Fan Theory World
On this episode of FTW, Erik and James dive into the world of Tim Burton and the fan theories surrounding his movies! Join them as they discuss theories on Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands, Batman, Sweeney Todd and more!
If you have a Tim Burton theory or if you have a suggestion for a future episode, you can reach us at:
Twitter/Instagram: @fantheoryworld
Email: fantheoryworld@gmail.com
Website: fantheoryworld.com
Thank you for listening!
On this episode of FTW, we present to you a new segment where we explain one of our treasured theories. Erik discusses the reasons of why Batman may never have learned to use magic and presents his own theory of why Batman will never become the ultimate Bat-Sorcerer Supreme!
If you like this bonus episode or have your own theory and/or suggestion for a future episode you can reach us at:
Twitter: @fantheoryworld
Email: fantheoryworld@gmail.com
Website: fantheoryworld.com
Don’t forget to rate and review us on your favorite podcast directory and as always, thank you for listening.
On this episode of FTW James and Erik unite the various theories of the Justice League. In preparation of the Justice League movie, they discuss theories such as Ben Affleck’s Batman is really Michael Keaton’s Batman, what other heroes will make an appearance, and even that Wonder Woman is a Kryptonian.
If you have your own Justice League theories or have a suggestion for a future episode, you can send them to:
Twitter: @fantheoryworld
Email: fantheoryworld@gmail.com
Website: fantheoryworld.com
Theory Update: Due to the ever changing DC movie canon and move line up, this theory has been proven wrong! The Flash movie may no longer be called “Flashpoint” and Superman never turned full evil. Although in my opinion, the Justice League movie would have been better off if a Darkseid controlled Superman was the villain and the rest of the league proved that they can not only function without Superman, but actually defeat him if need be.
We just published our latest theory on the future of DCEU. You can find it here, but it hypothesizes that the current DCEU is the dark apocolyptic world of Flashpoint that will end in a war between Earth and Darkseid before being rebooted in the upcoming Flashpoint movie.
We have an alternative theory as well. Yes, a different theory on the exact same topic, we’re allowed; there’s no rules on fan theories.
What if the time travel Flash scene from BvS is really a scene from the Flashpoint movie? Our theory is that Darkseid takes control of Superman’s mind after resurrecting him. He then uses Superman as a weapon against an unprepared Earth, which is shown as the world in Bruce’s nightmare from BvS.
But because Flash went back to warn Bruce and tells him to “Find us,” Bruce unites the justice league (our current DCEU) to take down Darkseid and evil Superman, saving the Earth.
This would mean the Flashpoint movie will be about original Flash surviving an Apocalypse conquered world and running back in time to fix things, changing the DCEU.
Additionally, the Flash delivers the line of “Lois is the key.” Many people speculate that Lois’ death could turn Superman instead of mind control, but the argument can be made of the opposite. We may find out in Flashpoint that Lois is the key to stopping Superman and breaking Darkseids hold on him. Either way, Superman will be turning to the Darkseid and the Justice League will be the only ones to be able to counter the might of both Darkseid and Superman.
If this proves true, we will see Bruce’s concern of any being having too much power come to fruition. Will we see am evil Superman take over the Earth only to have the Flash run back in time to give Bruce Wayne his message to unite the seven? Only time will tell, and until then, keep theorizing!
Theory Update: Due to the ever changing DC movie canon and move line up, this theory has been proven wrong! The Flash movie may no longer be called “Flashpoint” and Superman never turned full evil. Although in my opinion, the Justice League movie would have been better off if a Darkseid controlled Superman was the villain and the rest of the league proved that they can not only function without Superman, but actually defeat him if need be.
SDCC has unveiled the current roster of upcoming movies planned for the DCEU. Confirmed in the movie lineup is the solo flash movie entitled Flashpoint. If you would like to know some of the finer points of the Flashpoint event from the comics you can check it out here. As a quick summary, Flashpoint occurred when Barry Allen, the Flash, traveled back in time to prevent his mother from being killed and in the process causes a chain reaction that changes the DC universe into a hopeless worn torn wasteland. Eventually Barry resets the timeline back to almost-normal and causes the New 52 reboot.
I propose that this current dark universe where things are slightly offset from how they should be, is really the changed universe after Flash has changed the timeline. This would mean that certain events in the current DCEU would come to head only to be rebooted and put right in the upcoming Flashpoint movie.
The apocalyptic world that is created by the Flash has several major elements that I am going to address in this theory. I believe that some version of these elements can be identified in the DCEU as we currently know it. Batman is a killer who is really Thomas Wayne, there is no Green Lantern, Superman is trapped in a government facility, and the world is being torn apart by a war between the Atlanteans and the Amazons.
