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10 Things That Could Make The Batman Truly Great

Is there a standalone comic book movie more highly anticipated than The Batman? It's been five years since the last standalone Bat-flick with 2012's The Dark Knight Rises and fans need their fix. Thankfully, it seems we won't have to wait for much longer. With Matt Reeves (fresh off of the Planet of the Apes trilogy) at the helm and Ben Affleck ready to go as the Caped Crusader, audiences can have faith in the right people having creative control over the project.

1) An Entirely Original Murder Mystery Detective Story

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Then again, what if Matt Reeves decided to fully commit and make The Batman a full-on murder mystery thriller? A completely original story centered around the Dark Knight solving a case that affects all of Gotham would be a substantial (but refreshing) departure from typical Batman films. Instead of a movie that’s just more of the same, you get a storyline that’s more methodical, expertly paced and endlessly thrilling.

This would go against much of what many fans are beginning to resent: constant universe-building. Instead of another team-up or set-up movie, DC fans would have a film that’s completely self-contained akin to The Dark Knight trilogy. Along with a sheer avoidance of constant world-building (at least outside of Gotham city), Reeves can focus on telling a new, engaging story that’s all his own.

Without a classic tale to have to uphold and compete with, Reeves and fellow screenwriter Mark Bomback can focus on making the “neo-noir, detective” movie that was previously discussed. An original mystery-heavy story would fit that description perfectly. Quite frankly, if Matt Reeves wants to give fans the definitive cinematic Batman, then a true representation of the World’s Greatest Detective in this first installment would be the perfect starting place.