How Matt Reeves' Batman Movie Should Be Made

4. Can The Frank Miller Obsession

Zack Snyder has always been a divisive filmmaker, and when it comes to his taste in comics, the same is seemingly true. Adaptations of 300, Watchmen and the homages to Miller's The Dark Knight Returns illustrate a fondness for the burgeoning beginnings of the Modern Age of comics, with Frank Miller, Alan Moore and others an obvious influence on his work.

But where Miller's work is seminal and genre-defining in equal respects, that doesn't necessarily mean it translates well to the big-screen. Batman v Superman was meant to serve as an introduction to a reinvigorating take on Batman, but what audiences got instead was the surly, down-trodden and ultra violent incarnation of the character depicted in Miller's works. It's a lauded interpretation - yes - but it's not necessarily definitive. With so many other interpretations to draw from, to use Miller's was - in retrospect - a costly error.

This is why, in light of all the different shapes, sizes and forms the Caped Crusader has taken over the years, it would be better to take an all-encompassing approach. Batman should be dark, gothic and operatic, and in divesting from the gaudy Miller-isms and the crime drama feel of Nolan's films - which, while successful, have already been broached - it would be better to make this new film more supernatural than others.

Of course everyone has their own version of The Dark Knight, but in looking at the more universal interpretations of Batman - The Animated Series a standout example - there are common themes to note. The emphasis on the character's gothic elements, the family dynamic between Bruce and his allies and the supernatural all frequently recur, and in divesting from the division that has dogged the DCEU, it's an approach that can't be discounted out of hand.