Before I get into that I would like to bring up the odd Flash scene from Batman V. Superman Dawn of Justice. In the movie we see Flash travel through time to speak to Bruce in which he says, “Bruce! Listen to me right now! It’s Lois! Lois Lane! She’s the key! Am I too soon!? I’m too soon! You were right about him! You were always right about him! Fear him! Fear him and find us. You have to come find us, Bruce!” We learn a couple of things from this scene. First, the Flash is already playing with the timeline and as far as we can tell, things have gone horribly wrong. Also, whatever has gone wrong involves Superman in some way and Lois Lane is the “key” to the whole issue.
While it is still unclear how Lois Lane could play into the scenario, we do know that Superman is out of the picture (for now) just like in Flashpoint. It seems very clear to me that the Flash is warning Bruce about Superman saying that “You were always right about him! Fear him!” In BvS, Bruce considered the Superman, a being with godlike powers, to be a threat to humanity, even if his intentions are good. If anyone figured out a way to manipulate Superman to their own ends, then he is a risk to our world. Right now, Clark is dead but we know he will be coming back. In fact, this doesn’t seem like much of a mystery and a total waste of a superhero sacrifice, unless it is a set up to something much larger. What if Darkseid sees an opportunity to resurrect Superman but under his control? I also submit to you that at the end of the Justice League trailer, Alfred is definitely talking to some version of Superman, but you can also hear some strange mechanical sound effects in the background, possibly a Boom Tube!
So what would this mean for the DCEU as a whole? If Superman returns as an agent of Darkseid, this would mean all out war between the heroes of Earth and Apocalypse. The kind of war that could devastate the world forcing the Flash to go back in time in an attempt to reset the timeline. In the comic book version of Flashpoint, the world-ending war is between the Atlanteans and the Amazons. This war is caused by an affair between Aquaman and Wonder Woman which prompts Mera, Aquaman’s wife, to try to kill Diana. Diana ends up killing Mera, which then leads to Aquaman declaring all out war, devastating the world in the process.
I don’t believe that the current DCEU has set up Wonder Woman to be this kind of a character for the franchise. I believe that DC will be using the upcoming Darkseid/Earth war instead. Why do I say there is an impending war between Earth and Darkseid? Well, we have already seen this exact scenario take place in Batfleck’s dream in BvS. This was not a dream of an alternate reality, it was actually a premonition of the future of the current DCEU world! Darkseid takes advantage of his new Kryptonian super-soldier and the fact that there are no Green Lanterns on Earth to take over the planet. We actually have confirmation of this in the new Justice League trailer as well! Steppenwolf where he states that there is no Kryptonian and no lantern protecting the Earth. This leads to Batman’s dream of an apocalyptic wasteland where he becomes an older, desperate, fire-arm wielding Batman who shows no mercy to his enemies.
Enter the last piece of the puzzle. The Thomas Wayne Batman from the comic book Flashpoint is also an older Batman who uses guns and is not afraid to kill his enemies. Batfleck, as we know him, is already well on his way to becoming this character. He has already killed several people without hesitation and despite the criticisms of die-hard Batman fans. This is because this dark and gritty version of the character is the wrong version that will end up being rebooted once the Flashpoint movie hits.
Well, there’s my crazy DCEU theory from the depths of my mind. I hope you were able to follow along. What are your thoughts? Do you think it’s possible that the dark and gritty DCEU is really the “wrong” universe due to Flash’s time tampering? Is it possible that the universe will be rebooted just when all hope is lost? I would like to think that it is a distinct possibility, but only time will tell, and until then, keep theorizing!
-Erik Montgomery
On this episode of FTW, Erik and James take a look at one of the most famous fictional characters of our time, Batman. Join them as they explore the extensive theories surrounding the Dark Knight. Was Batman the one responsible for his parents deaths? Or maybe Bruce Wayne has been inside Arkham Asylum all along? They take a peek into these questions and much more!
If you would like to submit your theories or suggest a topic for a future episode, you can contact us @fantheoryworld on Twitter or fantheoryworld@gmail.com.
There are a few universal truths when it comes to Batman. The trauma of losing his parents as a child drove him to constantly try to eliminate crime in Gotham, his alter ego is a billionaire playboy, he is the world’s greatest detective, he doesn’t kill and he always finds time to meticulously shape all his equipment into bat form. Another major quality, that has been one of the driving forces leading up to his career as a superhero, has been his need for perfection. In order to fight crime and become a symbol of fear to criminals, Bruce needs to train and become the best at every skill that would help him fight the forces of evil. Anything less than perfection means that his failures can and will lead to innocent people getting hurt or it means the bad guy will never face justice (or so he thinks).
