DC fans are getting treated to two very important games next year. Both Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League are supposed to release next year, with updates on each title coming at DC FanDome. In fact, there have been plenty of teasers for Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad’s presence there.
One of the most recent for Gotham Knights includes a copy of the Gotham Gazette, which describes the collapse of Wayne Manor as a “Freak Accident.” The initial reveal for the game implied he died from the explosion, with both of these being easily connected, and yet this phrasing has led many fans to a seriously possible conclusion: Batman’s not dead. Indeed, in shows or movies about superheroes, deaths happen, but they hardly seem irreversible.
Why Batman May Not Be Dead in Gotham Knights
It’s hard to ignore how many times a superhero has returned from the dead. In the DCEU, for example, Superman is killed but he returns. While Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame does lose some heroes, many of the heroes dusted by Thanos return. Death is just a part of life for heroes, not the end of it. With this possibility in mind, it’s worth mentioning that Batman’s main characterization is his planning and his ability to account for all eventualities, something clearly evident in Gotham Knights too.
In other words, an “accident” couldn’t kill Batman. Even if the explosion was triggered by the Gotham Knights' Court of Owls, it’s something Batman is obviously prepared for with Code Black going into effect. The simple truth is, Batman is not definitively dead (as teased/revealed so far). There’s no mention of Bruce Wayne’s body and no direct conflict leading to his death. As such, looking at the contextual clues of an “accidental death,” the general mystery around his “death,” and the lack of strong in-game evidence so far, it seems likely that Batman isn’t dead but has had to go into the shadows and allow his Bat-Family to operate for a bit.
It could be as simple as Batman being unable to take the Court of Owls head-on for one reason or another. However, unless the game shows Bruce Wayne’s body put into the ground, there’s a good chance he appears at the end of Gotham Knights.
Why Batman SHOULD Be Dead in Gotham Knights
Now, just because that makes sense and fans are essentially conditioned for this outcome with the proper set-up for it thus far doesn’t mean it has to be reality. Gotham Knights needs to kill Batman and leave him dead. The truth is, otherwise, he’ll overshadow Gotham Knights’ playable characters with his return. Even if it’s at the end of the game and players uncover his elaborate plan, the fact of the matter is this is a Batman game without Batman. And in the words of the internet, anytime someone could be Batman, they should be.
Having him exist in the endgame of Gotham Knights as an NPC would be a bad approach, as would be making him playable at the end. Robin, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Batgirl all need their time to shine, and this chaotic event is just that—their time to shine. Revealing Batman to be alive along the way or at the end would undercut that, even if it were something as simple as Batman getting revenge for his family and retiring. It just wouldn’t work in a game as much as it would in a comic book or movie.
As such, while the argument and signs for Batman being alive in Gotham Knights do seem to be there, the simple fact is that it shouldn’t lead to that conclusion. He’ll play a role in the game somehow, but that should be through the catalyst, reflection, and investigation of Batman's death, not his rescue and recovery. Only then can the aforementioned characters get their well-deserved time in the sun, or well, night.
Gotham Knights releases in 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.