. The Riddler would never have been born.

Isn’t it weird that despite all the setup of the movie to make Bruce Wayne aware of the good things he can do with his money, the movie never pays it off in favor of only the good he can do as Batman?

He's a changed man by the time the credits role, and this is a development we need to see in a sequel.