Of all the superheroes on the big screen, none have enjoyed more iterations than Batman. The Caped Crusader has long been the only hero Warner Bros. had faith in. With each new Bat comes new allies and enemies. Fans will meet fresh versions of Commissioner Gordon, Alfred, the Joker, and more. Each Batman also gets a new take on Gotham City, and though it isn't as glamorous, the city matters more than many would think.
Marvel has many fictional locations, but most of its heroics take place in existing cities. New York City is the setting for a ton of Avengers action. DC heroes usually get a domain to themselves. Superman has Metropolis, Green Arrow has Star City, The Flash has Central City, etc. Their homes are as much a part of their personality as their costume or logo. Batman's connection to Gotham may be more intense than any other hero's home-field advantage.
Gotham City is different every time
Look at a photo of Gotham City from each major Batman movie universe. No one would ever guess they were adaptations of the same place. Tim Burton's Gotham is whimsical, gothic, and absurdist. It looks like an intricate model of an imaginary urban fantasy world. Batman Forever reimagined the city as a neon-lit cartoon world, all bombastic statues and poppy colors. Christopher Nolan was celebrated for his grounded, realistic take on the source material. His Gotham went through stages, though it never quite lived up to its potential. Batman Begins presented a beautiful, unique, fascinating take on the city. Its particular structure inspired the story. From the overpopulated Hong Kong-inspired Narrows to the iconic city-spanning railway system, Batman Begins nailed Gotham City. Unfortunately, its follow-ups weren't as devoted to that cause.
Gotham is redesigned as a fairly generic city in The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. Rises even features the New York Stock Exchange, making it even more obvious as a pastiche of a real-world location. There are several arguments for and against the city's evolution. Thomas Wayne's train is destroyed, along with many large buildings, in Batman Begins. The Dark Knight could arguably only depict the dullest parts of Gotham visually. Even Wayne Tower gets a significant downgrade. It's a beautiful 19th-century Gothic monument in the first film, but it's replaced with a generic black rectangle by the sequel. It's a tragic change, but its visual elements aren't as critical as its narrative details.
The story of Batman Begins requires the specific design of Gotham City. The Dark Knight, though superior in almost every way, doesn't rely on that type of environmental storytelling. Ditto The Dark Knight Rises, with its dirty underground areas and football stadiums. Even when these locations blow up, they're not much more than stage decorations for important scenes. The DCEU offers a brief glimpse of Gotham. It's not anything special. The Batman also adopts the tactic of making Gotham feel real, but it doesn't sacrifice stylistic detail. Matt Reeves helped to give the world the most dour version of Gotham City yet. Sheets of rain seem to keep it permanently miserable, along with the Gothic architecture, rare Art Deco touches, and consistent dim lighting. It's not as instrumental to the story as Batman Begins' city, but it fits the tone perfectly. There's still some room for improvement.
The Brave and the Bold must make Gotham iconic again
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Every version of Gotham City has its merits. What's important is not how it looks. It's how it's used. When someone says "the city is a character," they mean that the unique traits of the location are as important to the story as any other figure in it. The Brave and the Bold will almost certainly have to present a new take on Gotham City. The key is to tie its unique elements into the narrative. Depict multiple levels of society and the ways they live. Build reasons for striking visuals. Let the architecture and infrastructure be additional elements to the story. These simple decisions can make the difference between a movie featuring Batman and a Batman movie. A few clever choices and strategically placed design choices can give the audience the experience of a living, breathing Gotham that's been so important to earlier iterations.
The Brave and the Bold has the potential to free Batman from the gritty realism contest he's been stuck in for years. Give the character a bit of fantasy, some elements of comic book fun, or a taste of the animated series' aesthetic. One of the best ways to refine the new franchise's personality is to fix its Gotham City. There's a lot of time before the DCU gets its Batman and a lot of things to get right. The city might not be at the top of the priority list, but the Caped Crusader needs Gotham as much as it needs him.