Despite Joss Whedon dropping the ball when it came to writing dialogue for Batman, there were a variety of bright spots for the Dark Knight to enjoy in Justice League. Whether it be piloting some kick-ass vehicles, strutting to returning theme music crafted by Danny Elfman, or just the bragging rights that come along with teaming up with some of the other biggest heroes in pop culture, there was still much for fans of the Caped Crusader to enjoy.
Some of the simplest things that brought a smile to my face were the various shots of Batman that looked like they’d been ripped right out of a comic book, chief among which was the one of him standing atop a gargoyle. Really, if your aim is to sum up the character without saying a single word, there are few better ways of doing it.
That said, I imagine the now iconic shot stands out in your mind as well, just as it captured the attention of the folks handling the marketing side of things over at Warner Bros. Funny enough, an unused promo image of the moment in question recently made its rounds over on Reddit, depicting J.K. Simmons’ Commissioner Jim Gordon looking up at Ben Affleck’s Masked Manhunter.
As you can see, Batman’s a bit more draped in shadow this time around, but he looks no less fierce. Perhaps that’s because this is a hero who often uses the darkness – and the superstitions of criminals – to his advantage, so it makes sense.
In fact, we’ve long seen instances of this on film, dating back to 1989’s Batman. One of my favorite shots from Tim Burton’s timeless classic was actually when the titular character brought Vicky Vale back to the Batcave and all you could make out were Michael Keaton’s eyes as he told her how to counter the Joker’s scheme. It’s not quite the same as what’s going on in this scene from Justice League, but I’m sure you’ll appreciate the parallel all the same.
