With the current big-screen success of The Batman starring Robert Pattinson, it’s easy to see yet again how well Batman as a character has done in Hollywood over the past 30+ years. Practically no matter who’s played Batman (Michael Keaton, Christian Bale, Val Kilmer, and perhaps to a lesser extent, George Clooney and Ben Affleck) the franchise has always been successful, thanks to Batman’s long-lasting appeal. Starting as a DC comic book character in 1939, then as a television show back in the 1960s with Adam West as the Caped Crusader, Batman’s plot lines have generally had a darker theme to them as time went on. A lot of this had to do with director Tim Burton first highlighting this side of Batman in his films in 1989 and 1992. From there, grit became the standard style of Batman most recognized by the public.

Batman’s (and sometimes Robin’s) main movie villains have included the Joker, Penguin, Riddler, Two-Face, Mr. Freeze, Scarecrow, Ra’s al Ghul, and Bane – all male characters. Women villains have included Catwoman, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, and Talia al Ghul. However, too often they’ve been portrayed as either romantic interests or as secondary characters to their male counterparts. In the only true heroine role, Batgirl has only been represented once — and in what’s considered by most as the worst Batman film thus far at that: Batman and Robin. In recent generations, culture has evolved in many ways and women’s equality, while still having a long way to go, has made progress. Perhaps partially because of this, women fans are more likely to be engaged in the world of Gotham than ever before. However, it’s clear they aren’t well represented overall. With The Batman sequel looking more promising, here’s why the franchise needs more women characters.


Related: Women Characters We’d Love to See in a Possible The Batman Sequel

There are Many Great Women DC Characters To Choose From

DC Comics already has many female characters established for upcoming films or shows. Talia al Ghul is the mother of Damian, Bruce Wayne’s only son. Harper Row/Bluebird has fought alongside Batman in the comics. Bette Kane was the original Batgirl. Huntress is one of the Birds of Prey and is already represented on the big screen. Stephanie Brown previously was an incarnation of Robin. Cassandra Cain is the daughter of assassins and proved herself as a strong fighter in the comics. Barbara Gordon is the daughter of the Gotham commissioner and one of the smartest minds, portraying both Batgirl and Oracle at different times. Kate Kane as Batwoman is the cousin of Batman and already had her own popular TV series on the CW Network. Lady Shiva is a martial arts grandmaster and foe of Batman. White Rabbit is an underrated character who can duplicate herself with enhanced speed. Catwoman regularly toes the line between villain and hero and her story could always be explored further as long as it’s done well. Harley Quinn’s story with her in a lead role against (or with) Batman could also be further explored.

Catching Up to the Success Marvel’s Already Had

Marvel’s far ahead in establishing successful female superheroes. Take a look: Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow; Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel; Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch; Letitia Wright as Shuri; Natalie Portman as Jane Foster/Mighty Thor; Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk; Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova/Black Widow; Zoe Saldana as Gamora; and Karen Gillan as Nebula.

Even fruther: Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet Van Dyne/Wasp; Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau; Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter; Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie; Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop/Hawkeye; Danai Gurira as Okoye; Pom Klementieff as Mantis; Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne/Wasp; Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter/Captain Carter; Gemma Chan as Sersi; Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel; Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts/Rescue.;Selma Hayek as Ajak; and the action movie queen herself Angelina Jolie as Thena. The list goes on and on. While DC and Batman don’t currently have as many projects in the works as Marvel does, that just means they need to make it count that much more when introducing new women characters.


Related: Here’s Every Woman-Led MCU Release So Far (& Others We’re Excited About)

There’s Already an Audience Looking For More of These Characters

​​​​​​​The success of movies featuring Wonder Woman (with Gal Gadot) and Harley Quinn (played by Margot Robbie) shows there’s already an audience open to seeing expanding roles of women DC comic book characters. It’s time to catch Batman up with the times. Women are not token characters like they may have often been portrayed a few generations ago in comic books. Women make up more than half of the world’s population and have seen increased representation across the board in popular culture – music, film, television, you name it. If done respectfully, there is a lot of potential for female characters in the future of Batman. With a movie sequel already confirmed and a spinoff show for The Penguin on HBO Max, there will be many opportunities to introduce women characters in the franchise going forward.

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