To achieve his goals, Bruce traveled the world for 10-15 years (this has varied over the years) training in every skill that might help him in the future. He has mastered almost all forms of martial arts, become an escape artist, honed his detective skills, stunt driving, chemistry, marksmanship, burglary, engineering, psychology, the list goes on. (Incidentally I would LOVE to read an ongoing comic series detailing the years of his training, get on it DC!). Even though Batman has learned meditation, spirituality, and human mysticism, one thing that he has not conquered is magic.
It is generally understood that if there is a skill to become proficient in, the Dark Knight has mastered it. So why not magic? Batman definitely recognizes magic as both a real and useful tool in defeating supernatural or otherworldly beings. In fact, he enlists the help of Zatanna and John Constantine whenever he goes up against a magic-based foe.
Some would say that since other heroes are expert magicians, there is no need for him to learn it himself. However, our caped crusader would never fully rely on some other hero completing a job for him. Even though Batman does not practice magic, he is no stranger to it. There have been instances in which he has managed to perform a spell or two when left with no other choice. The fact that Bruce would use an ability that requires a certain amount of skill and not perfect his expertise within that field shows that he intentionally does not dive deeper into the magic realm.
It would make sense that he would encounter enemies who are proficient in magical ways on a regular basis, so it would also make sense for him to add it to his skill repertoire. Plus we know of one godlike spit curl superhero that has a history of going rogue who also happens to be weak against magical energies. This seems to certainly be enough motive to learn so why hasn’t he?
Of course the real answer to this question is that if Batman learned magic, we would lose the Batman character we know and love. For this reason, it is very likely that writers will never make Batman the Sorcerer Supreme of the DC universe, which is a good thing. I, like many fans, love the character the way he is; using his physical and mental abilities to bring justice to the world. All I am saying is, this is a pretty big gap in his character that should have a solid explanation. So let’s examine a few justifications that are circulating the internet.
One theory that I am personally not a fan of is that Batman does not have a natural affinity to the mystic arts. To me this seems like a lazy way to offhandedly dismiss his lack of interest in magic. Not only would the Dark Knight see this as a personal challenge to overcome, he could always stock up on magically infused items and equipment that would make actual spell-casting unnecessary. Also, we see other characters in DC that are supposedly not magically inclined, for example, the before mentioned Constantine.
Other fans speculate that magic by its very nature is unpredictable and unstable while Batman prefers the reliability and control that technology offers him. I believe this idea is closer to the truth. Batman is definitely a control freak and plans everything to work in his favor 100% of the time. He prefers to rely on his wits and physical abilities to get the job done. However, this is not the case all the time. Technology also has its flaws and isn’t always reliable. Even a simple rifle can jam from time to time.
Also, it would fit within Batman’s personality that he would also view this as a challenge to overcome. I will grant that since the Caped Crusader has stated that magic is just a science that isn’t fully understood yet, he would have to devote an immense portion of time studying and fully realizing this mysterious science. Batman simply just doesn’t have the time, but Bruce Wayne did have the time during his years of training. Is there some untold story that turned him away from using magic? (Again, DC please!).
So if natural ability and the nature of magic aren’t the issue, what is it? My theory is a concept that is actually very familiar to Batman. Remember way back in the beginning of this long winded post when I briefly mentioned that Batman doesn’t kill? Well this is because if he were to ever mentally justify killing someone, Bruce knows himself well enough to know that it would be easier for him to justify the next murder. When you really take the time to examine this character under a bat-microscope, it becomes apparent that Batman is actually as disturbed as his villains and is the very definition of unhealthy obsessions. The difference between him and his enemies is that he recognizes his particular brand of crazy and keeps it under wraps. Putting it simply, Batman does not trust himself. If he were to kill once, he knows he wouldn’t be able to stop, hence his no kill rule. If Batman were to become a master magician he would have an incredible amount of power. Too much power, in fact. He knows that if he were to be imbued with unlimited magical abilities, he would go too far and never be able to uncross a very distinct line.
We actually have evidence of this too. In a few different story lines we see what happens when the Justice League decides to forego government control and take over as the government calling themselves the Justice Lords. Justice Lord Batman has no problem with the idea of world domination to protect the citizens of the world from themselves. This is a clear example of Batman having crossed a doorway that he does not come back from and mastery of the mystical arts is one of these doors that must remain closed to him.
I personally think that this brings a wonderful complexity to the Batman character. I have always questioned Batman’s choice to not kill but when you take into consideration that the only thing separating Batman from his rogue’s gallery is iron-clad will, he truly becomes the Dark Knight. He will always choose to opt-out of obtaining more power for the simple fact that he KNOWS that he could not control himself if he had it. Or maybe I am completely off-base and Batman will become a sorcerer’s apprentice at some point in the future. Only time will be able to tell, but until then, keep on theorizing!
Author: Erik Montgomery
Fan Theory World 