The Batman: 5 Reasons Azrael Should Be A Villain In This Universe (& 5 Why He Should Be A Hero)

In the new onscreen universe seen in Matt Reeves’ The Batman, would Azrael fit better as a hero or as a villain?

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Next year will be among the biggest years for Batman in a while. Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson will usher in the next major theatrical part of the franchise with The Batman. With WB using future DC movies in a multiverse format in hopes to kindle some serious momentum in diverse creativity, it seems Reeves is having this upcoming first movie as the start of a Batman cinematic universe.

Should the movie begin a trilogy, it invites some unique takes on other characters if the FanDome trailer is anything to go by. Azrael would be an interesting pick, given his crucial role in one of the most iconic Batman comics and has yet to debut theatrically. With the tones and themes that will be tackled, he could make his way into this universe as either a hero or villain.

10 Villain: Knightfall Azrael

Azrael’s biggest role in the vast Batman mythos is in Knightfall, where Bane breaks Bruce’s back and forces him out of commission. Azrael convinces him that he’s the best successor to the mantle of the Dark Knight, only to gradually lose his mind and become the most dangerous, brutal iteration of the superhero at that point.

It’d understandably be too much to ask to actually have a live-action Azrael become Batman in this planned trilogy, but Reeves could create a character that leans into that part of him. Make him an aggressor and competitor to Bruce as Gotham’s protector exclusively as a supervillain. Theatrical movies have never been 1:1 adaptations of the comics, nor do they necessarily need to be.

9 Hero: James Tynion IV’s Detective Comics

Another angle to take potential inspiration from is how he was portrayed in James Tynion IV’s Rebirth-era Detective Comics run. At this point Azrael had already broken from the psychological stranglehold of the Order of St. Dumas cult, though, fighting through some residual trauma.

He could be presented in a future sequel to The Batman as an unexpected ally to Bruce. It could be an interesting dynamic depending on how it’s approached, as Batman is notably older than Azrael in the comics. Making them in the same age range could change how a partnership would work out, instead of a master/apprentice relationship.

8 Villain: Supporting Role To Court Of Owls

A popular theory that’s made the rounds online after the trailer for The Batman released was that the Court of Owls would eventually become antagonists. Given Riddler knows plenty about Gotham’s corruption–and seemingly about Bruce also–the Court could be revealed as the city’s puppet masters.

With Azrael having started off in the comics as being brainwashed by a cult, something similar could be worked out with them. The Order of St. Dumas could be allied with the Court, using Jean-Paul Valley/Azrael as their Talon, which would be an interesting twist on the character’s roots.

7 Hero: HBO Spinoff

Introducing him as a hero at some point could pave the way for Jean-Paul Valley to get a solo project down the road. DC Films have already stated that they’re looking at their main movies to see if/how they could expand, and it’s already happening here with the GCPD live-action show on HBO Max. It wouldn’t be surprising to see more, with Selina Kyle/Catwoman probably the next most likely candidate.

Azrael could eventually get an HBO limited series/movie that delves more into his origins and/or dismantling the cult that psychologically engineered him. Audiences seem generally tired of origin stories, but Jean-Paul has yet to get a theatrical debut and could be done similarly to Netflix’s Daredevil season one.

6 Villain: St. Dumas & Deacon Blackfire

Another way for Azrael to work as a villain and subsequently bring in an additional one is to use Deacon Blackfire. Both premises of these characters center around religious cults, making them a potentially great fit for a grounded, dark theatrical movie using corruption as its overall theme.

Blackfire made his debut in The Cult where he becomes the ringleader of a murderous cult that exploits and abuses Gotham’s downtrodden citizens. A movie could seamlessly rework their backstories to work in tandem by having Blackfire be part of St. Dumas, which works well given he might be best as a supporting supervillain.

5 Hero: Gotham Knights

Going back to Rebirth-era Detective Comics, Tynion’s run focused on Batman and Batwoman forming up the Gotham Knights. The team consisted of Batman, Batwoman, Red Robin, Spoiler, Orphan, Clayface, Batwing, and Azrael. Giving him his live-action debut could be one piece toward achieving a series/movie about the Gotham Knights theatrically or through HBO.

Robin should eventually be brought in first–being one half of the Dynamic Duo, after all–but hypothetically setting up Batman/Catwoman/Robin/Azrael as this universe’s Knights may be a good consolation for the DCEU going off course early on.

4 Villain: Curse Of The White Knight Azrael

For a more thorough “supervillain” version of Jean-Paul, some of the best reference material might be Sean Murphy’s Curse of the White Knight. Murphy created an engrossing alternate Batman universe, and this second main entry expertly used him as a sympathetic villain manipulated by more powerful, authoritative forces.

It’s also just an excellent example of one of the most daunting, terrifying iterations of the character in DC’s comics. He played a good part in a grander, yet personal plot mystery and even killed off critical characters.

3 Hero: Robin

In a sort of amalgamation of a couple of points made here already, Azrael could work as this world’s Robin, too. If a plot involving St. Dumas and Azrael as their “prophet”, being used by them in collaboration with the Court, both Robin and Azrael’s backstories could be retooled into one character.

One potential pathway for this is how in The Court of Owls arc it was revealed that Dick Grayson–now Nightwing–was originally targeted by the Court to be their Talon, only to be unknowingly thwarted. “Azrael” is the name St. Dumas gives Jean-Paul anyway, so perhaps Grayson could be used as the titleholder. St. Dumas could take him in after his parents were murdered, brainwash him with the Court bankrolling the cult’s criminal exploits in Gotham–with “Azrael” being a Talon as part of the deal.

2 Villain: Curse’s Plot Twist

That mystery in Curse of the White Knight would be an interesting flip on the Wayne family’s history on the big screen. The major twist/revelation was that Bruce was technically not a Wayne in this universe, rather, a descendant of the crazed St. Dumas exile that was the catalyst for the story’s conflict.

Instead, Jean-Paul Valley/Azrael was the actual last, blood member of the Wayne family. This could be fashioned by the plot in The Batman if Riddler reveals that Bruce is a “pretender” who’s actually the surviving member of a cultish family with him none the wiser.

1 Hero: A Second Chance For A Cinematic Universe

As mentioned already, Reeves’ upcoming universe seems to be something in between what Nolan did and what WB tried to do more recently with DC’s properties. While it looks like it’ll be a Batman cinematic universe, it could be seen as a possible second lease on life for the Caped Crusader to be part of a universe where he isn’t the only superhero.

Robin is an obvious priority for fans down the line, but Azrael would be a refreshing and bold change of pace. He isn’t a big name outside of the comics end of the fanbase, making him a potential sleeper-hit pick for another superhero in this universe, should there end up being more than Batman.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/azrael-hero-villain-the-batman-movie-robert-pattinson/