It’s elements like this that put a different spin on the Batman character than what we’ve seen in other movies. It’s an acceptance of his multiple lifestyles that can easily be read as him coming to terms with his bisexuality. Batman is able to save them both and pointedly tells the Riddler that he has learned that he can be both Bruce Wayne and Batman. This is brought to a climax when both Chase Meridian and Robin are kidnapped and damseled by the Riddler. His struggle involves what he views as conflicting desires: be Bruce Wayne and lead a “normal” (read: heteronormal) life or continue to be Batman and satiate his inner self (bisexuality). This is where the idea of Batman being a metaphor for Bruce being bisexual comes into play.
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This being a huge studio movie, these two characters have to strike up some kind of romance. Chase Meridian, played with sultry excellence by Nicole Kidman. A lot of this is explored through the character of psychologist Dr. He views it as his darker side and begins to question if he should even be Batman. Bruce’s Dark Secretīruce’s arc in Batman Forever centers around his complicated feelings about being Batman. But, when the subject of becoming partners rears its head after Dick discovers Bruce is Batman, the conflict begins to take shape. It’s moments like this where Batman Forever begins to assert a positive relationship between the two. Dick is clearly enamored with the collection and Bruce offers Dick the chance to repair one and keep it. He takes Dick to his garage and shows off his collection of classic motorcycles. However, Bruce takes this intended hurtful read and spins it into something positive. Dick replies, “Hang out at a lot of biker bars, Bruce?” This is obviously a negative implication about Bruce’s possible sexuality. Bruce tries to dissuade him by complimenting Dick’s bike. After giving Dick a place to stay, the young acrobat immediately jumps on his motorcycle with the intent to hunt down Two-Face and kill him.
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Simply the continuous use of the word “partner” in the dialogue brings up allusions to homosexual relationships.īut, what is important is Bruce’s treatment of Dick directly after the murder of Dick’s parents at the hands of Two-Face. Naturally, Batman Forever ages Dick Grayson up to be at least 18 - actor Chris O’Donnell was 24 at the time of filming - and his relationship with Bruce Wayne is centered around Dick’s desire to become Bruce’s partner in crimefighting. Schumacher decided to actually lean into this idea but gave it a genuinely positive spin. He asserted that the relationship between Batman and Robin was “a wish dream of two homosexuals living together” and that “the Batman type of story may stimulate children to homosexual fantasies.” Of course, this was presented in a negative tone and helped to stigmatize the idea of Batman and Robin as homosexual partners. Wertham’s book was a scathing indictment of comic books and their supposed influence on children. But, it’s important to know that it gained popularity in the 1954 book Seduction of the Innocent by Dr. Now, this suggestion has often been the butt of a lot of poor-taste jokes. It’s clear that Schumacher wanted to explore the gay undertones of the relationship between Batman and Robin. There are easy heterosexual reads of the film that would ignore all of the movie’s subtext. But, there is plenty to digest and analyze. So, while this article is going to be a deep dive into how gay Batman Forever is, it’s important to note that all of this is just beneath the surface of what you see in the movie. He used his big-budget franchise moment to sneak in a lot about gay/bisexual relationships. However, director Joel Schumacher took the reins after Tim Burton’s departure and Schumacher has been an openly gay artist for the majority of his career. In 1995, general audiences wouldn’t have been too keen on such overtly queer characters in their superhero movie. Now, it’s worth noting that Batman Forever isn’t explicitly bringing up gay/bisexual relationships. Read Between the Lines You don't need to look too deeply to see how. And that’s its status as the first major superhero film to attempt to discuss homosexuality and bisexuality. While this did lead to many fans not vibing with the shift in tone, Batman Forever has an incredibly important place in superhero history.
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#Batman forever movie armor update
Taking inspiration from the 1966 television series, Batman Forever became a ’90s update of the vibrant and campy take on the Caped Crusader. After the intensely grim Batman Returns - which is the best live-action Batman film - the studio decided to turn things around and get goofy. Batman Forever is not exactly a widely beloved entry in the Batman filmography.